Pope Leo XIV joined the Augustinian Order of St. Augustine as a novice on September 1, 1977. He was ordained a priest in the Order on June 19, 1982. As a result, we will be hearing a lot more about St. Augustine and the Augustinian priests in the months ahead.

“O God, give me purity – but not yet.”  The young Augustine prayed these words long before he became a saint, while his mother, St. Monica prayed and prayed for him that he would reform his life.

One day in his garden, Augustine had one of the most famous self-confrontations in history. “Suddenly I heard a voice from some nearby house, a boy’s voice or a girl’s voice, I do not know. But it was a sort of sing-song, repeated again and again, “Tolle lege, tolle lege,” “Take and read, take and read.”

“I ceased weeping, and immediately began to search my mind most carefully as to whether children were accustomed to chant these words in any kind of game, and I could not remember that I had ever heard such a thing. Damming back the flood of my tears, I arose, interpreting the incident as quite certainly a divine command to open my book of Scripture, and read the passage at which I should open.”

Augustine took up the Bible and opened it to Romans 13:13 “Let us conduct ourselves becomingly as in the day, not in reveling and drunkenness, not in debauchery and licentiousness, not in quarreling and jealousy, but put on Christ.”

The life of Augustine was changed and with it the course of history.

I love the words of the renowned poet, Mary Oliver:

DON’T WORRY
Things take the time they take.
Don’t worry.
How many roads did Saint Augustine follow
before he became Saint Augustine?

How many roads are YOU following before YOU become who God wants YOU to be?

SOME OF THE BEST THINGS GOD WILL DO IN YOUR LIFE WON’T BE ON YOUR SCHEDULE!

Treats for the Soul PLUS.  Please give a listen to my PODCAST. I think you will enjoy my Commentary and Prayer Reflection on today’s message. Just click the white triangle in the blue circle above.