Feast of Saint Augustine
One of my favorite saints, St Augustine (354 -430 AD) is honored by the universal Church today. Coming to the faith after living a life of hedonism and debauchery, he once prayed, "Lord, make me chaste, but not yet." Obviously, this was early in his conversion but he truly is a model for men desiring to live chastely for God and follow Him with all their hearts.
Saint Augustine later became a priest and a bishop and is a Doctor of the Catholic Church. He achieved this title because of the great contribution his teaching on faith and doctrine was and still is to the Church. He taught against several heresies in his life including Manicheanism, Donatism, Pelagianism and finally Arianism.
Many people attempt to claim that Saint Augustine was the forerunner of the Protestant movement, but his beliefs as illustrated from the following quotes make it difficult to understand how he could be mistaken to espouse the beliefs of Protestantism.
"That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend HIS BODY AND BLOOD, WHICH HE POURED OUT FOR US UNTO THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS." (Sermons 227)
"The Lord Jesus wanted those whose eyes were held lest they should recognize him, to recognize Him in the breaking of the bread [Luke 24:16,30-35]. The faithful know what I am saying. They know Christ in the breaking of the bread. For not all bread, but only that which receives the blessing of Christ, BECOMES CHRIST'S BODY." (Sermons 234:2)
"What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that THE BREAD IS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE CHALICE [WINE] THE BLOOD OF CHRIST." (Sermons 272)
“I would not believe the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not compel me.”
"Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ." - from The City of God by Saint Augustine
"A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers". - from Against Faustus the Manichean, by Saint Augustine
"There is an ecclesiastical discipline, as the faithful know, when the names of the martyrs are read aloud in that place at the altar of God, where prayer is not offered for them. Prayer, however, is offered for the dead who are remembered. For it is wrong to pray for a martyr, to whose prayers we ought ourselves be commended."
Saint Augustine later became a priest and a bishop and is a Doctor of the Catholic Church. He achieved this title because of the great contribution his teaching on faith and doctrine was and still is to the Church. He taught against several heresies in his life including Manicheanism, Donatism, Pelagianism and finally Arianism.
Many people attempt to claim that Saint Augustine was the forerunner of the Protestant movement, but his beliefs as illustrated from the following quotes make it difficult to understand how he could be mistaken to espouse the beliefs of Protestantism.
"That Bread which you see on the altar, having been sanctified by the word of God IS THE BODY OF CHRIST. That chalice, or rather, what is in that chalice, having been sanctified by the word of God, IS THE BLOOD OF CHRIST. Through that bread and wine the Lord Christ willed to commend HIS BODY AND BLOOD, WHICH HE POURED OUT FOR US UNTO THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS." (Sermons 227)
"The Lord Jesus wanted those whose eyes were held lest they should recognize him, to recognize Him in the breaking of the bread [Luke 24:16,30-35]. The faithful know what I am saying. They know Christ in the breaking of the bread. For not all bread, but only that which receives the blessing of Christ, BECOMES CHRIST'S BODY." (Sermons 234:2)
"What you see is the bread and the chalice; that is what your own eyes report to you. But what your faith obliges you to accept is that THE BREAD IS THE BODY OF CHRIST AND THE CHALICE [WINE] THE BLOOD OF CHRIST." (Sermons 272)
“I would not believe the Gospel if the authority of the Catholic Church did not compel me.”
"Neither are the souls of the pious dead separated from the Church which even now is the kingdom of Christ. Otherwise there would be no remembrance of them at the altar of God in the communication of the Body of Christ." - from The City of God by Saint Augustine
"A Christian people celebrates together in religious solemnity the memorials of the martyrs, both to encourage their being imitated and so that it can share in their merits and be aided by their prayers". - from Against Faustus the Manichean, by Saint Augustine
"There is an ecclesiastical discipline, as the faithful know, when the names of the martyrs are read aloud in that place at the altar of God, where prayer is not offered for them. Prayer, however, is offered for the dead who are remembered. For it is wrong to pray for a martyr, to whose prayers we ought ourselves be commended."
posted by Russ Rentler, M.D. | 8:40 PM
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