Saint Augustine: Man, Pastor, Mystic

Saint Augustine: Man, Pastor, Mystic

By Agostino Trape

I.        Summary:

This book was designed and written in a more fashionable way of presenting the life of Augustine as a man, pastor and mystic. Generally, he is a man by being a searcher for truth as he joined various groups in order to fill the empty vessel of human happiness. Agostino Trape in part I of the book presented it well by giving us a picture of the attitudes, behaviour, approach of Augustine in these groups, such as the Manichaeanism, Platonism, Pelagianism, Skepticism, and Astrology and even Catholicism. Augustine is also like no other human being who can be sinful, angry, doubtful, unsatisfied, happy, sad, broken hearted, courageous, friendly, intelligent and many more. He was sad when his beloved friend died. He was friendly when he had friends like Romanianus, Symmachus, Alypius. He was unsatisfied when the groups he joined could not answer his questions. He was intelligent for he was a lover of wisdom. He was a sinner when he stole a fruit while still a child.

Augustine is a pastor. He was a thinker, who became an apostle. His life as a pastor began when he was appointed by the people to be ordained as priest. Trape asserts that despite Augustine’s disappointment and dislike on his appointment, which he calls “violence”, yet he dedicated himself to the given pastoral ministry. As we remember, when he was ordained, he already lived in a community or a monastery. Upon his appointment as a pastor or priest put his monastic ideals at the danger of divided attention. His heart is torn apart between monastic and priestly ideals. The part two of the book gave us an idea of how Augustine became a pastor and a monk at the same time, which is a struggle on his part. While being a priest, he encourages his monks to accept the priestly ministry whenever the Church needs them. And, as priest he quickly built monasteries. Likely, Augustine made used of the opportunity he had. Because of this, he renewed the Church through monastic life. Another significant life of Augustine as pastor was when he became a bishop of Hippo. His outstanding duty as a bishop can be described “not as an office something desirable in itself but as a charge to be accepted as manifestation of love for Christ. This love must be humble, disinterested, and generous: humble because the bishop realizes that the basis of salvation is not in being a bishop but in being a Christian; disinterested, because he must feed the flock of Christ as Christ’s and not his own and must therefore seek the glory, lordship, and profit of Christ and not his own; generous, because it must be stronger than death.”[1]

Lastly, Augustine being a mystic. For Trape, Augustine is a mystic as he quoted another writer who claims that he is indeed a mystic by possessing the two elements of mystical experience, viz. the most penetrating intellectual vision into things divine and a love of God that was a consuming passion.[2] His personality as a mystic is knowingly represented from his works and one of it the famous “Confessions”. The Confessions was written as a book of spiritual “elevations”. The sentiments of prayer are to be found on every page. This is an astonishing a passion of faith and love for God, which beyond human philosophical vision. Moreover, he was a mystic because he promotes and lives ascetical practices such as his great deal with prayer. Through prayer it cultivated an awareness of his own sentiments and desires, and made it his goal to love the truth above all else.[3]

These are just some of the highlights of the wonderful life of Augustine as man, pastor and mystic. There are still many things to consider but those abovementioned thoughts and texts from Trape’s work are indeed a fruitful and enlightening source of inspiration. Those highlighted words are likely my personal summary of the book.

II.      What stood out to you?

First and foremost I commend this book for it indeed gave me a picture of the actual life of Augustine primarily based much on his writings and the historical-contextual situation of his time. Maybe this is the uniqueness of this book by presenting his life in a more natural way. Honestly, I was not able to read the entire book but only a glimpse of it. However, with a short allotted time of reading this book, I was deeply touched with his life more on being a pastor. This may be a lame excuse to not read the book since it was given to us since June but after only reading a part of it, it arose my eagerness to finish the book slowly by slowly and in a reflective manner.

Going back to the question, an idea or thought that stood out most while reading the book was his life as a pastor, living a priestly life while his heart is in the monastic life. It is when his heart was torn between monastic and priestly ideas. This is close to my heart since the ministry that I will be placed soon is much related to of Augustine’s. Trape made two considerations why Augustine was reluctant to become a priest. For me, I also take these considerations because he through these he gave a preview my life as a minister of the Word of God by being a pastor or call it a priest. First, Augustine thought that the responsibility of priesthood is beyond his strength. He regarded priesthood as “the most difficult, laborious, and dangerous office there is in the present life and above all at the present time.” [4] Moreover, it is also a gift and blessing from the eyes of God. Upon taking this first consideration that priesthood is beyond his strength, he then did not want to disappoint the people by taking a leave after his ordination in studying the Scriptures. Augustine said, “Once I was ordained I thought I should spend my leisure learning the divine Scriptures.”[5] Studies for Augustine are indeed important in order to equip us for our ministry as priest. It reminds of our Canon Law teacher in RST, whose departing message after our finals was to study the Canons by heart and not merely by passing the subject. He assures us that these canons will be useful and applicable if ever we will be assigned in parishes, schools, and formation houses.

The second consideration that Augustine was reluctant to be ordained was the tension and even opposition between monastic life, which provides quiet for meditation, and the priestly ministry, which obliges a man to immerse himself in apostolic action.[6] According to some scholars, Augustine transformed this into three kinds of life in the Church. The two kinds are already mentioned but the third one is the mixture of the two. These concepts are found in his book City of God. Augustine only wanted to live with his friends in the community. However, because he sees priesthood as a gift and a need of the Church he accepted it. For me, I see the same picture of the reality of the call of priestly life and living in a community of brothers. It is a question now of how to balances these two opposites. I’ve seen these two conflicting worlds, when I was assigned in one of the communities of the province and hearing the same problems from our brothers, who were also assigned to other places. We encounter the same issues of community life. This issue has been considered a lot since Augustine’s time. This may be for now a preview of my life while I’m still in formation but greater challenge is still passed on to us as young friars (not yet fully incorporated in the order) as an everyday question to reflect upon.

III.    Significance

The book “Augustine: Man, Pastor and Mystic” is a simple yet an elaborate and implicit source of answers for our questions about life especially the life of being a religious. Through Augustine’s life it helps us to know ourselves and God, understand our problems and to clarify and solve them because his life is not much different from us. This is may be the significance of the book, which I also agree with Trape in making his book attain its purpose. Moreover, on a personal note, there are at least two things I want to remember from this book, first, is the value of studies while still in formation and second, the value of living a life of balance from active and contemplative life.

IV.   What questions does this raise to you?

What I’ve shared and reflected above was a like preview of my life not only as a priest but at the same time as a religious brother to my community. It’s a preview given to us hundreds of years ago since Augustine’s pastoral and communal life. Questions were raised after a short period of solitude. How then will I live or balance a life of activity as a priest and a life of prayer as a religious brother in the community? As an Augustinian, I think our life is a mixture of these two and the challenge is still the same how to maintain and balance a life of prayer and pastoral life amidst the call of the Church to serve her children their spiritual needs. Moreover, unlike Augustine’s time, social problems were not really that much of an issue or concern. New movements of social concerns have risen for the past years and in some time it had brought the Church to stumble and be hurt by its invisible pierce of shame and humiliation.

---

[1] Agostino Trape, OSA, “Saint Augustine: Man, Pastor, Mystic”, (New York: Catholic Book Publishing Co., 1986), 148.

[2] Ibid, 261.

[3] Ibid 278.

[4] Ibid., 126.

[5] St. Augustine, Letter 21,3.

[6] Trape, 128.