Religión y Espiritualidad

A discourse delivered before a council of the whole North African Episcopate assembled at Hippo-Regius.

From the Retractions 2:23: After I had written 'on the Good of Marriage,' it was expected that I should write on Holy Virginity; and I did not delay to do so: and that it is God's gift, and how great a gift, and with what humility to be guarded, so far as I was able I set forth in one volume.

His treatise, and the following, were written against somewhat that still remained of the heresy of Jovinian. S. Aug. mentions this error in b. ii. c. 23, de Nuptiis et Conc. Jovinianus, he says, who a few years since tried to found a new heresy, said that the Catholics favored the Manichæans, because in opposition to him they preferred holy Virginity to Marriage.

This work is not mentioned in the Retractations, probably because it is a letter, and as such it is reckoned by Possidius, cap. 7. It is also marked as St. Augustine's by its references to his other works, De Bono Conjugali, etc. cap. 15. Ep. to Proba, cap. 23. The date is marked by the recent consecration of Demetrias, which was in 413. The admonition for which he is thanked by Juliana, Epistle 188, may be that against Pelagianism.

It is laid down at the outset that the customs of the holy life of the Church should be referred to the chief good of man, that is, God. We must seek after God with supreme affection; and this doctrine is supported in the Catholic Church by the authority of both Testaments. The four virtues get their names from different forms of this love. Then follow the duties of love to our neighbor. In the Catholic Church we find examples of continence and of true Christian conduct.

From the Retractations, ii. 21: To write the Book on the Work of Monks, the need which compelled me was this. When at Carthage there had begun to be monasteries, some maintained themselves by their own hands, obeying the Apostle; but others wished so to live on the oblations of the faithful, that doing no work whence they might either have or supply the necessaries of life, they thought and boasted that they did rather fulfill the precept of the Gospel, where the Lord says, Behold the fowls of heaven, and the lilies of the field, Matthew 6:26.

One of Which is Not from God, is Refuted. Every Soul, Inasmuch as It is a Certain Life, Can Have Its Existence Only from God the Source of Life.

St. Augustine speaks of his work On Continence in Ep. 231, Ad Darium Comitem. [See vol. 1. of this edition, p. 584. P.S.] Possidius, Ind. c. 10, mentions it, and it is cited in the Collectanea of Bede or Florus, and by Eugypius. Erasmus is therefore wrong in ascribing it to Hugo on the ground of the style, which is not unlike that of the earlier discourses. It is evidently a discourse, and probably for that reason unnoticed in the Retractations. The Manichæan heresy is impugned after the manner of his early works.

There are some persons who suppose that the freedom of the will is denied whenever God's grace is maintained, and who on their side defend their liberty of will so peremptorily as to deny the grace of God. This grace, as they assert, is bestowed according to our own merits. It is in consequence of their opinions that I wrote the book entitled On Grace and Free Will.

This book appears from its place in the Retractations to have been written about A.D. 395, as it is the last work named in the first book, which contains those which he wrote before he was Bishop. Some editions represent it as addressed to Consentius, but not the manuscripts. The latter are probably right, as his other work on the subject was written in answer to the inquiries of Consentius on the case of the Priscillianists many years later.

At that time also there came into my hands a certain book of Pelagius', in which he defends, with all the argumentative skill he could muster, the nature of man, in opposition to the grace of God whereby the unrighteous is justified and we become Christians. The treatise which contains my reply to him, and in which I defend grace, not indeed as in opposition to nature, but as that which liberates and controls nature, I have entitled On Nature and Grace.

The book, On care to be had for the dead, I wrote, having been asked by letter whether it profits any person after death that his body shall be buried at the memorial of any Saint. The book begins thus: Long time unto your Holiness, my venerable fellow bishop Paulinus.

In the fourteenth chapter of the second book of his Retractations, Augustine makes the following statement: There is also a book of ours on the subject of the Catechising of the Uninstructed, [or, for Instructing the Unlearned, De Catechizandis Rudibus], that being, indeed, the express title by which it is designated.

Containing a particular refutation of the doctrine of these heretics regarding the origin and nature of evil; an exposure of their pretended symbolic customs of the mouth, of the hands, and of the breast; and a condemnation of their superstitious abstinence and unholy mysteries. Lastly, some crimes brought to light among the Manichæans are mentioned.

Written after the year 404. It is put in the Retractations immediately after the De Actis cum Felice Manichæo, which was written about the end of the year 404. It is one of the most argumentative of the Anti-Manichæan treatises, and so one of the most abstruse and difficult.

Quando i vescovi cattolici e quelli del partito di Donato, per ordine dell'imperatore, si riunirono alla presenza del tribuno e notaio Marcellino, che agiva in veste di giudice moderatore, per dibattere in contraddittorio fra loro, fu stesa una redazione degli Atti assai prolissa, che si sarebbe potuta fare con maggiore sinteticità.

"The Confessions of Saint Augustine" is an intimate voyage into the mind and soul of one of history's most profound thinkers and spiritual leaders. Augustine's eloquent words guide us through the labyrinth of human existence, exploring the depths of sin, redemption, and the insatiable quest for divine truth.In this literary masterpiece, Augustine bares his soul, allowing us to witness his spiritual journey, his triumphs, and his trials. Through his confessions, we grapple with the timeless questions of human nature, morality, and the yearning for a higher purpose. As we turn each page, we delve into the complexities of faith, the power of conversion, and the ultimate surrender to a higher power."The Confessions of Saint Augustine" is a timeless exploration of the human condition and a beacon of hope for seekers of wisdom and spirituality. It resonates across centuries, inviting us to reflect on our own lives and find solace in the eternal pursuit of truth and grace. Prepare to embark on a profound introspective journey as Augustine's words reveal the struggles and revelations of a life dedicated to understanding the divine.

This book details Marian devotions specifically for the month of May, according to the teachings of St. Francis de Sales (b. 1567- d. 1622).

The order of virtues considered is that followed by the spiritual sons of St. Alphonsus in the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. For each month of the year is assigned a particular virtue to which they are to devote their especial attention. This is a practice highly recommended by the masters of the spiritual life, and is fraught with the happiest results.

From the Retractations, Book II, Chapter 60: Then also I wrote a Book against Lying, the occasion of which work was this. In order to discover the Priscillianist heretics, who think it right to conceal their heresy not only by denial and lies, but even by perjury, it seemed to certain Catholics that they ought to pretended themselves Priscillianists, in order that they might penetrate their lurking places. In prohibition of which thing, I composed this book. It begins: Multa mihi legenda misisti.

Approchez-vous du Seigneur et vous serez éclairés, et vos visages ne seront point couverts de confusion. » Ainsi parlait le roi David. C'est à l'homme qu'il appartient de s'approcher de Dieu ; c'est à Dieu qu'il appartient d'éclairer l'homme.