Earlier this week, I had the opportunity to reflect on this weekend's readings. During prayer, I couldn't help but to think about one of my favorite Saints, Saint Augustine. Augustine
lived in the 5th century when Christianity really began to spread rapidly throughout the Roman Empire. He was
born into a family that was rather well-to-do in the region of Africa called
“Hippo” which is modern day Algeria. While his mother
was a faithful Christian, his father belonged to a pagan religion called Manicheanism.
Throughout
most of Augustine’s childhood, he identified most with his father. He enjoyed
the things that money could buy. He didn't have much regard for other people.
He always
looked for ways to move “up” in the world. Meanwhile, his mother would always be in the background praying for Augustine. She saw
that while Augustine thought he was happy, he wore a mask of happiness. He would
continuously move onto the next thing until he’d eventually get bored. He did
this until he was about 30 years old when he eventually converted to
Christianity. There were a variety of reasons for his conversion. For starters, Augustine was an intellectual. So when he encounters a man named Ambrose who answers many of his deep questions, he begins to think about the faith quite a bit. He also knew that his mom was very much so a rock for him when he needed her. She was an inspiration for him. In one of
his books, The Confessions (which is a personal autobiography) he reflects, “you have
made us for you, o God, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you” He knew
that in order to strive to be a Saint, he needed to die to his former ways of life.
On this 5th
Sunday of Lent, we find ourselves coming very close to Palm Sunday and
My
friends, we find that this Gospel is very much so about us as well. Just as St
Augustine had to die to his former ways to become something much greater, so too
must we. Husbands
and Wives may remember when they first got married. There had
to be compromises and deaths to former ways in order for the family to flourish. They couldn't live life the same way they did before, especially when the gift of children started to arrive.There had
to be a death for something greater to come about.
Older
siblings recall when their younger brothers or sisters were born. They had to die to some former ways in order to help the family and to bring about a greater good. Athletes find that they have to give up bad habits in order to flourish as do musicians. In all that
we do, when we want to improve ourselves there is a sort of death. We die to
our former ways of doing things so that there may be growth.
Brothers
and sisters, this imagery is very much so part of Baptism. When we
were baptized, we died to sin and rose as a new creation in Christ. We
received the light of Christ and the white garment. God called
us His sons and daughters by name.
And we
realize that the path to sanctity… the path to Sainthood is not in
remaining a single grain, but in
flourishing as a living plant. Seeds and grains are simply the beginning, but inside of them lies so much great potential to make the world around them a better place.
Today, may we take after one of the greatest Saints of the Church, Saint Augustine.
May we
reflect on what is holding us back from a better relationship with Christ and
others. What are
we afraid to die to in our lives… what hill must we go over?
It is in
answering these questions daily that we can become more of who God made us to
be.
