Memorial of St. Augustine, bishop and doctor of the Church
(I Thessalonians 2)
It has been proposed that the three most important persons in early Christianity were Jesus, Paul, and Augustine. Some might wonder why Jesus’ name is put on this short list that does not include the Blessed Mother or St. Peter. But the proposition concerns the formation of a great religion. Jesus, of course, started it all. Paul propelled the Christian movement forward with his work among the Greeks. And Augustine gave Christianity, in the West at least, a solid theoretical basis.
There are other comparisons to be made between Paul and Augustine beyond being nominated together as all-time great Christians. Both experienced famous conversions. Paul, of course, persecuted Christianity before the Lord encountered him on the way to Damascus and turned his life upside down. Augustine’s conversion was more subtle and more gradual. He had leaned for a long time toward a heretical Christian sect. He also had a child with a woman whom he lived with for fifteen years. Finally, however, he could not deny the coherence of Christian thought and was baptized by the great St. Ambrose of Milan. Another comparison is that both Paul and Augustine worked tirelessly for Christ after their decisions. In the first reading today Paul mentions how he labored for neither money nor praise among the Thessalonians. Augustine’s enormous output of books and sermons eloquently testifies to his arduous work.
Perhaps most importantly both Paul and Augustine can be considered together for their work developing the concept of grace. Paul understood that we humans could not help ourselves but were doomed to sin when God sent His son to save us. Augustine in the intellectual battle with the Pelagians made it clear that salvation is not a little bit God’s offer and a little bit our response. No, even the inspiration to respond to God’s offer is a movement of divine grace in us.
No comments:
Post a Comment