Today we celebrate the Feast Day of Saint Augustine of Hippo. So many had been written about him and it is but good to be inspired by his life and works. I would like to share an excerpt from the “Confessions”, one of the most widely read book aside from the bible. Here it is:
Late have I loved you,
beauty so old and so new,
late have I loved you.
And see, you were within,
and I was in the external world and sought you there,
and in my unlovely state I plunged into those lovely things
which you made.
You were with me, and I was not with you.
The lovely things kept me far from you,
though if they did not have their existence in you
they had no existence at all.
You called and cried out loud and shattered my deafness.
You were radiant and resplendent, you put to flight my blindness.
You were fragrant,
and I drew my breath and now pant after you.
I tasted you, and I feel but hunger and thirst for you.
You touched me,
and I am set on fire to attain the peace which is yours.
Thank you Lord for the gift of Augustine. Amen.