Commemoration of Augustine of Hippo, Pastor and Theologian
Tuesday, August 28,
2012
The Lord be with you
We remember Augustine of Hippo today. He was one of the
greatest of the Latin Church Fathers and a significant influence in the
formation of Western Christianity, including Lutheranism.
Augustine was born Aurelius Augustinus, November 13, 354 ad, in Tagaste, modern Souk Ahras in Algeria
(North Africa), to a Christian Mother (Monica, her day
is August 27) and a Pagan father (Patricius). Monica attempted to raise him as
a Christian, but without success. Augustine’s early life was distinguished by
exceptional advancement as a teacher of rhetoric. In his book Confessions he describes his life before
his conversion to Christianity, when he was drawn into the moral laxity of the
day and fathered an illegitimate son. At this time he was a follower of
Manichaeism, a dualistic religion born in Persia.
Through the devotion of his sainted mother, Monica, and the
preaching of Ambrose, bishop of Milan
(339-97 ad), Augustine was
converted to the Christian faith and baptized at the Easter Vigil in 387. (Ambrose’s
commemoration is December 7.) His mother died as they were traveling back to Africa.
At first he lived a kind of monastic life. In 391, he visited the city of Hippo.
Against his will, the Christians there chose him to be their pastor. From that
time on, until his death, Hippo was his residence. He was ordained a priest four years later and, shortly thereafter, became the Bishop of Hippo. He served
in that office for thirty-five years.
During the great Pelegian controversies of the fifth
century, Augustine emphasized the unilateral grace of God in the salvation of
mankind. (Pelegianism taught that we save ourselves by our own good deeds.) Bishop
and theologian at Hippo in North Africa from 395 ad until his death in 430 ad,
Augustine was a man of great intelligence, a fierce defender of the orthodox
faith, and a prolific writer. In addition to Confessions, Augustine’s book City
of God
had a great impact upon the Church throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance.
Prayer: O Lord
God, the light of the minds that know You, the life of the souls that love You,
and the strength of the hearts that serve You, give us strength to follow the
example of Your servant Augustine of Hippo, so that knowing You we may truly
love You and loving You we may fully serve You—for to serve You is perfect
freedom; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the
Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Other appropriate
prayers:
- For wayward children
- For the churches in North Africa
- For those who search for the truth, especially young people who are struggling to find meaning
- For teachers
- For those who defend the truth
- For a deeper love of the Scriptures
Blessings in Christ,
Pastor John Rickert
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