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CategoryQuote
Easter"After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me more than the rest?' and Peter answered, 'You know Lord that I love you!' Jesus then charged him, 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.' The Lord questioned Peter three times in the same way so that his three-fold confession might cancel the threefold denial he had made on the evening of Holy Thursday. He was questioned about his love first and only then were Christ's sheep (his church and all its members) entrusted to him." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 229P, 1-4).
Leadership"After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me more than the rest?' and Peter answered, 'You know Lord that I love you!' Jesus then charged him, 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.' The Lord questioned Peter three times in the same way so that his three-fold confession might cancel the threefold denial he had made on the evening of Holy Thursday. He was questioned about his love first and only then were Christ's sheep (his church and all its members) entrusted to him." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 229P, 1-4).
Ministry"After his resurrection Jesus asked Peter, 'Do you love me more than the rest?' and Peter answered, 'You know Lord that I love you!' Jesus then charged him, 'Feed my lambs, feed my sheep.' The Lord questioned Peter three times in the same way so that his three-fold confession might cancel the threefold denial he had made on the evening of Holy Thursday. He was questioned about his love first and only then were Christ's sheep (his church and all its members) entrusted to him." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 229P, 1-4).
Difficult People"All who love their brothers and sisters put up with everything for the sake of unity, because neighborly love consists in the unity of love. Suppose an evil person would offend you, or one whom you judge to be evil or even only image to be so. Would you, abandon so many others who are good?" - Sermon on 1 John 1, 12.
Unity (Unitas)"All who love their brothers and sisters put up with everything for the sake of unity, because neighborly love consists in the unity of love. Suppose an evil person would offend you, or one whom you judge to be evil or even only image to be so. Would you, abandon so many others who are good?" - Sermon on 1 John 1, 12.
Preaching"An eloquent man once said, you see, and what he said was true, that to be eloquent you should speak 'so as to teach, to delight, to sway.' Then he added, 'Teaching your audience is a matter of necessity, delighting them a matter of being agreeable, swaying them a matter of victory.'" - De Doctrina Christiana, 12, 27.
Friendship"Bad brother or sister, quarrelsome brother or sister, you are still my brother or sister. You say, just as I say, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven.' Why, then, are we not together in one? It is not a friend, not a neighbor, who orders us to be in harmony, but rather He to Whom we say, 'Our Father.' We have together one voice before our Father. Why do we not have one peace together?" - Saint Augustine (Sermon on John 26, 11).
Unity (Unitas)"Bad brother or sister, quarrelsome brother or sister, you are still my brother or sister. You say, just as I say, 'Our Father, Who art in heaven.' Why, then, are we not together in one? It is not a friend, not a neighbor, who orders us to be in harmony, but rather He to Whom we say, 'Our Father.' We have together one voice before our Father. Why do we not have one peace together?" - Saint Augustine (Sermon on John 26, 11).
Advocacy"Be assured that abuses are not done away with by harsh or severe or autocratic measures, but by teaching rather than by commanding, by persuasion rather than by threats. This is the way to deal with the people in general, reserving severity for the sins of the few. If we make threats, let it be done sorrowfully, in the words of Scripture, and in terms of the world to come. In this way, it is not we who are feared because of our power, but God because of our words." - Letter 22, 5.
Leadership"Be assured that abuses are not done away with by harsh or severe or autocratic measures, but by teaching rather than by commanding, by persuasion rather than by threats. This is the way to deal with the people in general, reserving severity for the sins of the few. If we make threats, let it be done sorrowfully, in the words of Scripture, and in terms of the world to come. In this way, it is not we who are feared because of our power, but God because of our words." - Letter 22, 5.
Social Justice"Be assured that abuses are not done away with by harsh or severe or autocratic measures, but by teaching rather than by commanding, by persuasion rather than by threats. This is the way to deal with the people in general, reserving severity for the sins of the few. If we make threats, let it be done sorrowfully, in the words of Scripture, and in terms of the world to come. In this way, it is not we who are feared because of our power, but God because of our words." - Letter 22, 5.
Humility"Blessed are the poor in spirit. What does poor in spirit mean? Being poor in wishes, not in means. One who is poor in spirit, you see, is humble; and God hears the groans of the humble and doesn't despise their prayers." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 53A).
Justice"Blessed are those who feel compassion, because God will have compassion on them. In fact, you are hungry and thirsty for justice. If you are hungry and thirsty, you are a beggar for God. So, you stand like a beggar in front of God's door, but there is also another beggar in front of your door. What will you do with your beggar, God will do with his." - Saint Augustine (Discourse 53 / A, 10)
Mercy"Blessed are those who feel compassion, because God will have compassion on them. In fact, you are hungry and thirsty for justice. If you are hungry and thirsty, you are a beggar for God. So, you stand like a beggar in front of God's door, but there is also another beggar in front of your door. What will you do with your beggar, God will do with his." - Saint Augustine (Discourse 53 / A, 10)
Poverty"Blessed are those who feel compassion, because God will have compassion on them. In fact, you are hungry and thirsty for justice. If you are hungry and thirsty, you are a beggar for God. So, you stand like a beggar in front of God's door, but there is also another beggar in front of your door. What will you do with your beggar, God will do with his." - Saint Augustine (Discourse 53 / A, 10)
Mary"By Mary's pious faith she merited that the holy child come to be in her. He created her in order to choose her, from whom he chose to be created." - Saint Augustine (On Nature and Grace 36, 42)
Conversion"Certainly, even the impious and unjust seek God, so that after they have found Him they may no more be impious or unjust. But how are they already blessed while they are still seeking Him? They are happy by their hope not because of what they have but because of what they will have. They are happy, not because they seek God but because they will find what they seek." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 138, 2-3).
Humility"Christ humbled himself. Christian, that is what you must make your own. Christ became obedient. How is it that you are proud? When this humbling experience was completed and death itself lay conquered, Christ ascended into heaven. Let us follow him there" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 304, 1-4)
Incarnation"Christ humbled himself. Christian, that is what you must make your own. Christ became obedient. How is it that you are proud? When this humbling experience was completed and death itself lay conquered, Christ ascended into heaven. Let us follow him there" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 304, 1-4)
Humility"Christ invites us to enter heaven when he says, 'Enter by the narrow door.' You make an effort to enter but your swollen head prevents you. The door's narrowness irritates your swollen head and the irritation makes it swell all the more. You must get the swelling down if you want to enter. But how are you to do that? You must accept the medicine of humility. Your bulk is swollen, not big. If it is big it is solid; if it is swollen it is just os much empty air. Get the swelling down to be genuinly big. Do this by not taking pride int he pomp and circumstance of things that slip away and crumble into nothing." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 142, 5).
Pride"Christ invites us to enter heaven when he says, 'Enter by the narrow door.' You make an effort to enter but your swollen head prevents you. The door's narrowness irritates your swollen head and the irritation makes it swell all the more. You must get the swelling down if you want to enter. But how are you to do that? You must accept the medicine of humility. Your bulk is swollen, not big. If it is big it is solid; if it is swollen it is just os much empty air. Get the swelling down to be genuinly big. Do this by not taking pride int he pomp and circumstance of things that slip away and crumble into nothing." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 142, 5).
Charity (Caritas)"Christ who is rich in heaven chose to be hugry in the poor. Yet in your humanity you hesitate to give to your fellow human being. Don’t you realize that what you give, you give to Christ, from whom you received whatever you have to give in the first place." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 75,9)
Incarnation"Christ who is rich in heaven chose to be hugry in the poor. Yet in your humanity you hesitate to give to your fellow human being. Don’t you realize that what you give, you give to Christ, from whom you received whatever you have to give in the first place." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 75,9)
Stewardship"Christ who is rich in heaven chose to be hugry in the poor. Yet in your humanity you hesitate to give to your fellow human being. Don’t you realize that what you give, you give to Christ, from whom you received whatever you have to give in the first place." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 75,9)
Advocacy"Clearly, it is not by harshness or by severity, or by overbearing methods, that social evils are removed. It is by education rather than by formal commands, by persuasion rather than by threats. This is the way to deal with people in general. Severity, however, should be employed only against the sins of the few." - Letter 22, 5.
Social Justice"Clearly, it is not by harshness or by severity, or by overbearing methods, that social evils are removed. It is by education rather than by formal commands, by persuasion rather than by threats. This is the way to deal with people in general. Severity, however, should be employed only against the sins of the few." - Letter 22, 5.
Evangelization"Come down, Peter. You wanted to rest on the mountain, but go down, preach the word, urge promptly and importunately, argue, exhort, rebuke with all long-suffering and doctrine." - Sermon 78, 6.
Politics"Considering how short life is, does it really matter what government you must obey as long as you are not compelled to act against God or your conscience? As far as I can see, it makes no difference at all to political security or public order to maintain the purely human distinction between conquerors and the conquered. It adds nothing to a nation but empty pomp, an appropriate reward for those who wage fierce battles out of lust for human glory. When all the boasting is over, what is any man but just another man? Even when honor in this life is merited, it has no lasting value. It is smoke that weighs nothing." - Saint Augustine (City of God, 5.17).
Mass Incarceration"Criminals deserve to be loved and pitied because they are human beings. Judges and public official, like Bishops, are thus bound to criminals in a human fellowship” - Saint Augustine (Letter to Macedonius)
Charity (Caritas)"Do not look to your own interests; have charity, proclaim truth. Thus you will reach the eternity where you will find freedom from care, and tranquility." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 78, 6)
Evangelization"Do not look to your own interests; have charity, proclaim truth. Thus you will reach the eternity where you will find freedom from care, and tranquility." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 78, 6)
Truth (Veritas)"Do not look to your own interests; have charity, proclaim truth. Thus you will reach the eternity where you will find freedom from care, and tranquility." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 78, 6)
Judging Others"Do not love a fault in a person but love the person, for God made man and woman, but man and woman made the fault. Love what God made, not what man made himself. When you love the work of man, you destroy him; when you love the work of God, you correct him." - Saint Augustine, On the first Letter of John 7, 11.
Love"Do not love a fault in a person but love the person, for God made man and woman, but man and woman made the fault. Love what God made, not what man made himself. When you love the work of man, you destroy him; when you love the work of God, you correct him." - Saint Augustine, On the first Letter of John 7, 11.
Love"Do not suppose that it is easy to preserve love, that you need not do anything to keep it, that you can always afford to be gentle with the beloved, a gentleness that sometimes masks a 'not caring' what the loved one does. That is not how you preserve love. Do you love your children when you won't discipline them? Do you love your neighbor when you never correct them? This is not love but apathy. Love must sometimes arouse you to correct the loved one. When you find that they are good, rejoice with them; when you find that they are going in a wrong direction, admonish them." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on the Epistle of John, 7.11.1).
Forgiveness"Driven out of paradise by you and exiled in a distant land, by myself I cannot return unless you come to meet me in my wandering. My return is based on hope in your mercy during all of my earthly life. My only hope, the only source of confidence, the only solid promise is your mercy" - Saint Augustine (Discourses on the Psalms, 24, 5).
Hope"Driven out of paradise by you and exiled in a distant land, by myself I cannot return unless you come to meet me in my wandering. My return is based on hope in your mercy during all of my earthly life. My only hope, the only source of confidence, the only solid promise is your mercy" - Saint Augustine (Discourses on the Psalms, 24, 5).
Mercy"Driven out of paradise by you and exiled in a distant land, by myself I cannot return unless you come to meet me in my wandering. My return is based on hope in your mercy during all of my earthly life. My only hope, the only source of confidence, the only solid promise is your mercy" - Saint Augustine (Discourses on the Psalms, 24, 5).
Pilgrimage"Earthly life is a pilgrimage, and as such it is full of temptations. But our spiritual growth is worked out in temptation. By experiencing temptations, we know ourselves. By fighting them, we have the chance to become winners. By overcoming them, we are crowned victors." - Commentary on Psalm 80, 3.
Temptation"Earthly life is a pilgrimage, and as such it is full of temptations. But our spiritual growth is worked out in temptation. By experiencing temptations, we know ourselves. By fighting them, we have the chance to become winners. By overcoming them, we are crowned victors." - Commentary on Psalm 80, 3.
Environment"Envision the extraordinary brilliance and effects of the light in sun and moon and stars, in the dark shades of a glade, in the colors and scents of flowers. Then there is the grandeur of the spectacle of the sea as it slips on and off its many colors like robes. All these are mere consolations for us, not the rewards of the blessed. What can such rewards be like, then, if such things here are so many, so great, and of such quality?" - Saint Augustine (City of God 22, 24).
Advocacy"Essentially, the distinguishing mark of those who strive after Christian perfection is that they love the sinner and detest only sins. When they must avenge wrongdoing, they do so, not with the cruelty of hatred, but with justice administered with moderation, lest forgiveness without satisfaction do more harm to the sinner than punishment." - Against Adamants 17.
Difficult People"Essentially, the distinguishing mark of those who strive after Christian perfection is that they love the sinner and detest only sins. When they must avenge wrongdoing, they do so, not with the cruelty of hatred, but with justice administered with moderation, lest forgiveness without satisfaction do more harm to the sinner than punishment." - Against Adamants 17.
Common Good"Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. One is friendly; the other is envious. One wishes for the neighbor what it would wish for itself; the other wishes to subject the neighbor to itself. One guides the neighbor in the interests of the neighbor's good; the other guides the neighbor for its own interests." - The Literal Meaning of Genesis 11, 15.
Community"Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. One is friendly; the other is envious. One wishes for the neighbor what it would wish for itself; the other wishes to subject the neighbor to itself. One guides the neighbor in the interests of the neighbor's good; the other guides the neighbor for its own interests." - The Literal Meaning of Genesis 11, 15.
Discrimination"Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. One is friendly; the other is envious. One wishes for the neighbor what it would wish for itself; the other wishes to subject the neighbor to itself. One guides the neighbor in the interests of the neighbor's good; the other guides the neighbor for its own interests." - The Literal Meaning of Genesis 11, 15.
Social Justice"Essentially, there are two kinds of people, because there are two kinds of love. One is holy the other is selfish. One is subject to God; the other endeavors to equal Him. One is friendly; the other is envious. One wishes for the neighbor what it would wish for itself; the other wishes to subject the neighbor to itself. One guides the neighbor in the interests of the neighbor's good; the other guides the neighbor for its own interests." - The Literal Meaning of Genesis 11, 15.
Poverty"Even though you possess plenty, you are still indigent. You about in temporal possessions, but you need things eternal. You listen to the needs of a human beggar, yet you yourself are a beggar of God. What you do with those who be from you is what God will do with His beggar. You are filled and you are empty. Fill your empty neighbor from your fullness, so that your emptiness may be filled from God's fullness." - Sermon 56, 9.
Social Justice"Even though you possess plenty, you are still indigent. You about in temporal possessions, but you need things eternal. You listen to the needs of a human beggar, yet you yourself are a beggar of God. What you do with those who be from you is what God will do with His beggar. You are filled and you are empty. Fill your empty neighbor from your fullness, so that your emptiness may be filled from God's fullness." - Sermon 56, 9.
Work Life"Every work that effects our union with God in a holy fellowship is a true sacrifice; every work, that is, which is referred to that final end, that ultimate good, by which we are able to be in the true sense happy." - Saint Augustine (City of God, 10, 6).
Conversion"Everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom which is no longer of the world. For so has God snatched us from the powers of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, that kingdom of which he said: My kingdom is not of this world; my kingly power does not come from here." - Saint Augustine (Homilies on the Gospel of John 115, 2).
Humility"Exalted is the fatherland, humble the way. The fatherland is the life of Christ, his death is the way. The fatherland is above where Christ dwells with the Father, his suffering is the way. If anyone rejects the way, how can he seek the fatherland?" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel, 28, 5).
Faith"For understanding is the reward of faith. Therefore do not seek to understand in order to believe, but believe that you may understand." - Saint Augustine (On the Gospel of John, 29.6)
Charity (Caritas)"God does not demand much of you. He asks back what he gave you, and from him you take what is enough for you. The superfluities of the rich are the necessities of the poor. When you possess superfluities, you possess what belongs to others." - Saint Augustine (Exposition on Psalm 147, 12).
Poverty"God does not demand much of you. He asks back what he gave you, and from him you take what is enough for you. The superfluities of the rich are the necessities of the poor. When you possess superfluities, you possess what belongs to others." - Saint Augustine (Exposition on Psalm 147, 12).
Stewardship"God does not demand much of you. He asks back what he gave you, and from him you take what is enough for you. The superfluities of the rich are the necessities of the poor. When you possess superfluities, you possess what belongs to others." - Saint Augustine (Exposition on Psalm 147, 12).
Environment"God made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the marker of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs; and through the person who does not have, He tests the one who has." - Sermon 35, 7.
Poverty"God made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the marker of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs; and through the person who does not have, He tests the one who has." - Sermon 35, 7.
Social Justice"God made both the rich and the poor. So the rich and the poor are born alike. You meet one another as you walk on the way together. Do not oppress or defraud anyone. One may be needy and another may have plenty. But the Lord is the marker of them both. Through the person who has, He helps the one who needs; and through the person who does not have, He tests the one who has." - Sermon 35, 7.
Contemplation"God satisfies the seeker according to the seeker's capacity; and the capacity of the finder he enlarges, so that the finder will seek the further fulfilment of which he now begins to be capable." - Saint Augustine (On the Gospel of John 63, 1).
Desire"God stretches our desire through delay, stretches our soul through desire, and makes it large enough by stretching it. Let us desire, then, because we have to be filled." - Saint Augustine (On the First Letter of John, 4)
Prayer"God wants you to pray so that you may experience desire, itself a gift from him, and thus, having this desire satisfied by him, you will not take for granted what he gives" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 56, 3, 4)
Humility"Grasp the truth of God by using the way He Himself provides, since He sees the weakness of our footsteps. That way consists first, of humility, second, of humility, and third, or humility. Unless humility precede, accompany, and follow up all the good we accomplish, unless we keep our eyes fixed on it, pride will snatch everything right out of our hands." - Letter 118, 22.
Difficult People"Have compassion of man, O man, and God will have compassion on you. You are a man, and he is a man - two unhappy creatures. God is not unhappy; he is merciful. If the unhappy have no compassion on the unhappy, how can he ask for mercy from him who shall never know unhappiness? If you wish to receive mercy from God, then, be merciful. If you deny the humanity of your fellow man, God will deny you his divinizing grace" - Saint Augustine, Sermon 259, 4.
Forgiveness"Have compassion of man, O man, and God will have compassion on you. You are a man, and he is a man - two unhappy creatures. God is not unhappy; he is merciful. If the unhappy have no compassion on the unhappy, how can he ask for mercy from him who shall never know unhappiness? If you wish to receive mercy from God, then, be merciful. If you deny the humanity of your fellow man, God will deny you his divinizing grace" - Saint Augustine, Sermon 259, 4.
Hope"Hope is a necessity for us in these days of exile from heaven. It is our consolation on the journey. When a traveler gets tired of walking along the dusty road, he puts up with fatigue because he hopes to arrive home. Rob him of any hope of arriving and immediately his strength for walking is broken. So too, the hope for heaven which we have now is an important factor easing the pain of our just exile and sometimes harsh journey." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 158, 8).
Pilgrimage"Hope is a necessity for us in these days of exile from heaven. It is our consolation on the journey. When a traveler gets tired of walking along the dusty road, he puts up with fatigue because he hopes to arrive home. Rob him of any hope of arriving and immediately his strength for walking is broken. So too, the hope for heaven which we have now is an important factor easing the pain of our just exile and sometimes harsh journey." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 158, 8).
Suffering"Hope is a necessity for us in these days of exile from heaven. It is our consolation on the journey. When a traveler gets tired of walking along the dusty road, he puts up with fatigue because he hopes to arrive home. Rob him of any hope of arriving and immediately his strength for walking is broken. So too, the hope for heaven which we have now is an important factor easing the pain of our just exile and sometimes harsh journey." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 158, 8).
Faith"How will you be able to lift up your heart to God? Does your heart not need first to be healed before you can come to see God? Are you not revealing your pride when you cry out 'First let me see and then I will be healed?" - Commentary on Psalm 39, 21
Pride"How will you be able to lift up your heart to God? Does your heart not need first to be healed before you can come to see God? Are you not revealing your pride when you cry out 'First let me see and then I will be healed?" - Commentary on Psalm 39, 21
Pilgrimage"I am the way, the truth, and the life. It is by me that you come; it is I that you come to, and in me you remain. How do you wish to go? I am the way. Where do you wish to go? I am the truth. Where do you wish to remain? I am the life. Christ as God is the fatherland where we are going;Christ as man is the way we must travel" - Saint Augustine (On Christian Doctrine, 1, 34).
Truth (Veritas)"I am the way, the truth, and the life. It is by me that you come; it is I that you come to, and in me you remain. How do you wish to go? I am the way. Where do you wish to go? I am the truth. Where do you wish to remain? I am the life. Christ as God is the fatherland where we are going;Christ as man is the way we must travel" - Saint Augustine (On Christian Doctrine, 1, 34).
Ministry"I am your guardian by the office of government, but I want to be guarded with you. I am a shepherd for you, but I am a sheep with you under that Shepherd. From this place I am as a doctor to you, but I am your fellow disciple in this school under that one Teacher." - Commentary on Psalm 126:3
Synodality"I am your guardian by the office of government, but I want to be guarded with you. I am a shepherd for you, but I am a sheep with you under that Shepherd. From this place I am as a doctor to you, but I am your fellow disciple in this school under that one Teacher." - Commentary on Psalm 126:3
Unity (Unitas)"I do all this with the sole intention that we live together in Christ. This is my whole ambition, my whole honor, my whole joy, my whole inheritance, and my whole glory. If you do not listen to me and I continue to speak, I will save my soul. But I do not want to be saved without you." - Sermon 17:2.
Desire"I implore you to love with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here we are strangers." - Saint Augustine (Treatise on John 35, 8-9).
Pilgrimage"I implore you to love with me and, by believing, to run with me; let us long for our heavenly country, let us sigh for our heavenly home, let us truly feel that here we are strangers." - Saint Augustine (Treatise on John 35, 8-9).
Anger"If love is life, hatred is death. When a person begins to fear that he may hate the one he used to love, he is afraid of death and the death he fears is one more dreadful because it is a death that slays not the body but the soul. What harm can an angry person do to you in view of the security the Lord gave you when he said 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body'? In his rage the enemy may kill the body, but by hating him you have killed the soul. He killed the body of another; you have killed your own soul." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 54, 7).
Enemies"If love is life, hatred is death. When a person begins to fear that he may hate the one he used to love, he is afraid of death and the death he fears is one more dreadful because it is a death that slays not the body but the soul. What harm can an angry person do to you in view of the security the Lord gave you when he said 'Do not be afraid of those who kill the body'? In his rage the enemy may kill the body, but by hating him you have killed the soul. He killed the body of another; you have killed your own soul." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 54, 7).
Humility"If you get lost through loving yourself, then of course you get found through denying yourself." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 96, 1-2)
Charity (Caritas)"If you would be safe from your enemy, learn to love him. Make charity grow in yourself, for it will shape you and restore you in God's image. When your charity extends to your enemies, you will resemble the One who makes his sun rise not only on the good but on good and evil, and waters not only the field of the good man, but the field of the just and the sinner alike" - Saint Augustine (On Psalm 99, 5)
Enemies"If you would be safe from your enemy, learn to love him. Make charity grow in yourself, for it will shape you and restore you in God's image. When your charity extends to your enemies, you will resemble the One who makes his sun rise not only on the good but on good and evil, and waters not only the field of the good man, but the field of the just and the sinner alike" - Saint Augustine (On Psalm 99, 5)
Charity (Caritas)"If, as St. Paul says, Faith profits us nothing without Charity (1 Corinthians 13:2) and Charity must always be active wherever it is found, then Faith itself leads to good works by choosing to love. How then is it possible for anyone to be justified by Faith apart from works?" - Saint Augustine (Commentary on PSalm 31/2, 6)
Attachments"In a building nothing comes before the foundation. Thus, whoever has Christ in his heart in such a way as to place nothing ahead of him, nothing earthly or temporal, even of those things that are licit and permissible, has Christ as his foundation." - Saint Augustine (City of God, XX, 16).
Materialism"In a building nothing comes before the foundation. Thus, whoever has Christ in his heart in such a way as to place nothing ahead of him, nothing earthly or temporal, even of those things that are licit and permissible, has Christ as his foundation." - Saint Augustine (City of God, XX, 16).
Charity (Caritas)"In loving others, and caring for them, you are on a journey. Where is journey's end if not the Lord our God, the One we should love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind? We have not yet reached him, but our neighbor is here at our side. Look after this companion of your pilgrimage if you would reach the One whom you desire to be with forever" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel 17, 9)
Discrimination"In loving others, and caring for them, you are on a journey. Where is journey's end if not the Lord our God, the One we should love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind? We have not yet reached him, but our neighbor is here at our side. Look after this companion of your pilgrimage if you would reach the One whom you desire to be with forever" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel 17, 9)
Pilgrimage"In loving others, and caring for them, you are on a journey. Where is journey's end if not the Lord our God, the One we should love with all our heart, with all our soul, with all our mind? We have not yet reached him, but our neighbor is here at our side. Look after this companion of your pilgrimage if you would reach the One whom you desire to be with forever" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel 17, 9)
Christmas"In order that Truth might spring from the earth, he came down from heaven. In order that the bridegroom might come forth from his chamber, his going forth was from the height of heaven. That's why he was born today, a day than which none is shorter on earth, but from which the days begin to grow longer. So in bending down to pick us up, he chose the smallest day, but the one from which light starts increasing. Thus by his very coming in this sort of way he is silently exhorting us, as effectively as if he shouted it aloud, to learn to be rich in the one who became poor for us (2 Corinthians 8:9); to accept freedom in the one who for our sake accepted the form of a slave (Philippians 2:7); to take possession of the heavens in the one who for our sake sprang from the earth" - Sermon 192, 3.
Friendship"In order to be a friend of somebody, there is a need first of all to be a friend of truth." - Saint Augustine (Letter 155, 1)
Truth (Veritas)"In order to be a friend of somebody, there is a need first of all to be a friend of truth." - Saint Augustine (Letter 155, 1)
Attachments"In this life there are two loves in conflict: the love for this world and the love of God. Whichever wins out draws the lover like gravity in its direction. It is not through feet or wings but by desire that we come to God. And it is not by some physical bond or iron chain that we are bound to earth. We are bound simply by our desire for the things of earth." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 344, 1).
Desire"In this life there are two loves in conflict: the love for this world and the love of God. Whichever wins out draws the lover like gravity in its direction. It is not through feet or wings but by desire that we come to God. And it is not by some physical bond or iron chain that we are bound to earth. We are bound simply by our desire for the things of earth." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 344, 1).
Work Life"It is a mistake to think that humans were placed in paradise as slaves to servile work. Rather they were given the commission to 'cultivate and guard' the land so that they could experience the special pleasure that comes from doing a work befitting human dignity." - Saint Augustine (A Literal Meaning of Genesis, 8.9.18).
Christmas"It is called the Lord's birthday when the Wisdom of God presented itself to us as an infant, and the Word of God without words uttered the flesh as its voice. And yet that hidden divinity was signified to the wise men by the evidence of the heavens, and announced to the shepherds by the voice of an angel. And so we celebrate this day every year with great solemnity, because on it was fulfilled the prophecy with said, Truth has sprung from the earth, and Justice has looked forth from heaven (Psalm 85:11). Trueh which is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18), has sprung from the earth, in order also to be in the bosom of his mother. Truth, by which the world is held together, has spring from the earth, in order to be carried in a woman's arms. Truth, on which the bliss of the angels is incorruptibly nourished, has sprung from the earth, in order to be suckled at breasts of flesh. Truth, which heaven is not big enough to hold, has sprung from th earth, in order to be placed in a manger." - Sermon 185, 1.
Preaching"It is the duty, therefore, of the eloquent churchman, when he is trying to persuade the people about something that has to be done, not only to teach, in order to instruct them; not only to delight in order to hold them; but also to sway, in order to conquer and win them." - De Doctrina Christiana, 13, 29.
Pilgrimage"Just as man cultivates the earth to develop it and make it fruitful, so God in a much deeper sense cultivates man in order that he may become just. Just as man is said to cultivate the earth so that it may be adorned and fruitful, God also is said to cultivate man so that he may be devout and wise. He also guards him lest he delight too much in his own powers because when a person ignores the authority of God, he cannot be saved." - A Literal Commentary on genesis, 8.10.23
Conversion"Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and yet so new, late have I loved you. You were always there inside me and I was running around outside. I was looking for you out there, and confused as I was, I threw myself upon those beautiful things that you had made. You were always in me, but I was not always in you. Created things kept me apart from you even though they themselves could only exist in you. You called and shouted and finally broke through my deafness. You blazed forth and shone brightly and finally broke through my blindness." - Saint Augustine, Confessions 10.27.38
Materialism"Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and yet so new, late have I loved you. You were always there inside me and I was running around outside. I was looking for you out there, and confused as I was, I threw myself upon those beautiful things that you had made. You were always in me, but I was not always in you. Created things kept me apart from you even though they themselves could only exist in you. You called and shouted and finally broke through my deafness. You blazed forth and shone brightly and finally broke through my blindness." - Saint Augustine, Confessions 10.27.38
Pilgrimage"Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and yet so new, late have I loved you. You were always there inside me and I was running around outside. I was looking for you out there, and confused as I was, I threw myself upon those beautiful things that you had made. You were always in me, but I was not always in you. Created things kept me apart from you even though they themselves could only exist in you. You called and shouted and finally broke through my deafness. You blazed forth and shone brightly and finally broke through my blindness." - Saint Augustine, Confessions 10.27.38
Truth (Veritas)"Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and yet so new, late have I loved you. You were always there inside me and I was running around outside. I was looking for you out there, and confused as I was, I threw myself upon those beautiful things that you had made. You were always in me, but I was not always in you. Created things kept me apart from you even though they themselves could only exist in you. You called and shouted and finally broke through my deafness. You blazed forth and shone brightly and finally broke through my blindness." - Saint Augustine, Confessions 10.27.38
Charity (Caritas)"Let cupidity, greed, be uprooted, charity, love, planted. Anything that comes from this tree is good. Cupidity is unable to produce anything good, charity anything bad." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 311, 7).
Difficult People"Let there be in mild-mannered and humble spirits a compassionate ease in forgiving. Let the one who has done an injury ask pardon; let the one who has suffered injury grand pardon; so that we may not be possessed by Satan, whose triumph is the discord of Christians" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 210, 2)
Forgiveness"Let there be in mild-mannered and humble spirits a compassionate ease in forgiving. Let the one who has done an injury ask pardon; let the one who has suffered injury grand pardon; so that we may not be possessed by Satan, whose triumph is the discord of Christians" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 210, 2)
Humility"Let there be in mild-mannered and humble spirits a compassionate ease in forgiving. Let the one who has done an injury ask pardon; let the one who has suffered injury grand pardon; so that we may not be possessed by Satan, whose triumph is the discord of Christians" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 210, 2)
Attachments"Let us always desire the happy life from the Lord God and always pray for it. But for this very reason we turn our mind to the task of prayer at appointed hours, since that desire grows lukewarm, so to speak, from our involvement in other concerns and occupations. We remind ourselves through the words of prayer to focus our attention on the object of our desire; otherwise, the desire that began to grow lukewarm may grow chill altogether and may be totally extinguished unless it is repeatedly stirred into flame." - Saint Augustine (Letter to Proba)
Prayer"Let us always desire the happy life from the Lord God and always pray for it. But for this very reason we turn our mind to the task of prayer at appointed hours, since that desire grows lukewarm, so to speak, from our involvement in other concerns and occupations. We remind ourselves through the words of prayer to focus our attention on the object of our desire; otherwise, the desire that began to grow lukewarm may grow chill altogether and may be totally extinguished unless it is repeatedly stirred into flame." - Saint Augustine (Letter to Proba)
Eucharist"Let us come to this Supper and be filled to satiety. And who have come to this Supper except the beggars, the sick, the lame, and the blind? Let the beggars come, for He invites us who became poor for our sakes. Let the sick come, for it is not the healthy who need a physical but the sick. Let the blind come and say to Him: "Give light to my eyes lest I sleep in death." - Sermon 112, 8.
Contemplation"Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 52, 22).
Interiority"Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us look within ourselves and see whether there is some delightful hidden place inside where we can be free of noise and argument. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 52, 22).
Common Good"Let us strive to rejoice in the true inheritance which belongs to all rather than in what is just our own, so that those who live, as the apostle puts it, may live no longer just for themselves, but for him who died and rose again for all" - Saint Augustine (Letter 140, 68)
Environment"Look at the heavens and the earth: in their steady change and alteration they proclaim that they were made, and their very existence is itself the voice with which they speak. It was You, O Lord, Who created them." - Saint Augustine (Confessions 9, 4).
Evangelization"Lord, you frighten me! You demand from me what you gave me. You gave me my talents because you want to profit from them. You don't want them hidden away in some secret place. You don't want to get back only what you gave me. You want more. You want back all your money, every coin that bears your image-.e.g., every human soul that ever existed." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 125, 8).
Stewardship"Lord, you frighten me! You demand from me what you gave me. You gave me my talents because you want to profit from them. You don't want them hidden away in some secret place. You don't want to get back only what you gave me. You want more. You want back all your money, every coin that bears your image-.e.g., every human soul that ever existed." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 125, 8).
Discernment"Love and do what you will. If you keep silence, do it out of love. If you cry out, do it out of love. If you refrain from punishing, do it out of love." - Sermon on 1 John 7, 8.
Love"Love and do what you will. If you keep silence, do it out of love. If you cry out, do it out of love. If you refrain from punishing, do it out of love." - Sermon on 1 John 7, 8.
Ministry"Love and do what you will. If you keep silence, do it out of love. If you cry out, do it out of love. If you refrain from punishing, do it out of love." - Sermon on 1 John 7, 8.
Charity (Caritas)"Love is the only signs that distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil. To provide this, let them all sign themselves with the cross of Christ. Let them all respond: Amen. Let all sing: Alleluia. Let all build the walls of churches. There is still no way of discerning the children of God from the children of the devil except by love!" - Sermon on 1 John 5, 7.
Pilgrimage"Make progress, my brothers, examine yourselves honestly again and again. Put yourself to the test. Do not be content with what you are, if you want to become what you are not yet. For where you have grown pleased with yourself, there you will remain ... Always add something more, keep moving forward, keep making progress" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 169, 15, 18)
Temptation"Many people promise themselves that they will live a holy life. But, they fail because they go into the furnace and come out cracked." - Saint Augustine (Exposition on the Psalms 99, 11)
Contemplation"Martha and Mary were sisters related by blood and equal in holiness. Both were dedicated to the Lord. Martha welcomed him as travelers are welcomed. She was the maidservant receiving her Master, the invalid receiving her healer. You are indeed blessed, Martha, because of your service, by your seeking peace through good works. But when you come to the heavenly homeland you will find no traveler to welcome, no one hungry to feed, no thirst to relieve, no sick to visit, no quarrelers to reconcile, no dead to bury. There will be none of these tasks there. What Mary chose in this life will be realized there in all its fullness. 'The Lord will make his servants sit down and he will wait on them." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 103, 2 & 6).
Pilgrimage"Martha and Mary were sisters related by blood and equal in holiness. Both were dedicated to the Lord. Martha welcomed him as travelers are welcomed. She was the maidservant receiving her Master, the invalid receiving her healer. You are indeed blessed, Martha, because of your service, by your seeking peace through good works. But when you come to the heavenly homeland you will find no traveler to welcome, no one hungry to feed, no thirst to relieve, no sick to visit, no quarrelers to reconcile, no dead to bury. There will be none of these tasks there. What Mary chose in this life will be realized there in all its fullness. 'The Lord will make his servants sit down and he will wait on them." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 103, 2 & 6).
Mary"Mary gave birth to your Head, and the Church gave birth to you. For the Church also is both mother and virgin. She is mother by her entrails of charity, and virgin by the integrity of faith and piety. She gives birth to many, but they are all members of One whose Body and spouse she herself is. In this she is like Mary, because in many she is the mother of unity." - Sermon 192, 2.
Common Good"Moreover, this is the rule of love: the good that we desire for ourselves we desire for our neighbor also; and the evil that we are unwilling to undergo we wish to prevent from happening to our neighbor. All who love God will have such a desire toward everybody." - True Religion 87.
Love"Moreover, this is the rule of love: the good that we desire for ourselves we desire for our neighbor also; and the evil that we are unwilling to undergo we wish to prevent from happening to our neighbor. All who love God will have such a desire toward everybody." - True Religion 87.
Social Justice"Moreover, this is the rule of love: the good that we desire for ourselves we desire for our neighbor also; and the evil that we are unwilling to undergo we wish to prevent from happening to our neighbor. All who love God will have such a desire toward everybody." - True Religion 87.
Interiority"Note the Psalmist's words: 'I sought the Lord and He answered me.' Where did the Lord hear? Within. What does He reply? Within. There you pray, there you are heard, and there you are made happy. Therefore, enter your heart. Happy are those who delight to enter their hearts and find no evil." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 33).
Prayer"Note the Psalmist's words: 'I sought the Lord and He answered me.' Where did the Lord hear? Within. What does He reply? Within. There you pray, there you are heard, and there you are made happy. Therefore, enter your heart. Happy are those who delight to enter their hearts and find no evil." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 33).
Preaching"Now just as the listener needs to be delighted if you are to hold his attention and keep him listening, so he needs to be swayed, if you are to move him to act. And just as he is delighted if you speak agreeably, so in the same way he is swayed if he loves what you promise him, fears what you threaten him with, hates what you find fault with, embraces what you commend to him, deplores what you strongly insist is deplorable; if he rejoices over what you declare to be a matter for gladness, feels intense pity for those whom your words present to his very eyes as objects of pity, shuns those whom in terrifying tones you proclaim are to be avoided; and anything else that can be done by eloquence in the grand manner to move the spirits of the listeners, not to know what is to be done, but to do what they already know is to be done." - De Doctrina Christiana, 12, 27.
Difficult People"Now what does 'let him take up his cross mean?' Put up with all that is annoying: that is how they must follow Me. To tell the truth, when they follow Me, imitating My conduct and keeping My commandments, they will have many who will try to oppose them, forbid them, dissuade them, and this will be done by those same people who appear to be followers of Christ." - Sermon 96, 4.
Eucharist"Now when you receive communion, you receive the mystery of your own communion in love. Being many, you are one body. Many grapes hang on the vine, but the juice of grapes is mingled into oneness. Therefore, be what you see, and receive what you are." - Sermon on John 26, 13.
Love"O good and all powerful One, you care for each of us as if we alone existed. You care for all with the same tenderness that you show to each one." - Confessions 3, 11.
Poverty"O good and all powerful One, you care for each of us as if we alone existed. You care for all with the same tenderness that you show to each one." - Confessions 3, 11.
Social Justice"O good and all powerful One, you care for each of us as if we alone existed. You care for all with the same tenderness that you show to each one." - Confessions 3, 11.
Incarnation"O incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only Son, but he did not want to remain alone. In order that men might be born of God, God was first born of men. He had to seek on early only a mother, since the Father he already had in heaven. Begotten o God is he through whom we were created; born of a woman is he through whom we are to be recreated. The Word first wished to be born of man, so that you might be assured of being born of God" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel, 2, 13, 15).
Mary"O incredible kindness and mercy! He was the only Son, but he did not want to remain alone. In order that men might be born of God, God was first born of men. He had to seek on early only a mother, since the Father he already had in heaven. Begotten o God is he through whom we were created; born of a woman is he through whom we are to be recreated. The Word first wished to be born of man, so that you might be assured of being born of God" - Saint Augustine (On John's Gospel, 2, 13, 15).
Pilgrimage"On earth we are wayfarers, always on the go. This means that we have to keep on moving forward. Therefore be always unhappy about what you are if you want to reach what you are not. If you are pleased with what you are, you have stopped already. If you say 'it is enough' you are lost. Keep on walking, moving forward, trying for the goal. Don't try to stop on the way, or to go back, or to deviate from it." - Sermon 169, 18.
Hope"On the other hand, everyone who is reborn in Christ becomes the kingdom which is no longer of the world. For so has God snatched us from the powers of darkness, and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 97, 1-3)
Judging Others"One must especially bear this in mind: let no one think that he can reach happiness and the God he loves if he looks down on his neighbor" - Saint Augustine (On the Customs of the Catholic Church, 51)
Hope"Our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ. The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the happiness of the future life. Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in the future. Now is the time for the painful struggle; then will come the recompense" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 233, 1)
Pilgrimage"Our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ. The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the happiness of the future life. Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in the future. Now is the time for the painful struggle; then will come the recompense" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 233, 1)
Resurrection"Our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ. The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the happiness of the future life. Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in the future. Now is the time for the painful struggle; then will come the recompense" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 233, 1)
Suffering"Our faith is strengthened by the resurrection of Christ. The passion of Christ represents the misery of our present life, while the resurrection of Christ gives us a brilliant glimpse of the happiness of the future life. Let us apply ourselves energetically in the present life, and hope in the future. Now is the time for the painful struggle; then will come the recompense" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 233, 1)
Holy Week"Patients insane with anger sometimes strike their doctors. If they are very strong, they may even kill the one who seeks to cure them. Our Doctor (Jesus) was not afraid of being killed by his insane patients. Indeed, through his death he brought the remedy for their frenzy. Notice how he did not get angry with those who injured him. He felt sorry for them and wanted to heal them as they raged against him. Hanging on the cross, he looked at those who were venting their rage against him and prayed: 'Father, forgive them because they do not know what they are doing." - Saint Augusitne (Sermon 360B, 18).
Difficult People"People who are beyond hope pay all the less attention to their own sins, the more interested they are in those of others. They are looking for a chance to tear others to bits, not to put them right. Unable to excuse themselves, they are only too ready to accuse others" - Saint Augustine, Sermon 19, 2
Hope"People who are beyond hope pay all the less attention to their own sins, the more interested they are in those of others. They are looking for a chance to tear others to bits, not to put them right. Unable to excuse themselves, they are only too ready to accuse others" - Saint Augustine, Sermon 19, 2
Judging Others"People who are beyond hope pay all the less attention to their own sins, the more interested they are in those of others. They are looking for a chance to tear others to bits, not to put them right. Unable to excuse themselves, they are only too ready to accuse others" - Saint Augustine, Sermon 19, 2
Pride"People would not have performed an evil work unless an evil will had preceded it. Now what else than pride could be the beginning of an evil will? What is pride but the desire of a height out of proportion to our state? It is a height out of proportion to our state to leave God to Whom the soul should cling as its basis and to become in some way our own basis. This is what happens when the soul is too pleased with itself." - City of God 14, 4.
Sin"People would not have performed an evil work unless an evil will had preceded it. Now what else than pride could be the beginning of an evil will? What is pride but the desire of a height out of proportion to our state? It is a height out of proportion to our state to leave God to Whom the soul should cling as its basis and to become in some way our own basis. This is what happens when the soul is too pleased with itself." - City of God 14, 4.
Pride"Pride hates a fellowship of equality under God, and, as though a human being were God, the proud person loves to impose hs own dominion on fellow human beings" - Saint Augustine (City of God XIX, 12)
Ministry"Proud ministers are reckoned with the devil. But the gift of Christ, which is pure and flows through them, is not thereby contaminated. For the spiritual power of the Sacrament is just liek light. It is pure and is received by those who are to be enlightened. Nor does it become less pure even though it passes through unclean ministers." - Saint Augustine (Sermon on John 5, 5).
Apathy"Scattered about the entire earth, your mother the Church is tormented by the assaults of error. She is also afflicted by the laziness and indifference of so many of the children she carries around in her bosom as well as by the sight of so many of her members growing cold, while she becomes less able to help her little ones" - Letter 243, 8.
Ministry"Scattered about the entire earth, your mother the Church is tormented by the assaults of error. She is also afflicted by the laziness and indifference of so many of the children she carries around in her bosom as well as by the sight of so many of her members growing cold, while she becomes less able to help her little ones" - Letter 243, 8.
Easter"See him whose hands and feet were pierced by nails, whose bones were numbered as they hung upon the wood, and for whose garments they cast lots. See him reigning, whom they saw hanging on the cross; see him enthroned in heaven, whom they espised when he walked on the earth." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 47, 7).
Desire"Seek what is better than you are so that you can be made better by it. If you desire gold, you may or may not obtain it. But you can always possess God whenever you wish." - Commentary on Psalm 32, 16.
Hope"So by fixing our hope up above, we have set it like an anchor on firm ground, able to hold against any of the stormy waves of this world, not by our own strength but by that of the one in whom this anchor of our hope has been fixed. Having caused us to hope, after all, he will not disappoint us, but will in due course give us the reality in exchange for the hope." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 359A, 1-4).
Prayer"So since we have all good things from God, in all our good works, when we think about the giver of all good things, we praise God without ceasing. But when, if we live good lives, we praise God without ceasing, we are blessing the Lord at all times, and his praise is thereby always present in our mouths" - Sermon 114A, 1
Thanksgiving"So since we have all good things from God, in all our good works, when we think about the giver of all good things, we praise God without ceasing. But when, if we live good lives, we praise God without ceasing, we are blessing the Lord at all times, and his praise is thereby always present in our mouths" - Sermon 114A, 1
Conversion"Some delude themselves because of God's mercy. They say: 'I still have a little time left to live how I like. Why shouldn't I live how I like as much as I like and then turn to God later? After all, God has promised to pardon me.' I respond, 'True, but he has not promised that you are going to be alive tommorrow." - Saint Augustien (Sermon 339, 7).
Contemplation"The Church knows two lives ... One is in faith, the other in vision; one belongs to the time of pilgrimage, the other to the eternal dwelling-place; one is in exertion, the other in rest; one finds itself along the way, the other in the homeland; one is in the work of action, the other in the prize of contemplation." - Saint Augustine (On the Gospel of John 124, 5).
Pilgrimage"The Church knows two lives ... One is in faith, the other in vision; one belongs to the time of pilgrimage, the other to the eternal dwelling-place; one is in exertion, the other in rest; one finds itself along the way, the other in the homeland; one is in the work of action, the other in the prize of contemplation." - Saint Augustine (On the Gospel of John 124, 5).
Enemies"The consequence of this is that we should love our enemies; after all, we have nothing to fear from them, because they cannot possibly deprive us of what we love; instead we feel sorry for them, because the more they hate us, the more it shows how far they are cut off from the one whom we love." - De Doctrina Christiana, no. 29.
Easter"The days before Easter signify the life that we live now with all its trials and troubles. The days after Easter signify the happy days that lie beyond death. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life, what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2).
Lent"The days before Easter signify the life that we live now with all its trials and troubles. The days after Easter signify the happy days that lie beyond death. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life, what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2).
Pilgrimage"The days before Easter signify the life that we live now with all its trials and troubles. The days after Easter signify the happy days that lie beyond death. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life, what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2).
Desire"The entire life of a good Christian is a holy desire. What you desire, however, you don't yet see. But by desiring you are made large enough, so that, when there comes what you should see, you may be filled" - Saint Augustine (On the First Letter of John, 4)
Leadership"The first thing good superiors must realize is that they are servants. They should not consider it beneath their dignity to be servants to many. Indeed, the Lord of lords did not consider it beneath His dignity to be a servant to us." - Sermon 340A, 1.
Conversion"The great God has made us humans the loveliest ornaments of the earth. Oh, it is true that we must someday die, but in our present life God has given us some marvelous gifts that enhance our pilgrimage through time. Most important of all, we have the promise from our lovely Lord that if we use well the good things he has given us here, we shall receive a fantastic life later on. Beyond death we shall receive peace and all the healing grace and final glory that go with it. Best of all, we shall know that this great gift of peace will be everlasting. Our joy will never end." - Saint Augustine (City of God, 19.13)
Stewardship"The great God has made us humans the loveliest ornaments of the earth. Oh, it is true that we must someday die, but in our present life God has given us some marvelous gifts that enhance our pilgrimage through time. Most important of all, we have the promise from our lovely Lord that if we use well the good things he has given us here, we shall receive a fantastic life later on. Beyond death we shall receive peace and all the healing grace and final glory that go with it. Best of all, we shall know that this great gift of peace will be everlasting. Our joy will never end." - Saint Augustine (City of God, 19.13)
Charity (Caritas)"The health of this Body is the union of its members and the interweaving of charity. If charity catches a cold, sickness ensues, even if one belongs to the Body of Christ." - Sermon 137:1
Synodality"The health of this Body is the union of its members and the interweaving of charity. If charity catches a cold, sickness ensues, even if one belongs to the Body of Christ." - Sermon 137:1
Unity (Unitas)"The health of this Body is the union of its members and the interweaving of charity. If charity catches a cold, sickness ensues, even if one belongs to the Body of Christ." - Sermon 137:1
Ministry"The living a life of faith is often hard labor. Who ever said this was not the case? It is often a struggle, but this is the work for which heaven is the payment. If you want to be paid, do not be lazy in your work. After all, if you had hired a workman, you would not count out his pay before you had put him to work. You would say to him, 'Do the work, then you will get paid.' He would not dare to say to you, 'Pay me now and then I will do the work.' This is the way God deals with us." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 38, 4)
Baptism"The Lord was coming, you see, to recommend humility even in baptism, for the consecration of the sacrament itself, because he received baptism as a young man, in the same way as he received circumcision as an infant. He received remedies to recommend them to us, not wounds." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 204A).
Humility"The Lord was coming, you see, to recommend humility even in baptism, for the consecration of the sacrament itself, because he received baptism as a young man, in the same way as he received circumcision as an infant. He received remedies to recommend them to us, not wounds." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 204A).
Faith"The Lord was crucified between two bandits. One of those bandits came to believe in Jesus. He said to his fellow robber (who had made fun of Jesus): 'We are suffering these things for our evil deeds, but this man is the Holy One of God.' Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' What faith! He coudl see Jesus dying next to him and yet hoped that someday Jesus would reign over him. Dismas was a great man! He took the kingdom of heaven by storm. Where did he learn his great Faith? Jesus was dying by his side but he was already teaching him in the depths of his heart." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 328, 7).
Holy Week"The Lord was crucified between two bandits. One of those bandits came to believe in Jesus. He said to his fellow robber (who had made fun of Jesus): 'We are suffering these things for our evil deeds, but this man is the Holy One of God.' Then he said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when you come into your kingdom.' What faith! He coudl see Jesus dying next to him and yet hoped that someday Jesus would reign over him. Dismas was a great man! He took the kingdom of heaven by storm. Where did he learn his great Faith? Jesus was dying by his side but he was already teaching him in the depths of his heart." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 328, 7).
Truth (Veritas)"The Lord will help me to speak the truth if I do not speak on my own authority. For if I speak on my own authority, I will be a shepherd nourishing myself and not the sheep. However, if my words are the Lord's, then he is nourishing you no matter who speaks." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 46, 1-2).
Jealousy"The love of spiritual beauty can be of such a nature that in it I do not envy others. Rather, I wish to multiply its lovers so that they may aspire to it with me, search for it with me, possess it with me and enjoy it with me. They will be so much more friends for me insofar as our beloved is more fully shared by all of us" - Saint Augustine (Soliloquies 1, 13, 22)
Charity (Caritas)"The more you progress in charity the more you will resemble God, and the more you will begin to experience him" - Saint Augustine (On Psalm 99, 5)
Charity (Caritas)"The present condition of the human race is symbolized by that man described in Scripture who was robbed by bandits and left lying half-dead in a ditch. He was ignored by the passing crowd until a passing Samaritan stopped and took care of him. His rescuer was a Samaritan, a foreigner far removed from him in nationality who became a neighbor by showing mercy. Our Lord Jesus wants us to understand that the Good Samaritan in the story represents himself." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 171, 2)
Immigration"The present condition of the human race is symbolized by that man described in Scripture who was robbed by bandits and left lying half-dead in a ditch. He was ignored by the passing crowd until a passing Samaritan stopped and took care of him. His rescuer was a Samaritan, a foreigner far removed from him in nationality who became a neighbor by showing mercy. Our Lord Jesus wants us to understand that the Good Samaritan in the story represents himself." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 171, 2)
Temptation"The reason why no one can be without sin is because they do not choose to avoid it. Humans do not choose to do good either because (1) they do not know what the right thing to do is, or (2) because they do not find delight in doing the right thing. We choose good to the degree of our certainty that this is what we should do and to the degree of our delight in doing good once discovered. Ignorance and weakness: these are the sources of our inability to always choose good and avoid evil." - Saint Augustine (Merits and Remission of Sins and Infant Baptism, 2.17.26)
Contemplation"The subject of our meditation in this present life should be the praises of God; for the everlasting exaltation of our life hereafter will be the praise of God, and none can become fit for the life hereafter, who has not practised himself for it now." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 148, 1)
Humility"The teacher of humility, who shared our weakness and gave us a share in his own divinity, came to earth in order to teach us the way, even to be the Way himself. It was his humility, above all else, that he impressed upon us. He willingly submitted to baptism at the hands of one of his servants, so that we might learn to confess our own sins and to beome weak in order to be truly strong, repeating with the apostle: 'When I am weak, then I am strong.'" - Saint Augustine (Exposition of the Psalms, 58).
Incarnation"The teacher of humility, who shared our weakness and gave us a share in his own divinity, came to earth in order to teach us the way, even to be the Way himself. It was his humility, above all else, that he impressed upon us. He willingly submitted to baptism at the hands of one of his servants, so that we might learn to confess our own sins and to beome weak in order to be truly strong, repeating with the apostle: 'When I am weak, then I am strong.'" - Saint Augustine (Exposition of the Psalms, 58).
Pride"The virtue of patience endures trouble for good reasons but it becomes a vice when it descends into stubbornness. Stubbornness imitates patience; indeed, it is its close neighbor. Just as a person who cannot be forced to do evil is better than one who weakens under the pressure, so too a person who stubbornly cannot be turned away from evil is worse than one who can. Stubbornness prevents a person from ceasing his or her evil or foolish course of action even by the threat of the direst consequences. What shall we say of such a person who refuses to yield to pressure? Rather than describing such a one as having great patience we should recognize that he or she is just a hard-headed stubborn person." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 283, 7).
Stubbornness"The virtue of patience endures trouble for good reasons but it becomes a vice when it descends into stubbornness. Stubbornness imitates patience; indeed, it is its close neighbor. Just as a person who cannot be forced to do evil is better than one who weakens under the pressure, so too a person who stubbornly cannot be turned away from evil is worse than one who can. Stubbornness prevents a person from ceasing his or her evil or foolish course of action even by the threat of the direst consequences. What shall we say of such a person who refuses to yield to pressure? Rather than describing such a one as having great patience we should recognize that he or she is just a hard-headed stubborn person." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 283, 7).
Attachments"The world continues to grab at us, enticing us with its charms. We like lots of money, we like splendid honors, we like the power to dominate others. We like all these things, but lets keep in mind the words of the apostle: 'We brought nothing into this world, neither can we take anything out' (1 Timothy 6:7). Honor should be looking for you, not you for it." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 39, 2).
Pride"The world continues to grab at us, enticing us with its charms. We like lots of money, we like splendid honors, we like the power to dominate others. We like all these things, but lets keep in mind the words of the apostle: 'We brought nothing into this world, neither can we take anything out' (1 Timothy 6:7). Honor should be looking for you, not you for it." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 39, 2).
Education"There is a great mystery, my friends, in my attempts to teach you. The sound of my words may strike your ears but the real teacher is inside you. You really do not learn anything from another human being. Oh, I can suggest some truths throught he sound of my voice, but if the Divine Teacher is not in you, the sounds I make are empty. It is the Divine Master within who teaches you. It is Christ who teaches you and if you do not hear his words surrounding within, any words blaring from outside are useless clatter." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on the Epistle of John, 3.13.2).
Interiority"There is a great mystery, my friends, in my attempts to teach you. The sound of my words may strike your ears but the real teacher is inside you. You really do not learn anything from another human being. Oh, I can suggest some truths throught he sound of my voice, but if the Divine Teacher is not in you, the sounds I make are empty. It is the Divine Master within who teaches you. It is Christ who teaches you and if you do not hear his words surrounding within, any words blaring from outside are useless clatter." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on the Epistle of John, 3.13.2).
Holy Spirit"Therefore, if you wish to receive the life of the Holy Spirit, hold onto charity, love the truth and desire unity in order to reach eternity." - Sermon 267, 4.
Holy Spirit"This excellent guest finds you empty and fills you, he finds you hungry and thirsty and satisfies you abundantly. God the Holy Spirit, who comes from God, when he enters into a man, draws him to the love of God and neighbor. Indeed, he is love itself" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 225, 4).
Pilgrimage"This is what holding to the right path means: that we should keep our eyes always on the Lord, for he will deliver our feet from the snare. He who so conducts himself is neither parched in the heat of business nor chilled by idleness; neither boisterous nor languid, neither reckless nor renegade, neither fooldhardy nor feeble." - Saint Augustine (Letter 48)
Attachments"This present world (which we call 'Babylon') has its lovers. They hope for peace on earth and find all their joy in earthly peace and do not go beyond it. But, dear friends, take note of what these 'rivers of Babylon' are. They are all things that humans love on earth, things which quickly flow away." - Saint Augustine (Commentary on Psalm 136, 2).
Pilgrimage"Though we labor among the many distractions of the world, we should have but one goal. For we are but travelers on a journey without as yet a fixed abode; we are on our way, not yet in our native land; we are in a state of longing, not yet of enjoyment. But let us continue on our way ... so that we may ultimately arrive at our destination"- Saint Augustine (Sermon 103, 1)
Faith"To have Faith means only this: to think with assent." - Saint Augustine (Predestination of the Saints, 2.5)
Temptation"Undoubtedly, the path of Christ seems hard, but it is the safe way. Another path may hold out pleasures, but it is also teeming with robbers." - Commentary on Psalm 36(2), 16.
Evangelization"Unless the minister is inflamed when he preaches, he does not inflame those he preaches." - Commentary on Psalm 103, 2, 4.
Ministry"Unless the minister is inflamed when he preaches, he does not inflame those he preaches." - Commentary on Psalm 103, 2, 4.
Enemies"We are already redeemed, so let us not fear our enemies lurking by the wayside. He redeemed us so that no enemy may dare to ambush us - provided we do not step off the way. Christ himself has become our way." - Saint Augustine (Exposition of Psalm 125)
Fear"We are already redeemed, so let us not fear our enemies lurking by the wayside. He redeemed us so that no enemy may dare to ambush us - provided we do not step off the way. Christ himself has become our way." - Saint Augustine (Exposition of Psalm 125)
Charity (Caritas)"We brought nothing into this world. You have come into the world, you found a full table spread for you. But the Lord's is the earth and its fullness. God bestows the world on the poor, he bestows it on the rich." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 29, 2).
Environment"We brought nothing into this world. You have come into the world, you found a full table spread for you. But the Lord's is the earth and its fullness. God bestows the world on the poor, he bestows it on the rich." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 29, 2).
Stewardship"We brought nothing into this world. You have come into the world, you found a full table spread for you. But the Lord's is the earth and its fullness. God bestows the world on the poor, he bestows it on the rich." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 29, 2).
Mass Incarceration"we do not wish to have the sufferings of the servants of God avenged by the infliction of precisely similar injuries in the way of retaliation. Not, of course, that we object to the removal from these wicked men of the liberty to perpetrate further crimes; but our desire is rather that justice be satisfied without the taking of their lives or the maiming of their bodies in any part, and that, by such coercive measures as may be in accordance with the laws, they be turned from their insane frenzy to the quietness of men in their sound judgment, or compelled to give up mischievous violence and betake themselves to some useful labour. This is indeed called a penal sentence; but who does not see that when a restraint is put upon the boldness of savage violence, and the remedies fitted to produce repentance are not withdrawn, this discipline should be called a benefit rather than vindictive punishment?" - Letter 133, 1.
Community"We joked, we went deep into our conversations. If we sometimes disagreed, it was without malice, as someone might disagree with himself. Our rare disputes helped remind us of our usual harmony. Each had something to learn from the others, and something to teach in return. If any were absent, we would look forward to their return. We would be glad to see them back. Such were the signs of friendship, springing from hearts that loved and knew that they were loved, signs to be read in smiles, in glances, in words, and in countless gestures of friendship. So our hearts were set alight by the flame of friendship. And many minds were united as one." - Saint Augustine (Confessions, 4, 4, 5-6).
Friendship"We joked, we went deep into our conversations. If we sometimes disagreed, it was without malice, as someone might disagree with himself. Our rare disputes helped remind us of our usual harmony. Each had something to learn from the others, and something to teach in return. If any were absent, we would look forward to their return. We would be glad to see them back. Such were the signs of friendship, springing from hearts that loved and knew that they were loved, signs to be read in smiles, in glances, in words, and in countless gestures of friendship. So our hearts were set alight by the flame of friendship. And many minds were united as one." - Saint Augustine (Confessions, 4, 4, 5-6).
Unity (Unitas)"We joked, we went deep into our conversations. If we sometimes disagreed, it was without malice, as someone might disagree with himself. Our rare disputes helped remind us of our usual harmony. Each had something to learn from the others, and something to teach in return. If any were absent, we would look forward to their return. We would be glad to see them back. Such were the signs of friendship, springing from hearts that loved and knew that they were loved, signs to be read in smiles, in glances, in words, and in countless gestures of friendship. So our hearts were set alight by the flame of friendship. And many minds were united as one." - Saint Augustine (Confessions, 4, 4, 5-6).
Pilgrimage"We know we are traveling together. If our pace is slow, go on ahead of us. We won't envy you but rather will seek to catch up with you. However, if you consider us capable of a quicker pace, run along with us. There is only one goal, and we are all anxious to reach it - some at a slow pace and others at a fast pace." - Sermon on a New Canticle 4, 4.
Difficult People"We may never reject the friendship of anyone who wishes to be our friend. Certainly, we are not obliged to accept everyone immediately in friendship, but it should be our wish to accept everybody as our friend. Our attitude towards others should be such that the possibility of taking them into our friendship remains open" - Saint Augustine (On Diverse Questions, 83, 71)
Friendship"We may never reject the friendship of anyone who wishes to be our friend. Certainly, we are not obliged to accept everyone immediately in friendship, but it should be our wish to accept everybody as our friend. Our attitude towards others should be such that the possibility of taking them into our friendship remains open" - Saint Augustine (On Diverse Questions, 83, 71)
"We see the beauty of the waters gathered in the expanses of the sea, and the dry land, whether bare of vegetation, or given form so as to be 'visible and ordered.' The mother of plants and trees. We see the lights shining from above, the sun sufficing for the day, the moon and the stars to cheer the night ... we see wet nature on all sides, a rich source of food for fish and sea monsters and birds. For the flight of birds is supported by the density of the air, which is increased by the evaporation of water ..."
Hope"We shall see, we shall love, we shall praise. Our vision will not fail, our love will never end, and our praise will never fall silent. Love sings now; then, too, it is love that will sing. But not it is a yearning love that sings, then it will be an enjoying love" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 254, 6).
Pilgrimage"We shall see, we shall love, we shall praise. Our vision will not fail, our love will never end, and our praise will never fall silent. Love sings now; then, too, it is love that will sing. But not it is a yearning love that sings, then it will be an enjoying love" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 254, 6).
Evangelization"We truly love our neighbor as ourselves when, according to our ability, we lead him to a similar love of God." - Letter 130:14.
Evangelization"What faithful person does not proclaim Christ? Do you think that we alone, who are standing here, proclaim Christ and that you do not proclaim him? Then the whole Church preaches Christ, and the heavens proclaim his righteousness, because all the faithful, for whom it is a duty to win for God those who have not yet believed, if they do it out of charity are heavens ... Snatch, lead, drag along as many as you can. Be sure that you lead them to Him who does not displease those who contemplate Him and pray that He enlighten them and that they look well." - Commentary on Psalm 96, 10.
Synodality"What faithful person does not proclaim Christ? Do you think that we alone, who are standing here, proclaim Christ and that you do not proclaim him? Then the whole Church preaches Christ, and the heavens proclaim his righteousness, because all the faithful, for whom it is a duty to win for God those who have not yet believed, if they do it out of charity are heavens ... Snatch, lead, drag along as many as you can. Be sure that you lead them to Him who does not displease those who contemplate Him and pray that He enlighten them and that they look well." - Commentary on Psalm 96, 10.
Grief"What is withered in you will flower again. Your sickness will be healed. What is fading will be made fresh again. What is unsteady will be made firm and strong. And all that is weak in you will not drag you to the grave, But your wholeness will abide, binding you to God, who remains strong and abides forever." - Saint Augustine (Confessions, 4, 11, 3)
Truth (Veritas)"What then brothers are we to say of God? For if you have understood what you want to say, it is not God. If you have been able to understand, you have understood something other than God" - Saint Augustine (Sermon 52, 6)
Evangelization"What you procure for yourself you must also obtain for your neighbor, so that he may also love God with a perfect love. You do not love your neighbor as yourself unless you try to lead him to the same good towards which you are striving. It is a question of a good which does not grow smaller because everybody is searching for it with you." - Saint Augustine (On the Customs of the Catholic Church, 49)
Attachments"When I asked the earth, it responded 'I am not God.' When I asked the water and the deep, they resounded: 'We are not your God. Look above us.' When I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars: 'Nor are we the God you seek,' they said. To allof them I said: 'Speak to me of my God. If you are not he, tell me something about him.' Loudly they exclaimed: 'It is he who made us.' The heavens, the earth, and everything that is in them, all these things tell me to love you" - Saint Augustine (Confessions 10, 6).
Environment"When I asked the earth, it responded 'I am not God.' When I asked the water and the deep, they resounded: 'We are not your God. Look above us.' When I asked the heavens, the sun, the moon, the stars: 'Nor are we the God you seek,' they said. To allof them I said: 'Speak to me of my God. If you are not he, tell me something about him.' Loudly they exclaimed: 'It is he who made us.' The heavens, the earth, and everything that is in them, all these things tell me to love you" - Saint Augustine (Confessions 10, 6).
Leadership"Where I'm terrified by what I am for you, I am given comfort by what I am with you. For you I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian. The first is the name of an office undertaken, the second a name of grace; that one means danger, this one salvation." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 340A, 1).
Ministry"Where I'm terrified by what I am for you, I am given comfort by what I am with you. For you I am a bishop, with you, after all, I am a Christian. The first is the name of an office undertaken, the second a name of grace; that one means danger, this one salvation." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 340A, 1).
Ministry"Who would not see that shepherds must cleave all the more to the Shepherd by imitating him, if numerous sheep have also imitated him, under whom-he being the one shepherd in the one flock-the shepherds themselves are also sheep? To be sure, he made all those his sheep for all of whom he suffered, because he himself became a sheep in order to suffer for all." - Commentary on John 123:5.
Synodality"Who would not see that shepherds must cleave all the more to the Shepherd by imitating him, if numerous sheep have also imitated him, under whom-he being the one shepherd in the one flock-the shepherds themselves are also sheep? To be sure, he made all those his sheep for all of whom he suffered, because he himself became a sheep in order to suffer for all." - Commentary on John 123:5.
Fear"Whoever goes to Christ goes from fear to love." - Saint Augustine (Confessions IV, 14, 22)
Baptism"Why was the Lord Christ baptized? The Lord Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, why should he be baptized? Discover why he was born, and there you will discover why he should be baptized. There, I mean to say, you will discover the way of humility, which you cannot take with a proud foot; which you must step out along with a humble foot, or you will never be able to reach the heights to which it leads. He was baptized for your sake, having come down from heaven for your sake." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 292, 3-4).
Humility"Why was the Lord Christ baptized? The Lord Christ, the only-begotten Son of God, why should he be baptized? Discover why he was born, and there you will discover why he should be baptized. There, I mean to say, you will discover the way of humility, which you cannot take with a proud foot; which you must step out along with a humble foot, or you will never be able to reach the heights to which it leads. He was baptized for your sake, having come down from heaven for your sake." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 292, 3-4).
Death"Will these ashes one day take on the form of beauty, be restored to life, restored to light? The bodies of all of us, of me who now speaks to you and of you who now listen, all of us in a few years will be ashes, and yet a few years ago we were not even ashes. If he was able to create what did not exist, will he not be able to remake what once existed?" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 361, 12).
Resurrection"Wonderful is the fact that, even though he ascended above the heavens, he remains close to those who are still living on earth. Who is this one who is so far away and yet so near, if not he who out of merciful goodness became our brother?" - Saint Augustine (Sermon, 171, 1).
Social Justice"You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist." - Saint Augustine (Tractate 1 John 8, 8).
Apathy"You say, the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable. Live rightly and you will change the times. The times have never hurt anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings, those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings and the times will be changed." - Sermon 311, 8.
Advocacy"You say, the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable. Live rightly and you will change the times. The times have never hurt anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings; those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings and the times will be changed." - Sermon 311, 8.
Suffering"You say, the times are troublesome, the times are burdensome, the times are miserable. Live rightly and you will change the times. The times have never hurt anyone. Those who are hurt are human beings; those by whom they are hurt are also human beings. So, change human beings and the times will be changed." - Sermon 311, 8.
Love"You who do not yet see God will, by loving your neighbor, make yourselves worthy of seeing Him. By loving your neighbor, you cleanse your eyes so you can see God. Love your neighbor, then, and see within yourself the source of this love of neighbor. There you will see God insofar as you are able." - Sermon on John 17, 8.
Environment"Your creation praises you so that we love you, and we love you so that your creation praises you." - Saint Augustine (Confessions XIII 33, 48)
Prayer"Your prayer is a conversation with God: when you read God speaks to you, when you pray you speak to God." - Saint Augustine (On the Psalms 85, 7)
Enemies“A Christian should not try to glory over others. If you wish to be better than another, you will begin to envy him when you see that he is your equal. You should wish that everyone be your equal. If for the moment you are superior to another in moral wisdom, you should wish that they too should be morally wise. As long as a student knows little, he learns from you; as long as he is untaught, he needs your teaching. For the time being you are superior because you are the teacher and he is still learning. If you do not wish him someday to be equal to you, he will always be a learner. If this is your desire, you will be an envious teacher but how then can you be called a teacher at all?”
Leadership“A Christian should not try to glory over others. If you wish to be better than another, you will begin to envy him when you see that he is your equal. You should wish that everyone be your equal. If for the moment you are superior to another in moral wisdom, you should wish that they too should be morally wise. As long as a student knows little, he learns from you; as long as he is untaught, he needs your teaching. For the time being you are superior because you are the teacher and he is still learning. If you do not wish him someday to be equal to you, he will always be a learner. If this is your desire, you will be an envious teacher but how then can you be called a teacher at all?”
Power“A Christian should not try to glory over others. If you wish to be better than another, you will begin to envy him when you see that he is your equal. You should wish that everyone be your equal. If for the moment you are superior to another in moral wisdom, you should wish that they too should be morally wise. As long as a student knows little, he learns from you; as long as he is untaught, he needs your teaching. For the time being you are superior because you are the teacher and he is still learning. If you do not wish him someday to be equal to you, he will always be a learner. If this is your desire, you will be an envious teacher but how then can you be called a teacher at all?”
Pride“A Christian should not try to glory over others. If you wish to be better than another, you will begin to envy him when you see that he is your equal. You should wish that everyone be your equal. If for the moment you are superior to another in moral wisdom, you should wish that they too should be morally wise. As long as a student knows little, he learns from you; as long as he is untaught, he needs your teaching. For the time being you are superior because you are the teacher and he is still learning. If you do not wish him someday to be equal to you, he will always be a learner. If this is your desire, you will be an envious teacher but how then can you be called a teacher at all?”
Justice“Before all else, dear brothers, love God and then your neighbor, because these are the chief commandments given to us” – The Rule, Introduction, 1.
Violence“But it is a higher glory still to stay war itself with a word, than to slay men with the sword, and to procure or maintain peace by peace, not by war. For those who fight, if they are good persons, doubtless seek for peace; nevertheless it is through blood. Your mission, however, is to prevent the shedding of blood. Yours, therefore, is the privilege of averting that calamity which others are under the necessity of producing.” – Saint Augustine (Letter 229)
Power“Christ was born into this world as we were born but he was different from us sinners because the allurements of this world did not hold him prisoner. He did not want an earthly kingdom and the pride that goes with it. Such pride is rightly understood as the ‘seat of pestilence’ because a pestilence is an epidemic which has spread widely and overwhelms nearly all people. The lust for power is like such a pestilence because there is hardly anyone who does not love wielding power or who does not long for human glory.” – Commentary on Psalm 1, 1.
Civil Service“Every earthly state makes use of some of the citizens of the ‘City of God’ to administer its affairs. How many of the faithful are there among its loyal subjects and its magistrates, its judges, generals, governors and even among those who have been kings? All these are good people, keeping deep in their hearts the longing for the glorious things of heaven. In a way they are like foreigners in a society that will pass away, but in the meantime (under the command of God) they serve their earthly masters conscientiously” – Commentary on Psalm 61, 8.
Leadership“Every earthly state makes use of some of the citizens of the ‘City of God’ to administer its affairs. How many of the faithful are there among its loyal subjects and its magistrates, its judges, generals, governors and even among those who have been kings? All these are good people, keeping deep in their hearts the longing for the glorious things of heaven. In a way they are like foreigners in a society that will pass away, but in the meantime (under the command of God) they serve their earthly masters conscientiously” – Commentary on Psalm 61, 8.
Charity (Caritas)“For charity, as it is written, is not self seeking (1 Cor. 13:5) meaning that it places the common good before its own, not its own before the common good” – The Rule of Augustine V, 31.
Environment“For charity, as it is written, is not self seeking (1 Cor. 13:5) meaning that it places the common good before its own, not its own before the common good” – The Rule of Augustine V, 31.
Education“Friendship begins in the home with the married couple and their children and from there moves on to strangers. But since we all have one father and mother (Adam and Eve) who can be a stranger? Every human being is neighbor to every other human being. Even those you do not know share in your humanity. Is this person known as a friend? Let them stay as a friend. Is this person your enemy? Let them become a friend” – Sermon 299D, 1.
Friendship“Friendship begins in the home with the married couple and their children and from there moves on to strangers. But since we all have one father and mother (Adam and Eve) who can be a stranger? Every human being is neighbor to every other human being. Even those you do not know share in your humanity. Is this person known as a friend? Let them stay as a friend. Is this person your enemy? Let them become a friend” – Sermon 299D, 1.
Unity (Unitas)“Friendship begins in the home with the married couple and their children and from there moves on to strangers. But since we all have one father and mother (Adam and Eve) who can be a stranger? Every human being is neighbor to every other human being. Even those you do not know share in your humanity. Is this person known as a friend? Let them stay as a friend. Is this person your enemy? Let them become a friend” – Sermon 299D, 1.
Family“Friendship begins in the home with the married couple and their children and from there moves on to strangers. But since we all have one father and mother (Adam and Eve) who can be a stranger? Every human being is neighbor to every other human being. Even those you do not know share in your humanity. Is this person known as a friend? Let them stay as a friend. Is this person your enemy? Let them become a friend” – Sermon 299D, 1.
Pride“If you were cold, withered, worried only about yourself, practically self-sufficient, thinking that you gain nothing by concerning yourself about other people’s sins and that the only thing that is important is to keep yourself upright before God, do you not get a mental picture of that servant who hid his talent and not want to have it bear fruit?” – On the Gospel of John 10, 9.
Pilgrimage“In Martha was to be found the image of things present, in Mary that of things to come. The kind Martha was leading, that’s where we are; the kind Mary was leading, that’s what we are hoping for; let us lead this one well, in order to have that one to the full.” - Saint Augustine Sermon 104, 4
Friendship“Indeed there can be no full and true agreement about things human among friends who disagree about things divine because it necessarily follows that he who despises things divine esteems things human otherwise than he should, and that whoever does not love Him who made man has not learned to love man aright.” – Letter 258, 1-2.
Humility“Indeed, every other kind of sin has to do with the commission of evil deeds, whereas pride lurks even in good works in order to destroy them” – The Rule of Augustine I, 8.
Pride“Indeed, every other kind of sin has to do with the commission of evil deeds, whereas pride lurks even in good works in order to destroy them” – The Rule of Augustine I, 8.
Sacrifice“Jesus chose to endure with us all the pains of being human to teach us that we should not seek our happiness in earthly goods nor be afraid of becoming unhappy when we must give up” – On Catechizing the Uninstructed, 40.
Temptation“Just from the fact that you try to avoid evil, you improve yourself, and you begin to desire what is good.” - Saint Augustine (Sermon on 1 John 9, 5)
Community“Let all of you then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become” – The Rule of Augustine I, 9
Racism“Let all of you then live together in oneness of mind and heart, mutually honoring God in yourselves, whose temples you have become” – The Rule of Augustine I, 9
Community“Let us bear each other’s burdens in this life so that we can achieve that life that has no burdens. Take the example of deer. When deer swim across a channel to an island in search of pasture they line themselves up in such a way that the weight of their antlers is burne by another. The one behind, by extending its neck places its head on the one in front. Since the one at the head of the line has no one to support its head, when it tires it gives up its place to the one behind and retreats to the last place in line. Through this method of bearing one another’s burden they are able to cross the channel to the island. It is an example of the truth that bearing a friend’s burden is the best proof of friendship” – 83 Various Questions, 71.1
Friendship“Let us bear each other’s burdens in this life so that we can achieve that life that has no burdens. Take the example of deer. When deer swim across a channel to an island in search of pasture they line themselves up in such a way that the weight of their antlers is burne by another. The one behind, by extending its neck places its head on the one in front. Since the one at the head of the line has no one to support its head, when it tires it gives up its place to the one behind and retreats to the last place in line. Through this method of bearing one another’s burden they are able to cross the channel to the island. It is an example of the truth that bearing a friend’s burden is the best proof of friendship” – 83 Various Questions, 71.1
Suffering“Let us bear each other’s burdens in this life so that we can achieve that life that has no burdens. Take the example of deer. When deer swim across a channel to an island in search of pasture they line themselves up in such a way that the weight of their antlers is burne by another. The one behind, by extending its neck places its head on the one in front. Since the one at the head of the line has no one to support its head, when it tires it gives up its place to the one behind and retreats to the last place in line. Through this method of bearing one another’s burden they are able to cross the channel to the island. It is an example of the truth that bearing a friend’s burden is the best proof of friendship” – 83 Various Questions, 71.1
Discernment“Let us leave a little room for reflection, room too for silence. Enter into yourself and leave behind all noise and confusion. Look within yourself.” - Saint Augustine (Sermon 52, 22)
Faith“Longing is always a prayer, even though the tongue is silent. If you are longing without interruption, then you are always praying. When does our prayer sleep? Only when our desire cools” – Sermon 80, 7
Desire“Longing is always a prayer, even though the tongue is silent. If you are longing without interruption, then you are always praying. When does our prayer sleep? Only when our desire cools” – Sermon 80, 7.
Hope“Longing is always a prayer, even though the tongue is silent. If you are longing without interruption, then you are always praying. When does our prayer sleep? Only when our desire cools” – Sermon 80, 7.
Prayer“Longing is always a prayer, even though the tongue is silent. If you are longing without interruption, then you are always praying. When does our prayer sleep? Only when our desire cools” – Sermon 80, 7.
Suffering“Longing is always a prayer, even though the tongue is silent. If you are longing without interruption, then you are always praying. When does our prayer sleep? Only when our desire cools” – Sermon 80, 7.
Contemplation“No person should spend so much time in contemplation that they ignore the needs of the neighbor. No person should spend so much time absorbed in action that they dispense with contemplation of God” – City of God, 19.19
Charity (Caritas)“Nobody should be afraid of spending money on the poor. Nobody should imagine that the one who receives it is the one whose outstretched hand he sees. The one who receives it is the one who ordered you to give it.” - Saint Augusitne (Sermon 86, 3)
Leadership“Nothing could be better for the world than those who are in power to join a good life to the art of political government. Such humble leaders attribute all their virtues, however many they may have on earth, to the grace of God who bestows them on those who pray for them. Such leaders understand how imperfect they are. They realize that they are not angels” – City of God, 5.19.
Faith“The fullness of faith is to believe that Christ is both man and God. (Thomas) was offered the scars of his Savior to touch and when he touched them he exclaimed ‘My Lord and my God!’ He touched the man, he recognized God.” - Saint Augustine (Sermon 258, 3)
Truth (Veritas)“The happy life is joy based on truth. This is joy grounded in you, O God, who are the truth, my illumination, the salvation of my face, my God” – Confessions, 10.23.33
Charity (Caritas)“The love of God is first in the order of commandment, but the love of neighbor is first in the order of action … In loving your neighbor, and in being concerned about your neighbor, you get going. Where are you going, except to the Lord God” – On the Gospel of John 17, 8-9.
Love“The love of God is first in the order of commandment, but the love of neighbor is first in the order of action … In loving your neighbor, and in being concerned about your neighbor, you get going. Where are you going, except to the Lord God” – On the Gospel of John 17, 8-9.
Pilgrimage“The love of God is first in the order of commandment, but the love of neighbor is first in the order of action … In loving your neighbor, and in being concerned about your neighbor, you get going. Where are you going, except to the Lord God” – On the Gospel of John 17, 8-9.
Education“The sound of my words strikes the ears, and the Master is within. Do not suppose that any human is the teacher of another. We can admonish by the sound of our voice; but unless there is one who teaches on the inside, the sound we make is futile.” - Saint Augustine (On 1 John 3, 12)
Death“Through his resurrection he is the proof for the life we will live after death. If Jesus had not come as a human being all we would know about human life is that we are born and we die. Jesus took upon himself the human condition we know and gave us a proof of the eternal life we do not know” – Commentary on Psalm 60, 4.
Incarnation“Through his resurrection he is the proof for the life we will live after death. If Jesus had not come as a human being all we would know about human life is that we are born and we die. Jesus took upon himself the human condition we know and gave us a proof of the eternal life we do not know” – Commentary on Psalm 60, 4.
Resurrection“Through his resurrection he is the proof for the life we will live after death. If Jesus had not come as a human being all we would know about human life is that we are born and we die. Jesus took upon himself the human condition we know and gave us a proof of the eternal life we do not know” – Commentary on Psalm 60, 4.
Suffering“Through his resurrection he is the proof for the life we will live after death. If Jesus had not come as a human being all we would know about human life is that we are born and we die. Jesus took upon himself the human condition we know and gave us a proof of the eternal life we do not know” – Commentary on Psalm 60, 4.
Humility“Unless humility precedes, accompanies, and follows whatever good we do, unless it is a goal on which we keep our eye, a companion at our side, and a yoke upon our neck, we will find that we have done little good to rejoice in; pride will have robbed us of everything.” – Letter 118, 2.
Ministry“Unless humility precedes, accompanies, and follows whatever good we do, unless it is a goal on which we keep our eye, a companion at our side, and a yoke upon our neck, we will find that we have done little good to rejoice in; pride will have robbed us of everything.” – Letter 118, 2.
Pride“Unless humility precedes, accompanies, and follows whatever good we do, unless it is a goal on which we keep our eye, a companion at our side, and a yoke upon our neck, we will find that we have done little good to rejoice in; pride will have robbed us of everything.” – Letter 118, 2.
Suffering“Usually human beings do not truly know themselves. They do not know of what they are able and what not. Often they presume that they can do certain things when they cannot while at the same time presume they cannot do others of which they are perfectly capable. Only when trials come to test them do they discover their own possibilities, possibilities hidden from them but known to their Creator. ” - Commentary on Psalm 55 (2)
Civil Service“We call those Christian rulers happy who govern with justice, never forgetting that they are only human. They think of sovereignty as a ministry of God, and they fear and worship God. They are slow to punish and quick to forgive. They temper with mercy and generosity the unavoidable harshness of their commands. They are all the more in control of their sinful desires because they are freer to indulge them. They prefer to rule their own passions more than to rule the peoples of the world. They rule not out of vain glory but out of love for everlasting bliss. They offer to God the humble sacrifice of their repentance and prayer. In this life they are happy in their hope and are destined to be truly happy when the eternal day comes for which we all hope” – City of God, 5.24.
Leadership“We call those Christian rulers happy who govern with justice, never forgetting that they are only human. They think of sovereignty as a ministry of God, and they fear and worship God. They are slow to punish and quick to forgive. They temper with mercy and generosity the unavoidable harshness of their commands. They are all the more in control of their sinful desires because they are freer to indulge them. They prefer to rule their own passions more than to rule the peoples of the world. They rule not out of vain glory but out of love for everlasting bliss. They offer to God the humble sacrifice of their repentance and prayer. In this life they are happy in their hope and are destined to be truly happy when the eternal day comes for which we all hope” – City of God, 5.24.
Unity (Unitas)“We need the gifts of others to make up for what is lacking in ourselves.” — St. Augustine, Commentary on the Psalms, 125, 13
Love“When you love Christ’s members you love Christ himself. When you love Christ you love the Son of God. When you love the Son of God, you love the Father. Love cannot be split up. Begin loving somewhere, and the rest will follow” - On the Letter of John 10, 3
Charity (Caritas)“When you love Christ’s members you love Christ himself. When you love Christ you love the Son of God. When you love the Son of God, you love the Father. Love cannot be split up. Begin loving somewhere, and the rest will follow” - On the Letter of John 10, 3.
Ministry“When you love Christ’s members you love Christ himself. When you love Christ you love the Son of God. When you love the Son of God, you love the Father. Love cannot be split up. Begin loving somewhere, and the rest will follow” – On the Letter of John 10, 3
Environment“Whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you may know that you are growing in charity” – The Rule V, 31
Family“Whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you may know that you are growing in charity” – The Rule V, 31
Charity (Caritas)“Whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you may know that you are growing in charity” – The Rule V, 31.
Community“Whenever you show greater concern for the common good than for your own, you may know that you are growing in charity” – The Rule V, 31.
Difficult People“Where there is no envy or fear, differences, far from creating divisions, foster harmony.” —St. Augustine, Holy Virginity, 29
Unity (Unitas)“Where there is no envy or fear, differences, far from creating divisions, foster harmony.” —St. Augustine, Holy Virginity, 29
Charity (Caritas)“You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist.” - Tractate 1 John 8, 8.
Justice“You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist.” – Tractate 1 John 8, 8
Poverty“You give bread to a hungry person; but it would be better were no one hungry, and you could give it to no one. You clothe the naked person. Would that all were clothed and this necessity did not exist.” – Tractate 1 John 8, 8
Justice“Your justification is from God but without your willingness to accept it, that justification could not exist in you. Justice exists in the universe without you willing it” – Sermon 169, 13.
Common GoodGo on making use of your special, expensive foods, because you have got into the habit of them, because if you change your habits you get sick. Go on making use of your superfluities, but give the poor their necessities. He looks to you, you look to God. He looks to a hand that was made as he was, you look to a hand that made you. But it didn’t only make you, it also made the poor man with you. He gave you both this life as a single road to travel along. You have found yourselves companions, walking along the same road; he’s carrying nothing, you have an excessive load. He’s carrying nothing with him, you are carrying more than you need. You are overloaded; give him some of what you’ve got. At a stroke, you feed him and lessen your load. So give to the poor; I’m begging you, I’m warning you, I’m commanding you, I’m ordering you. Give to the poor whatever you like." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 61,12-13)
PilgrimageGo on making use of your special, expensive foods, because you have got into the habit of them, because if you change your habits you get sick. Go on making use of your superfluities, but give the poor their necessities. He looks to you, you look to God. He looks to a hand that was made as he was, you look to a hand that made you. But it didn’t only make you, it also made the poor man with you. He gave you both this life as a single road to travel along. You have found yourselves companions, walking along the same road; he’s carrying nothing, you have an excessive load. He’s carrying nothing with him, you are carrying more than you need. You are overloaded; give him some of what you’ve got. At a stroke, you feed him and lessen your load. So give to the poor; I’m begging you, I’m warning you, I’m commanding you, I’m ordering you. Give to the poor whatever you like." - Saint Augustine (Sermon 61,12-13)
Charity (Caritas)Go on making use of your special, expensive foods, because you have got into the habit of them, because if you change your habits you get sick. Go on making use of your superfluities, but give the poor their necessities. He looks to you, you look to God. He looks to a hand that was made as he was, you look to a hand that made you. But it didn’t only make you, it also made the poor man with you. He gave you both this life as a single road to travel along. You have found yourselves companions, walking along the same road; he’s carrying nothing, you have an excessive load. He’s carrying nothing with him, you are carrying more than you need. You are overloaded; give him some of what you’ve got. At a stroke, you feed him and lessen your load. So give to the poor; I’m begging you, I’m warning you, I’m commanding you, I’m ordering you. Give to the poor whatever you like." - Sermon 61,12-13.
FriendshipIf poverty pinches, if grief saddens, if pain overcomes us, if exile darkens our life, if any other misfortune fills us with foreboding, let there be good friends at hand who know how to ’weep with them that weep’ as well as ‘rejoice with them that rejoice.'With such good friends such bitter trials are lessened, the heavy burdens are lightened, the obstacles are met and overcome.” - Saint Augustine (Letter 130, 2.4).
SufferingIf poverty pinches, if grief saddens, if pain overcomes us, if exile darkens our life, if any other misfortune fills us with foreboding, let there be good friends at hand who know how to ’weep with them that weep’ as well as ‘rejoice with them that rejoice.'With such good friends such bitter trials are lessened, the heavy burdens are lightened, the obstacles are met and overcome” – Saint Augustine (Letter 130, 2.4).
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