Badda Bing, Badda Boom

Saint Monica   and    St. Augustine
My "cloistered brothers" and I were discussing Augustine's Confessions, Book 8, in Dominican Study Group, tonight.   Attention was called on Augustine's process of conversion.  He resisted.  He wrestled with himself.  He even came to the conclusion that the Church was true, but hesitated about joining.  He dragged his feet about converting.  He suffered from inertia.
You know the rest of the story.  The child's voice telling him to "Take up and read."
badda bing, badda boom
Although, the child's voice was the impetus to get Augustine up off his duff, his conversion process is not that unusual.    One of my "cloistered brothers" pointed out that most of us move into a deeper spiritual direction, in much the same way.  We don't look for a bolt of lightning, or a voice, but something moves us.  We're open.  We know the Church is true.  But we're too content with our own life styles to think too much about how, or whether we should, commit ourselves into a closer relationship with God.
Maybe we're too busy with our teen age lives.  Maybe we're just beginning our careers.  Our young families keep us very busy.  Whatever...we know the Church is there...but we put it on hold.
Then one day, we have an empty nest, and it's quiet.  It's quiet enough to hear the voice of God.
badda bing, badda boom
Maybe one day a friend takes us to a Life in the Spirit Seminar.
badda bing, badda boom
Maybe a relative takes us to a Cursillo.
badda bing, badda boom
Perhaps, curiosity takes us to a charismatic healing service.
badda bing, badda boom
We go to Medjugorje to see what all the hoopla is about.
badda bing, badda boom
A bolt of lightning could knock you off your donkey.
badda bing, badda boom
And then again, a child could tell you, "Take up and read."


              

St. Augustine

Today is Sunday so I'm not celebrating his feast day at Mass.  Rather I'm giving him honor as a Holy Father to the Order of Preachers.  Along with St. Francis, Augustine, is called our Holy Father, along with Saint Dominic. The Dominicans follow the Rule of Augustine.  Also, Dominic was an Augustinian Canon.

Since my Dominican Study Group is reading the Confessions, I have a new appreciation of him.  I've always enjoyed his sayings:

Give me chastity and continence, but not yet.


Complete abstinence is easier than perfect moderation.


Faith is to believe what you do not see.  The reward of this faith is to see what you believe. 


I want my friend to miss me as long as I miss him.


It was pride that made angels into devils; it is humility that makes men into angels.


Love and do what you like.

Hardwired for God

You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless, until they rest in You.  This famous quote is from St. Augustine's Confessions.  My Dominican Study Group is reading Confessions.  This quote is in the beginning, when Augustine starts to prove that his entire life was a search for God.

He begins in infancy and describes the self absorbed baby.  Childhood proves to be selfish and instant gratifying, also.  Sounds like kids today.

Augustine is showing his readers that he might have thought he was happy, but he wasn't.  One has no idea what happiness is, until they've fallen in love with God.  That's the only thing that will satisfy us.

We get it.  I get it.

Understanding St. Augustine in a Minute

Want to understand St. Augustine?  It'll only take you a sec.  Just click on this link.

Actually, I owe a lot to St. Augustine.  He is an indirect founder of the Dominicans becau.se St. Dominic was an Augustinian Canon.  Also, I follow the rule of St. Augustine, as does the entire Dominican Family.  Spiritual hugs today

St. Monica's Sodality

Do you know what a Lapsi is?

It is a Latin word used to refer to persons who have lapsed from the practice of the Catholic Faith. (Lapsi is a collective plural. Singular is lapsus for a male and lapsa for a female.) If you do, you might want to consider joining St. Monica's Sodality.

The home of St. Monica's Sodality is St. John Cantius Church in Chicago, Illinois, USA. The Sodality meets weekly for their Novena Prayer and Mass.

The purpose of the Sodality is to support its members to cooperate with St. Monica in praying for their loved Lapsi.

Here is their prayer:

Exemplary Mother of the great Augustine, you perseveringly pursued your wayward son not with wild threats but with prayerful cries to heaven. Intercede for all mothers in our day so that they may learn to draw their children to God. Teach them how to remain close to their children, even the prodigal sons and daughters who have sadly gone astray.
Amen