St Augustine, 354-430. Doctor of Grace, Feast Aug 28th.

Do you have a problem keeping pure, chaste and innocent? Perhaps the church through the writings of Augustine can definitely enlighten you. Although our saint lived a long time ago, the truth of his writings and the message of all the saints is as Christ's message: "ever ancient, ever new".

Remaining chaste was a serious problem for Augustine. It can also be a most serious issue for married and unmarried today. We have broad exposures to see, gaze, imagine and view beautiful bodies, images and pictures every day. This creates attraction, interest and excitement. Let's face it, God has made all things good. He has created our bodies.

There is a natural and strong attraction among sexes. This can be of the same sex or different sex. Otherwise, who would ever think about friendships, dating and enjoying one's presence and ultimately in getting married?

We mustn't assume that because St Augustine lived with a woman for many years out of wedlock we can do the same without impunity. We must let our conscience and the church be our best guide. Remember, Augustine, at this time, was not converted and he lived outside of the church's values. He was living for himself and not for God. He tells us today through his writings what we must do to steer clear of the dangers, spiritual traps and harm that he encountered.

The sex drive is God's gift to us. The manner in which we function and control our feelings or experience our feelings--all our feelings, intellectual or physical, is our gift to God. It is perhaps our most powerful instinct next to our survival instincts. All are called to be chaste whether we are married or single. Being pure does not mean being celibate. It means being holy. All are called to different life styles and all are called to be holy, pure and chaste within that life style. Any life style that doesn't include purity, innocence and goodness, even with consenting individuals, is not pleasing to God because it doesn't lead to holiness, unselfishness and full honesty. We do not have a right to indulge in sexual affairs even if it doesn't hurt anyone. There are right acts and wrong acts. Rightness means pleasing God. God has given us a choice to discern between right and wrong and we are often ignorant in this manner unless we are wholly sincere, honest and pure.

Despite Augustine's era which was decadent, are our times any less corrupt? To be innocence of heart and see with pure eyes can only be gained by God's grace. God can give that gift to some instantly or to others at the end of an entire life of struggle. That gift, in itself, is a major triumph. Only with prayer, modesty, fasting and other sound measures that the church recommends, or God provides, can purity of heart, mind and body be maintained and daily lived.

Others resources may also be needed to live chaste such as professional help and counseling by someone who is trained in that field. Is it a matter more psychological than physical? This difficult issue is not only for youth but for all clergy and religious, grandparents, parents and children. (see chastity link at end)

Marriage is for those who want to share their love, body and life. Marriage is a sacrament. It is the only sacrament that is given and received by the recipients themselves. Most people are called to that state and vocation. Marriage is a calling and a gift. It is meant to be a lasting union between two individuals symbolizing the unity of God. The fruit of marriage is a child of God. Couples need enlightenment in the matter of procreation of a child. Providence arranges or permits the creation of a child or if couples do not have a child. God knows best. We need wisdom to do our best.

The Jews asked Christ why Moses allowed a writ of divorce to be obtained. Christ told them it was because of their hardness of heart. Jesus elaborated on this subject and told them that in the beginning, God intended man and woman to be one and indissolubly bonded. There are exceptions for separations such as lewd conduct. Jesus told Peter that what was impossible for humans to achieve without grace is achievable with grace

When one is called by God to serve in the church as a priest or religious, one often takes a vow of chastity. Celibacy is a requirement for some states of life. This too is a gift from God, freely offered and freely accepted. The church has highly esteemed both marriage and celibacy. Within both of these states, the church prizes chastity. Total chastity is compatible with both states of life. There is a chastity of the mind, imagination and memory. There is also a chastity of attitude, perception and intention. Chastity of the body is only one form. The teachings of the church and the doctors are clear and confirm this issue. There has been talk about optional celibacy but our Holy Father, JP II, has addressed that issue. The church has said no at that time.

Through the tears and prayers of Augustine's mother, St Monica, and the preaching and guidance of St Ambrose, Augustine found grace and favor with God. However, he, first, had to cooperate. He was willing to read scripture and listen to the word of God daily. It was not easy. What a provocative lesson we learn when we pray, read the bible and listen to those who talk about God. This requires docility and openness to spiritual directions and advice. Augustine did not merely receive grace. It was given to him through his own prayers and the prayers, tears and efforts of others. Monica, as many other mothers and widows have done, had a major impact and input on the conversion and holiness of her son. Graces come as a gift and through our own prayers and others. Each individual, however, has to do his part too.

Augustine was in a precarious situation. The people he associated with had limited or no morals. He was indulging in immoral thinking and actions by his own admission. He was reading "bad" books. Those actions influenced him to shun God. Sin is a deadly agent and vice. His habits and vices were morally choking him to spiritual death.

In his youth, Augustine was definitely cocky as are nearly all immature youth. To top that, he lived in decadent times, kept away from the church and expose himself to bad influences. Peer pressure, as today, can easily erode one's moral standards. He said that he was so blinded that he was ashamed among the other youths that his own viciousness was less than theirs. He even invented things that he had not done lest he might be held cowardly for being innocent or contemptible for being chaste.

Obviously with his moral decline, his faith plummeted. Exactly as the pure of heart sees God, those with impure hearts usually see everything without God or are adverse to the things of God. It is a deplorable and crippling spiritual state because God shuns the creature and we shun God. It is detestable and abhorrent state because it is an aversion to the glorious state of the Supreme Being.

Augustine, and anyone trapped in sin, vice or bad habits, today or anytime, experience in various degrees, vulgarity, meanness, lack of charity, evil, naughtiness, hatred, jealousy, hardness of heart, despair and lack of hope for better things. All of these experiences and feelings creep into one's conscience and awareness. This results in experiences of doom and gloom feelings, askew attitudes, distaste about the good life and ultimately, thoughts about defeat, despair and death. It is a vicious cycle. It strangles, suffocates and saturates us with every imaginable, raw and ugly evil. It makes us feel embarrassed merely to acknowledge God. Those who live without faith dwell in dominant darkness and are the most to be pitied. The savagery and ironicness of this condition is that we become, as it were, prisoners and slaves to sin and cling to it in ignorance and to a certain degree, the illusion of comfortableness.

The greatest horror and tragedy of moral decline or spiritual bankruptcy is lack of genuine love. This can make us edgy, frustrated, pestered and confused, rather than living in a joyful and peaceful state which the possession of charity and virtue offer.

In this state, one finds it hard to say that one is sorry for sin. In fact, one justifies sin as necessary, needed or a necessity. It takes grace to admit sin. It takes grace to detect sin. Augustine was a man on the run. He was as a caged lion pacing back and forth. He could not look within because he had no focus and dared not. He could not remain still and quiet to the inner, inaudible voice within his heart.

Sin causes us to flee not only from ourselves but from those we dearly love. Our doctor left his physical mother, Monica, and he was without a spiritual mother, the church. He was alone, troubled and searching. He sailed for Rome. He taught rhetoric and later went to Milan. It was there that he encountered St Ambrose. God used this Pastoral Doctor of the Church to set the spiritual trap that would spring and catch Augustine forever.

Not only was Augustine converted but he, in turn, became a source of grace for many including future doctors of the Church including St Teresa of Avila. For example, she was moved after reading his famous book, the Confessions. It was a signal for her to change her own patterns, minor as they were. (Is anything minor or insignificant which prevents us from being united with God?). Teresa understood how God touched Augustine's heart and soul with divine grace. This helped him grow from sinner to saint over the years. Teresa realized that no matter how good or holy we are, we are all sinners learning to become saints our entire life. We are never finished until God decides. We must start anew daily.

All the doctors and the greatest of the prophets, St John the Baptist, insisted that we must decrease and Christ must increase. Grace, virtue and daily holiness must increase in us. All are directly linked to perseverance, change of heart and sorrow for not doing enough for God as well as sorrow for past wrongs. The feast days for the Baptist comes immediately after St Augustine feast day on August 28th and not without many reasons.

John was touched by God's grace through Mary before he was born. Augustine's grace was much later. The Church's prayer on Augustine feast day says I will sing of your salvation. The jubilation of salvation is remarkable. We take it for granted. When one is transformed from sinner to saint, it is a great day for joy, celebration and singing. Those who have been liberated from sin, and know it, live in the true freedom on God. That is why Augustine espoused the phrase: love and live the way you will. It has been said that those who truly appreciate spiritual light have experienced spiritual darkness. This is true whether we speak of physical darkness or spiritual darkness.

To compare John, the holy one, with Augustine, the sinner at that time, in one way, is to compare the sublime with the ridiculous. Albeit, to love God, all things work together unto good. Sometimes God allows us to become saints with our last breath. God illustrates this truth through the 'good' thief, St Dismas. He died beside Jesus on the cross on Good Friday. With Jesus' last breath, He declared to this saint: "This day you will be with me in Paradise".

We need to turn our eyes and heart toward Jesus in faith despite our crimes, sins and failures. When we practice our faith daily or are dying as St Dismas, we need to acknowledge Jesus. He is our Lord and Savior who died for our bad deeds. Christ offered His pure innocent life for our non-innocent life.

Consider the lines from what is considered the Bishop of Hippo's best book: "But, what do I love, when I love Thee? Not the prettiness of a body, not the gracefulness rhythm, not the brightness of light (that friend of these eyes), not the sweet melodies of songs in every style, not the fragrance of flowers and ointments and spices, not manna and honey, not limbs which can be grasped in fleshly embraces-these I do not love, when I love my God. Yet I do love something like a light, a voice, an odor, food, embrace of my inner man, wherein for my soul a light shines, and place does not encompass it, where there is a sound which times does not sweep away, where there is a fragrance which the breeze does not disperse, where there is a flavor which eating does not diminish, and where there is a clinging which satiety does not disentwine. This is what I love, when I love my God." Taken from the 10th book of the Confessions

Augustine became a Christian at thirty-three, a priest at thirty-six and a bishop at forty-one. Oh! The power of praying, reading scripture and listening to God's words from inspiring preaching. All are vital for spiritual growth and development. These spiritual efforts and activities steadily transformed his body and soul. Many will remember his famous line as he cried out: "Late have I love Thee, Oh Beauty, ever ancient and ever new." We cannot forget the memorable words: "Our hearts are restless, Lord, until they rest in You."

Saint Augustine is generally regarded as the greatest thinker of Christian antiquity and Western intellectual thought. His influence and religious order that he founded has spread to 52 nations.

Each of our bodies and souls needs to be strengthen by grace. Grace is not only for the soul. Our bodies have their own laws and tendencies. We becomes slaves and addicted to our bodies when we indulge in sin. We then become trapped and listen to our body's laws and cravings more than the wants of the soul. We often get our thinking and feelings confused. Then, we become disordered with what we think we need than with what God wants for us and from us.

After his conversion he was baptized and lived with his fifteen-year-old son whom he loved dearly. However, his son, did not live long. Before Augustine thought of becoming a priest, he lived about three years fasting, praying and doing good deeds. It was only by restraining his passions and searching for truth that he was able to distinguish between a "love for life and a life for love." He really wanted both but Jesus told him and us we cannot have two masters. It was only when he surrendered to God that Augustine found grace in abundance.

The ways of the Spirit are always more sensuous than the ways of the flesh because it ravishes, intoxicates and inebriates the invisible and inner person to an unimaginable depth beyond our possible dreams. God's Holy Spirit satiates us with peace and pleases us emotionally, physically and psychologically. Why? Because of God's infinite omnipotence and omnificent Who touches, pleases and satisfies all our feelings and affections of the soul and body. The Spirt's power is the real, exciting, mystical kingdom. It is a rich, luxurious palace overflowing with thrilling and ecstatic serenity and pleasures engulfing the body and soul with consuming delights. It bestows amazing charity, joy, peace and a host of other fruits which God's resplendent Spirit shares.

Those who possess genuine love find fascinating fruits. Those who possess artifical love find foul fruit. Jesus tells us that it is by the fruits we will know love. Passion for God will burn you up in peace. Any other passion will simply burn you up. This fire will be a disgusting dissatisfaction here on earth and a real fire in eternal life that will never go out or be diminished. However, the most excruciating pain is separation from God over any physical pain.

Those who live intensely as Augustine and have ardent passions for the good things of life have a splendid model in him. Those who are tempted by the flesh and love all types of pleasure will be stunned and delighted by reading and reflecting on his life. Augustine did everything ardently and avidly. He was an ardent lover of God and creatures. Grace enabled him to distinguish the difference and that differentiation revealed and poured out to him the grace of God.

His conversion is so exciting, dramatic and explosive that it overshadows and somewhat minimizes his heroic role as bishop of Hippo in Africa for thirty-five years.

All need conversion. It is ongoing. Some need subtle conversion; others might need a dramatic conversion. It may cost us some inconvenience or in some cases, it may cause us our life. God challenges us according to our strength and hs mercy. To explore amazing conversion stories explore Sophia Press listed in the source link listed on the left side of the Homepage. One interesting book about conversions is Surprised by Truth #2 by Patrick Madrid.

As bishop, St Augustine quelled the Pelagain controversy which rejected the doctrine of original sin. That doctrine said grace is not necessary for salvation. Imagine, St Augustine, the "Doctor of Grace", without needing graces? He fought as other doctors before him, battling heresies, false doctrines and error such as Manichaens and the Donatists with excellent writings and holy living.

Another of his struggles and the final lesson we can learn from his monumental contributions is that he disfavored the death penalty. This is a sore subject today and talked about daily in the media and elsewhere.

St Augustine, the Doctor of Grace, died as he lived-with a holy passion for his church and all humankind. His legacy is that all have enough grace available to grow and develop from sinner to saint when we pray. He would encourage us to read and listen to the scriptures, and above all, ask, seek and knock with sincere prayers for ourselves and for others. No matter how steeped we are in sin, God is richer in mercy and love. God is ever ready to bestows the same graces on us as he gave to St Augustine, bishop and Doctor of the Church, but sinner first.

Augustine's influences are worldwide. There are over 3000 Augustinians friars and 1,100 Augustinian nuns who live the blessings and challenges of Augustine's vision in communities of prayer and service, contemplation and action in 52 nations around the world. Pope Alexander IV canonically established the men in 1256; they were established in the USA in 1796. Their general motherhouse is Rome, Italy. They have provinces in PA, IL, CA, NY, TX and Canada. The Augustinian Recollects are in NJ, NM and NY. Some ministries include teaching, giving retreats and contemplation.

The following info. is taken, in part, from the calendar published by J. S. Paluch Company Inc and highlights the National Vocations Awareness Division. Their contact information is: address: 3825 N. Willow Rd, Schiller Park, Il. 60176; tel- 800 621 5197.

Augustine, a convert to Christianity, scholar, bishop, Doctor of the Church, and a key figure in history of Christianity, gathered a community of friends for a life of prayer and study in Tagaste (now Souk Ahras, Algeria) in 388. After his ordination in 391, he established a monastery for lay men, and in 395 for clergy, at Hippo Regius (now Annaba, Algeria)and drew up a Rule of Life. Centuries later, on December 16, 1243, Pope Innocent IV invited several communities of hermits form Tuscany to form a single religious order following the Rule of St Augustine. In March of 1244, this union was formalized, marking the beginning of the Order of St Augustine.

Scores of books have been written on the subject of grace. Why is Augustine considered the doctor of grace? God only knows. Perhaps his return to grace, his struggles and his vivid descriptions of his efforts. Our nature is blemished and scarred. Human nature is not as we were in the "garden". We are in a fallen state. We are inclined to be disobedient, recalcitrant and rebellious. If this can happen to the angels, why not human beings too during God's testing period for us? We are, above all, incomplete without grace. We all share the fate of having to die now. That's the penalty of sin-death. Sin is life without grace because it is spiritual death. It is sinister and it separates us from God. The difference between the angels and us is that we have another chance thanks to our God's mercy and promise of a Savior after we were cast out of the "garden". Christ destroyed sin and death.

The greater and clearer the knowledge that God bestows on us, the greater is the accountability. Many people have a problem with eternal damnation and separation from God. We can be sure that God is just. No one is denied eternal life who chooses goodness. We can choose or not choose. We have freedom of choice. We have enough gifts from God to want to know more about our Maker. However, our human nature is fallible and pitifully weak without grace. We need to pick ourselves up frequently-almost daily. (God knows best how to keep us humble.) We can be assured that our loving Savior wants us to trust, believe and accept that divine help will surely come for sinners and not only to assist good and "just" people.

Our Savior is the best bestower of saving grace. That is the type that St Augustine asked for, begged and received. We too have the same opportunity. We can plead, cry and petition God to help us in our fallen state and weakness in bad habits. We may not be called the doctor of grace as he but we are all endowed with grace to change our human nature to become as children of God. We have a choice as the angels. Choose wisely and allow grace to guide you no matter where, why and how often you fall from God's favor. That's the reason the church extends to us the sacrament of reconciliation. When we are reconciled to God and others we become "saved". Again, the church's prayer extols this theme: "singing of salvation". Jesus, himself, reiterated this by telling of the immense joy over the conversion of one sinner over ninety-nine just people.

God touched Augustine as he wants to touch each of us with his saving grace. As Augustine, we sometimes have a passionate and turbulent nature. We get angry, are envious of others, become lazy or passive. Some of us overeat or are excessively indulgent. Our sexual appetites and craving for certain food and drinks, unless checked and graced, will damage us. As the famous song states, amazing grace is truly amazing:

"Through many dangers, toils and snare I have already come;
'tis grace has brought me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.
When we've been there (heaven) ten thousand years, bright, shining as the sun,
we've no less days to sing God's praise than when we first begun."

Perhaps Augustine is the doctor of grace but all are recipient of graces beyond our wildest imagination because of the great mercy and kindness of our God's saving grace.

Acknowledging our sinfulness, examining our consciences and confessing our failures are the sure paths that leads to new life, peace and joy. Augustine and all the doctors reiterate this theme and encourage us to take that course of action. It requires us to be continually humble, sincere and to pray daily to reach sainthood.

St Augustine, along with the other doctors, affirmed that Mary was the mother of Jesus "even more with her soul than with her body". Mary was full of grace and the doctor of grace also affirmed that she was the Mother of God.

Father Luigi Gambero, who I have quoted throughout this website, has some keen insights regarding Mary taken from Augustine. Some of the following facts come from Luigi's book: Mary and the Fathers of the Church listed in the sources.

In the West, Augustine appears to be the first Father and Doctor of the Church to have expressed the conviction that Mary made a vow of virginity. She gave birth to our Head. The Church gave birth to us. Mary preceded the Church as its type. All faithful Christians can share the same spiritual motherhood of the Church by giving themselves over to the will of God. Every consecrated virgin, male or female, married or unmarried, can exercise a very fruitful, spiritual motherhood.

The Mother of God is both sister and Mother to Jesus. Jesus told us exactly the same. It's all in the gospel. It is more important for Mary to be a disciple of Christ than to be His mother in one sense. The blessedness of faith is superior to the blessedness of motherhood.

Another personal virtue of Mary emphasized by Augustine is Mary's humility or holy modesty. She manifested her glorious behavior and action throughout the Good News and in her hidden life. This is especially seen in her youth in the temple, her marriage, the Annunciation, the finding of Jesus in the temple and the wedding feast of Cana. If you read between the lines in the gospels, Mary always considered herself less than she is. She is handmaid, servant, follower and profound believer. Augustine said she was unstained, untouched, unknown, and unappreciated. God's plan for her is to slowly make her mark. She is categorically the Woman who has visited us from heaven during this century unlimitedly.

Augustine informs us that God did not need a woman to become man in the person of Jesus. When God created the first man He did not need a woman. As He was born a Man without the cooperation of a man, He could have been born without the cooperation of a woman. He was born of Mary to reveal His infinite love for both sexes. The dignity of both sexes is emphasized by the Incarnation. Through woman, poison was poured upon man, in order to deceive him. It could have easily been the other way around. It doesn't matter. Salvation is poured out upon man from a woman that he might be reborn in grace. The woman, having become the Mother of Christ, will repair the sin the other woman committed in deceiving the man.

Mary is the Mother of grace, the diffuser of grace and the graceful mother for Jesus, Augustine and each of us. Mary's power and God's grace touched the bishop of Hippo. God's power and grace, through Mary, bestowed abundant graces on him. She will do the same for each of us before God. She will constantly intercede for us to obtain grace when we pray, petition and plead sincerely.

Augustine is not only a true giant of Western theology. He is undoubtedly one of the greatest geniuses of all times. He had a remarkable understanding of the human condition and perceived man's irrepressible yearning for the Infinite. He is our spokesperson. We can, with Augustine, declare: late have I loved You. Oh, Infinite Beauty, ever ancient and ever new!

Once spiritual love was incorporated into Augustine's authentic life style and daily habits, he said: "Love and do what you will." Then and only then, this holy bishop really knew the difference between a love for life and a life for love. Augustine's holy love for God's poured itself out into pure love for God's creatures. He quoted Scriptures by saying of others "you are gods". He is gives us the perfect prescription by showing us how to love God and creatures unitively. He is also called the Doctor's Doctor or Doctor of Doctors. When we are touched by grace, as the "Doctor of Grace", we'll know, as the bishop of Hippo came to know, God's love in all of Its infinite and rich dimensions. Fr Christoper, listed in the sources, tell us that Augustine's friend and biographer, Pisidius, said that we can learn more from Augustine from what he showed and did for God and neighbor, than from his writings.


I would like to quote in part from the Litany of our Lady of Consolation, Saint Augustine and Saint Monica. This is commonly called "The Litany of the Three Patrons" and is found in the Magnificat Publication for August 2001.

Mary, the refuge of sinners, source of light in our darkness, source of consolations in our sorrows, source of victory in our temptation, source of strength in our weakness, pray for us.

Saint Augustine, triumph of divine grace, so faithful in grace, vanquisher of heresy, prince of bishops and doctors,pray for us.

Saint Monica, devout mother of St Augustine, whose prayers won Augustine from sin, whose prayers gave Augustine to God, pattern for wives, pray for us

For additional prayers, works and pictures of St Augustine:
      http://www.catholic-forum.com/saints/sainta02.htm

For more information about St Augustine and the Augustinians:
      http://www.augustinian.org/

St Rita, an Augustinian, wife, mother, widow and single parent is one of the most remarkable woman in the history of the Church and civilization:
      http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/13064a.htm
      http://www.ewtn.com/library/MARY/RITACAS.HTM>

Frequently, Bob and Penny Lord highlights Rita's life on the Super Saints on television at Mother Angelica's Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). You may also call for information on this book or the many books they offer at 1-800-633-2484 and outside the USA at 916-853-0120.

For more information on the Sisters of St Rita and over 120 other religious orders of women:
      http://www.ewtn.com/religiouslife/women/relwoman.htm

For another exceptional and holy Augustinian, St Clare of Montefalco:
      http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/04006a.htm

For many interesting features and writings of Augustine:
      http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/jod/augustine.html

Saint Augustine would endorse this website with passion:
      http://www.thinkchastity.com/Homex.html

Augustine's saints and blesseds. http://www.geocities.com/Athens/1534/saints.html

http://newadvent.org/fathers/

Augustine of Hippo: Biography and Selected Online Writings- Early Church Father & Doctor of the Church - A ministry of Dr Marcellino D' Ambrosio

Many new insights, wisdom and the love of God can be discovered by the link below. It contains minute meditations for every day of the year taken from the writings of St Augustine. Certainly, Augustine was perhaps one of the most profilic writers among the doctors, a great lover of God's people and a genius. He cooperated and changed from sinner to saint with God's holy grace, special friends such as St Ambrose, the first doctor of the Church, and the tears and prayers from his holy mother, St Monica.

His words are trenchant, abazed with the fire of God and transforming to effect the same spiritual magnificence in us that he, himself, received. Augustine writes with explosive and penetrating love with the Paraclete etching each word in his intellect to imprint and impress us with that same intense, divine madness and Love.

Taken from the Magnificat Publication, April 2004 by St Augustine entitled "Do you love me?"

For such as love him in this way, God makes all things work together unto good-absolutely all things, even to the extent, that is if some of them swerve and stray from the path, he makes their very wanderings contribute to their good, because they come back wiser and more humble. They learn that their rejoicing on the right path ought to be with trembling, and that they should not arrogantly rely on their own strength to remain on the right path, nor say in their abundance: "We shall not be moved forever." ... These words might have been spoken by the Apostles Peter. As a matter of fact, he did say in his abundance: "I will lay down my life for you," Hastily attributing to himself what was later to be given him by the Lord. However, the Lord turned his face from him, and he came to grief, with the result that he thrice denied the Lord, fearing lest he should have to die for him. Then the Lord turned his face to him once again, and he washed out his sin with tears. That is the meaning of the words: "The Lord looked upon Peter": he turned once more to him the face that for a time he had turned away. Peter, therefore, had come to grief; but he learned not to trust in himself, and this itself benefited him, by the power of him who makes all things work together unto good for those who love him ; for Peter had been called according to the purpose, so that no one could snatch him from the hand of Christ, to whom he had been given.
Saint Augustine (+ 430) is called the Doctor of Grace. The link of this particular doctor of the church is below.

St. Augustine 8/28

Prayer to Saint Augustine Pope John Paul II

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------The great Augustine: son, sinner, saint

On Thursday, 11 November [2004], the Holy Father received the relics of St. Augustine (354-430), Doctor of the Church, in his Private Chapel. This marks the first time in history that the Saint's relics have been brought to Rome for veneration, and the occasion was the 1650th anniversary of his birth.

O great Augustine, our father and teacher,
who knows the shining paths of God
and also the crooked paths of men,
we admire the marvels that divine Grace
has worked in you,
making you a passionate witness
to truth and goodness
at the service of your neighbour.

At the start of a new millennium marked by
the Cross of Christ,
teach us to read history
in the light of divine Providence,
which guides events to the
final encounter with the Father.
Guide us towards goals of peace,
kindling in our hearts
your own desire for the values
upon which we,
with the strength that comes from God,
can build the "city of Man".

May the profound teaching that you drew,
with loving and patient study,
from the ever-living sources of Scripture
enlighten all who are tempted today
by alienating mirages.
May you obtain for them the courage
to set out on the way
towards that "inner man" in whom the One,
who alone can restore peace
to our restless hearts, awaits.

So many of our contemporaries seem to have
lost the hope of reaching,
amidst the many conflicting ideologies,
the truth that they continue to yearn for
in depths of their hearts.
Teach them never to give up their quest
in the certainty that,
in the end, their efforts will be rewarded
by the fulfilling encounter
with that, supreme Truth, who is the Source
of every created truth.

Lastly, O St Augustine,
communicate to us too a spark
of that burning love for the Church,
the Catholic mother of the Saints,
which sustained and gave life
to the efforts of your own long ministry.
Enable us, as we walk together under
the guidance of our legitimate Pastors,
to reach the glory of the heavenly Homeland
where, with all the Blesseds,
we can join in singing
the new and eternal Alleluia.

Amen. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Taken from: L'Osservatore Romano Weekly Edition in English 24 November 2004, page 7 L'Osservatore Romano is the newspaper of the Holy See. The Weekly Edition in English is published for the US by: The Cathedral Foundation L'Osservatore Romano English Edition 320 Cathedral St. Baltimore, MD 21201 Subscriptions: (410) 547-5315 Fax: (410) 332-1069 lormail@catholicreview.org --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Augustinian Order have posted information on their Order and their founder on My Space web site and it can be view at:

Saint Augustine and the Augustinians

There is an abundant amount of information not only about the Order and St Augustine but hundred of saints with beautiful pictures throughout on the many blogs and links.

The Augustinians of the Province of Villanova have been serving the United State’s East Coast Catholics since 1796. We have expanded our outreach through the on-line ministry of our new site…www.AugustinianPress.org. At the moment we offer hundreds of products such as Books, Artwork, Icons, Greeting Cards and Music CDs. In addition we provide online articles and links to daily mediations, spiritual formation, and Augustinian spirituality. And we hope to extend our service and offer even more Adult Spiritual Formation programs and materials in the next few months. See link below