SAINT OF THE DAY: St. Augustine, Bishop of Hippo. He was born at Tagaste, North Africa in 354. Despite the prayers of his mother Monica, he grew up in the paganism of his father Patricius. At 29, he left for Italy. There he was impressed by the sermons of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan. One day, he heard the voice of a child singing from the neighboring house: Tolle, Lege – take up and read. He opened a copy of the Bible nearby and read a passage of St. Paul: Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provisions for the desires of the flesh (Romans 14:14). This marked his conversion. He was baptized by St. Ambrose on the Paschal vigil in 387. Appointed Bishop of Hippo in 395, he organized the clergy in a common life, and wrote a famous rule for religious women. To the people he said: For you I am a Bishop. With you I am a Christian. After the capture of Rome in 410, he wrote The City of God, in which he said that the fall of Rome was not the fault of the Christians but the just punishment of God for her vices and sins.
Posted on: Wed, 28 Aug 2013 02:49:55 +0000