St. Augustine of Hippo, Confessions St. Augustine’s Autobiographical Confessions After living a worthy life in search of truth and meaning, Augustine found what he lacked in his encounter with the Spirit of Christ. In his autobiographical “Confessions”, Augustine offers an insight into his experience of finding satisfaction in God alone. “ Our souls are restless till they rest in You, O God.” Augustine gives thanks to his mother (Saint Monica) for his conversion. Monica died at Civitavecchia, the Port of Rome. Augustine’s brother wanted to take their mother back to North Africa to be buried. Augustine disagreed. Even in her comatose state, Monica chided them for arguing. Her only request she told them was, “Remember me at the altar of God.” “Late have I loved you, O Beauty so ancient and so new, late have I loved you…” In using this language and style, Augustine is referencing the Wisdom literature of the Old Testament, (Psalms, Book of Wisdom, Song of Songs etc). He just stopped short of plagiarising the Psalms and the Song of Songs. This surreal time of the Pandemic has seen “Google” searches for God increase by 60%, as people turn to God for comfort at this time. This rise in searches appears to coincide with the WHO declaring a Pandemic on 11th March. We would do well to set aside a quiet moment to meditate on the lyrics of Saint Augustine and to give thanks for the gift of “That Ancient Beauty” who welcomes us into his presence daily. Like Augustine, let our prayers express our love and gratitude to God for the graces he bestows on us day by day. Monsignor Ryan PS There is a Guild of St. Monica, which meets on the South Side of Glasgow. They meet monthly. Their remit is to pray for sons, daughters, grand children who have lost their way. I am an unofficial chaplain to the Guild. If anyone would like to know more about the Guild, please contact me at St. Andrew’s. St. Augustine of Hippo
St. Augustine, born in Roman North Africa to a devout Catholic mother and a pagan father, was a notoriously rebellious Catholic teenager who cohabitated with a girlfriend, joined an exotic Eastern cult, and ran away from his mother. Augustine became a brilliant and renowned teacher of public speaking and was appointed by the emperor to teach in Milan, Italy, at that time the administrative capital of the Western Roman Empire. While there, he happened to hear the preaching of the bishop of Milan, Ambrose, who baptised him in 386. St. Augustine ultimately renounced his secular career, put away his mistress, and became first a monk, then a priest, then the bishop of Hippo, a small town on the North African Coast. The voluminous writings of this Early Church Father span every conceivable topic in theology, morality, philosophy, and spirituality. St. Augustine of Hippo is commonly recognised as the great teacher in the Western Church between the New Testament and St. Thomas Aquinas and is one of the Doctors of the Church. He died in AD 430.
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PIED BEAUTY Glory be to God for dappled things – For skies of couple-colour as a brinded cow; For rose-moles all in stipple upon trout that swim; Fresh-firecoal chestnut-falls; finches’ wings; Landscape plotted and pieced – fold, fallow, and plough; And áll trádes, their gear and tackle and trim. All things counter, original, spare, strange; Whatever is fickle, freckled (who knows how?) With swift, slow; sweet, sour; adazzle, dim; He fathers-forth whose beauty is past change: Praise him. Gerard Manley Hopkins (1846-1889) As we spend more time in our gardens these days “in vacant or in pensive mood”. Are not our senses awakened by pied beauty and charged with the grandeur of God’s creation. Gerard Manley Hopkins’, “Pied Beauty” points to the poet’s power of serious appreciation of the beauty of things around him, his poetic concentration, compassion and above all his unquestioning faith in God.
Right Rev. Monsignor James Ryan
Though the dawn breaks cheerless on this place today. My spirit walks upon a path of light. For I know my greatness. Though hast built me a throne within thy heart. I dwell safely within the circle of thy care. I cannot for a moment fall out of thine everlasting arms. I am on my way to glory. When mystery hides thee from the sight of faith and hope: When pain turns even love to dust: When life is bitter to the taste And our song of joy dies down to silence, then, Father, do for us that which is past our power to do for ourselves. Break through our darkness with thy light. Show us thyself in Jesus suffering on a tree, rising from a grave, reigning from a throne, with all power and love for us unchanging. So shall our fear be gone and our feet set upon a radiant path.” (Hebridean Altars) Adapted by Rt. Rev. Mgr. James Ryan
The passage I have chosen is a redaction. It is taken from two different chapters in the book, which I think bond and blend. It takes us from the brooding, cheerless place of the opening line to the exaltation of the radiant paths in the finishing line.
This reminds us that the light of Christ is eternally glowing with a luminous radiance that can never be extinguished by any darkness, be it (COVID 19 or) even death itself. PS. Lyricism must run in the genes. Alistair, one of his sons of the same ilk went on to be a successful author e.g. Guns of Navarone, Ice Station Zebra. Elizabeth Barrett was in ill health and depressed after the death by drowning of one of her brothers. Robert Browning had read some of her poems and wrote to her expressing appreciation. The rest is history. Their relationship blossomed and they were married. Marriage brought deliverance from her oppressive and tyrannical father. Elizabeth wrote Sonnet 43 for Robert in gratitude for his love and care for.
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