August 28: Saint Augustine / San Agustín

It seems that some of us need half a lifetime to discover that we were wrong – or perhaps to discover the courage to be honest with ourselves and to face God and our own hearts. This was certainly true for St. Augustine. He had a restless heart, he was a seeker, and once he found courage and his rest in God, he reflected deeply on his faith. He became a brilliant theologian, a wise and caring pastor, and an obedient son, yet he remained a simple man, accessible to the simple people of his time, and a model of love to those around him.

We would do well today to pray that God may become to us, as He was to St. Augustine, our light deeper and brighter than any other light, our truth that gives us some of His vision, and our strength that will forever sustain us. May God make us capable of loving Him and one another with all that is in us.

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Nos parece que algunos entre nosotros necesitan la mitad de su vida para descubrir que estaban equivocados, o quizás para tener el valor de ser suficientemente honestos consigo mismos y encontrarse con Dios – como San Agustín. Él tenía un corazón inquieto, era un buscador, y una vez que encontró ese valor, su tranquilidad en Dios, reflexionó profundamente sobre su fe. Llegó a ser un teólogo brillante, un pastor lleno de compasión, y un hijo obediente, pero al mismo tiempo un hombre accesible a la gente sencilla y un modelo de amor para todos los que lo rodeaban.

Oremos. “Señor Dios nuestro, San Agustín experimentó que no solamente estaba él intentando encontrarte sino que tú mismo estabas buscándolo. Señor, haznos ver cuánto nos amas y cuánto quieres que encontremos la felicidad. Que las oraciones de este gran Santo nos ayuden a tener ojos limpios para tu amor y tu cuidado y para responderte con una respuesta incondicional de profundo amor. Te lo pedimos por Jesucristo nuestro Señor. Amén.”