Category Archives: Patristiblogging

Today is the feast of Sts. Joseph of Arimethea and Nicodemus: 1. Hierosolymae, commemoratio sanctorum Ioseph de Arimathaea et Nicodemi, qui corpus Iesu a cruce depositum acceperunt, involverunt in sindone et posuerunt in monumento. Ioseph, nobilis decurio et discipulus Domini, … Read More →

Today is the feast of the Beheading of John the Baptist. I consider this (also) my name day, and in a way it is even more appropriate than the Nativity of John in June. Here is the Roman Martyrology entry … Read More →

Today I have been thinking about the impact of Augustine. (Actually, I think about that nearly every day.) This morning in a chat with a friend who is a true scholar of Augustine, I gleened something. If you want to … Read More →

Augustine died on 28 August 430. His friend and biographer Possidius describes his last days during the siege of Hippo by the Vandals. Sometime before the early 8th century, Augustine’s remains were translated from N. Africa to Sardinia for fear … Read More →

Many bloggers and certainly patristibloggers will be posting today about St. Augustine. Rather than relate the same old stuff you already know, you might be interested in other less known episodes from the life of this titanic figure who so … Read More →

Turning again to Serge Lancel’s excellent Augustine, the best biography I know of the great Bishop of Hippo (p. 11 ff) we can get a view of Monica and her son and their relationship (my emphasis): In the course of … Read More →

From Serge Lancel’s Augustine, the best biography I know of the great Bishop of Hippo (p. 8 ff): Before devoting himself entirely to Mother Church, as he approached the age of forty, Augustine had had a concubine for about fifteen … Read More →

During today’s Angelus at Castel Gandolofo, the Holy Father spoke about St. Monica and St. Augustine. Pope Benedict is a deeper learner about the Fathers and he is sharing wonderful insights with us now. You can hear the enthusiasm in his voice, even though he stubles in his text once. I think he might have inserted a parenthetical.

Benedict XVI referred to Monica as an example of encouragment to parents who are suffering from watching their children stray on the wrongs paths. Augustine was a long seeker after the truth, even from his youth.

Download the mp3 of his address. I don’t know how long this address will be valid. Probably one week. Read More →