On St. Augustine’s Feast Day
This month, I’ve been slowing reading through St. Augustine’s Confessions. And on this his Feast Day, I thought I’d share a favorite passage. It’s a little long, but I think it’s such a beautiful presentation of the Gospel:
“‘Let us love him, let us love him; he made the world and is not far from it. He did not make all things and then leave them, but they are of him and in him. See, there he is wherever truth is loved. He is within the very heart, yet the heart has strayed from him. Return to your heart, O you transgressors, and hold fast to him who made you. Stand with him and you will stand fast. Rest in him and you shall be at rest. Where do you go in these rugged paths? Where do you go? The good that you love is from him. But it is good and pleasant to be referred to him, and it will justly become bitterness if he is forsaken for it. Why, then, do you still wonder in these difficult and toilsome ways? There is no rest where you seek it. Seek what you seek, but it is not where you seek it. You seek a blessed life in the land of death; it is not there. How could there be a blessed life where life itself is not?
‘Our true life came down to this earth, and bore our death and killed it out of the abundance of his own life. Thundering loudly, he called to us to return to him into that secret place from which he came forth to us—coming first into the Virgin’s womb, where humanity was joined to him, our mortal flesh, that it might not be forever mortal, and from there, like a bridegroom coming out of his chamber and rejoicing as a strong man to run a race. For he did not delay, but ran, calling loudly by words, deeds, death, life, descent, ascension, crying loudly for us to return to him. And he departed from our sight, so that we might return to our heart and find him. For he departed, and lo, he is here! He would not remain with us, yet he did not leave us; for he went back to that place he never left, because the world was made by him. He was in the world, and he came into the world to save sinners. My soul confesses to him and he heals it, for it has sinned against him. O you children of men, how long will you be so slow of heart? Even now, after Life has descended to you, will you not ascend and live? But to where will you ascend, since you are already in a high place, and have set your mouth against the heavens? First come down, that you may ascend, and ascend to God. For you have fallen by rising against him.’
Tell your friends this, that they may weep in this valley of tears, and so draw them to God with you, because it is by his spirit that you speak to them this way, if you speak glowing with the fire of love.”