Saint Augustine of Hippo
Stories of the Saints
Inspiring Lives of Faith and Virtue
By: Ulysses C. Ybiernas | August 28, 2021
Saint Augustine: The Doctor of Grace
In the sun-drenched city of Carthage, North Africa, a child named Augustine was born in 354 AD. His mother, Monica, was a devout Christian, while his father, Patricius, was a pagan. From an early age, Augustine was torn between two worlds: the faith of his mother, which he found difficult to understand, and the pleasures of the Roman world, which seemed far more appealing.
As a young man, Augustine was brilliant and ambitious. He studied rhetoric in Carthage and later moved to Rome, and then to Milan, where he sought fame and fortune as a teacher of rhetoric. He lived a life full of worldly pleasures: indulgence in fine food, drink, and fleeting romantic relationships. His heart, however, remained restless. He longed for something more but did not know what it was.
In his early twenties, Augustine fathered a son, Adeodatus, with a woman he loved but would never marry. His life seemed to follow a predictable path of ambition and indulgence, yet something inside him stirred, a deep yearning for truth that no pleasure or achievement could satisfy.
Augustine’s search for truth led him to the teachings of various philosophies. He became involved with the Manichaeans, a religious sect that offered an intellectual approach to spirituality. But their ideas left him empty, unable to answer his deepest questions about God, suffering, and the human soul.
It was in Milan that Augustine’s life began to change. One day, he was drawn to a sermon by Ambrose, the bishop of Milan, a learned and eloquent man who spoke with a wisdom that struck Augustine deeply. Ambrose’s interpretation of the Bible, especially the teachings of Saint Paul, opened Augustine’s eyes to a faith that resonated with the truth he had long sought. Yet, Augustine still wrestled with his inner turmoil, his old life and desires pulled him in one direction, while this new path of faith seemed daunting and too radical.
One summer afternoon, as Augustine sat in a garden, overwhelmed by his inner conflict, he heard a child’s voice chanting over and over, “Take up and read, take up and read.” He opened a Bible and read the first passage his eyes landed on: “Let us walk properly, as in the daytime; not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires” (Romans 13:13-14).
At that moment, something in his heart broke open. He realized that the truth he sought was not found in human philosophy or intellectual pursuit, but in the simple, radical love of Christ. Augustine fell to his knees and wept, surrendering his life to God.
But conversion was not easy. Augustine had to leave behind everything he had once lived for, the allure of worldly success, the habits of sin, and even the relationships that had defined him. His mother, Monica, rejoiced at his conversion, but Augustine still struggled with feelings of guilt and the fear of not being able to live up to the lofty ideals of his newfound faith.
Yet, Augustine's transformation did not stop at his own heart. In time, he was baptized by Ambrose, along with his son, Adeodatus, who shared in his conversion. Augustine returned to North Africa, where he was ordained a priest and later became the bishop of Hippo, a city on the coast of what is now Algeria.
In his new role, Augustine faced countless challenges. His once skeptical mind was now fully devoted to theology, and he poured his energies into defending the Christian faith against heresies, particularly the Donatists and Pelagians. His writings, especially his Confessions and The City of God, became foundational works of Christian thought, shaping the church’s understanding of grace, free will, and the nature of God.
Augustine's life was not without suffering. He had to endure the loss of his mother, Monica, whom he had loved deeply, and the fall of the Roman Empire, which seemed to be crumbling around him. Yet, he never wavered in his faith. Even as the Vandals sacked Hippo and the world seemed to collapse, Augustine remained a steadfast witness to God's grace and providence.
Augustine died in 430 AD, at the age of 75, having lived a life of extraordinary intellectual and spiritual depth. His transformation from a restless seeker of worldly pleasure to a saint who sought only the truth of God was a profound witness to the power of grace to change the human heart.
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St. Augustine's remains lie in the tomb in Pavia, Italy
Augustine’s struggles, the years of searching, the challenges of conversion, and the intellectual battles he fought were not in vain. His life, marked by a deep humility and relentless pursuit of truth, would go on to shape the course of Christian thought for centuries. Today, Saint Augustine is remembered as one of the Church’s greatest theologians, and his story continues to inspire those who, like him, seek peace and fulfillment in the love of Christ.
You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you. - St. Augustine
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