Feast of St. Augustine

August 28, 2017

“Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.”
-Romans 13:13-14

Meditation

St. Augustine was not born a saint. His Confessions tell of the myriad of sins he committed from youth into his early adulthood.

Even so, Augustine knew deep down that the life he was leading was not what God had intended for him—it was during this time that he famously prayed, “Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.”

If we are honest with ourselves, sometimes the prayers we pray are not terribly different. We want to experience spiritual progress, but we are not ready to give up certain comforts or pleasures.

In order to dedicate our lives totally God, we have to name those things that are holding us back from him. We have to beg for God’s grace. Most of all, we must be truly willing to actively pursue God.

Live It! Tip of the Week: Identify the things in your life that are holding you back from God. Confess them, receive God’s grace, and be willing to cut those sins out of your life. No more tomorrow, tomorrow. Today is the day!

Prayer

“Speak that I may hear, O Lord; my heart is listening; open it that it may hear you, and say to my soul: ‘I am your salvation.’ After hearing this word, may I come in haste to take hold of you. Hide not your face from me.”
–From “Act of Hope” by St. Augustine