Readings
I - I Thess. 1: 1-5, 8-10
II - Mt. 23: 13-22
ST. AUGUSTINE, BISHOP AND DOCTOR
Not all saints start out saintly. The complete conversion of St Augustine of Hippo has been an inspiration to many who desire to turn back to God. Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Augistine of Hippo, the Doctor of the Church. He is the patron saint of brewers because of his conversion from a former life that included entertainment, parties and worldly ambitions. Augustine was born in Tagaste in the year 354. His father, Patricius, was a Roman official, a pagan and his mother, Monica was a pious Christian lady. Monica prayed often that her family would be Christians. Patricius converted to Christianity just before his death. Augustine took so many years for conversion of heart still Monica never gave up her faith in the conversion of Augustine and prayed for him fervently with tears that he might one day be touched by Christ. Augustine followed his own religious explorations as a Manichean and later a Platonist. Augustine became a professor of the liberal arts and befriended his contemporary, St. Jerome. The restless intellectual was convinced by the sermon of St. Ambrose on Easter and was baptised by him in 387. His autobiography ‘Confessions’ contains the story of his conversion.
Love of God and love of neighbour are the axis upon which revolves the whole of law and the prophecy. Under the pretext of being faithful to the law of the Lord to its minutest details, the Scribes and the Pharisees have multiplied and made the observance of the law more difficult, cumbersome, tiring, impossible and disgusting. The essence of the law was diluted to mere ritual and a hypocrisy. In today’s Gospel passage, Jesus reprimands such pharisaic attitude of hypocrisy and insists on the importance of the indispensable higher value of life grounded on love. May the saint of the day help us to be credible Christians with conviction.
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