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| St. Ambrose receives St. Augustine. |
Today is the feast of St. Augustine of Hippo, whom one of today's responsories calls the "light of Doctors and bulwark of the Church." This famous passage from
The Confessions reminds us why:
TOO late
have I loved Thee, Beauty so ancient, and so new ! Too late have I loved
Thee! And behold, Thou wert within, and I without, and without I sought
Thee; and I, deformed, ran after those forms of beauty which Thou hast
made. Thou wast with me, and I was not with Thee. Those things held me
back from Thee, which could have no being but in Thee. Thou calledst,
Thou criedst, and Thou breakest through my deafness. Thou flashedst,
thou shinedst, and Thou chasedst away my blindness. Thou didst become
fragrant, and I drew in my breath, and panted after Thee. I tasted, and I
hunger and thirst. Thou touchedst me, and I burned for Thy embrace.
WHEN
I shall cleave to Thee with my whole being, I shall have no more sorrow
and labour; and my life shall be a living life, all full of Thee. But
now, seeing that all whom Thou fillest, Thou liftest up; I being not
full of Thee, am a burden to myself. Sorrowful joys contend with joyous
sorrows; and which will conquer, I know not. Ah me! Lord, have mercy
upon me! My evil sorrows contend with my good joys ; and which will
conquer, I know not. Ah me! Lord, have mercy upon me! Alas ! Look, I do
not hide my wounds; Thou art the Physician, I the sick man; Thou art
merciful, I am miserable.
