St.

Augustine as a Teacher
During the space of his 19 to 28 years, Augustine worked as a teacher. In 374 AD, he
returned home to Thagaste to teach grammar which was the underlying foundation for the
study of rhetoric. His mother Monica, who was a fervent Christian, refused him inside the
house because of his Manichaean beliefs.

Later on, he continued his teacher career in public speaking in Carthage in 376 AD. The disgraceful
behavior and pranks of the students made his teaching career extremely difficult. He persisted,
however, for love of money (Confessions 4.2) and taught his students the means on how to win debates
with all his honesty. At the same time, he found happiness in studying astrology and many scientific
books.

Learning for Augustine did not stop. He also sought for help from the Manichaean sect for nine
years, to satisfy his curiosity on creation, meaning of life, love and God. Yet he was
disappointed by the weakness of the Manichaean system, he waited for the Bishop of the
Manichees, Faustus, to discuss and to answer his queries.

On Faustus’ meeting, Augustine found him agreeable and intelligent but eventually he
discovered that “reading was the basis of his [Faustus] eloquence, which derived extra charm
and plausibility from his attractive personality and his ability to make good use of his mental
powers.” He described that his interest in Manichaeism diminished “when I saw Faustus, of
whom they spoke so much, was obviously unable to settle the numerous problems which
troubled me.” Thus it was Faustus himself who released him “from the trap in which I have
been caught.” (Confessions 5.7) Augustine became inactive in the Manichaean sect.

In 383 AD, with his former student Alypius, he decided to go to Rome in Italy to teach there
rhetorics, not so much for higher fees and honors but because he heard that the young
students there were well-disciplined in contrary to the students he had in Carthage. However,
Augustine was disappointed to their unjust treatment to their teachers. He states: “For their
warped and crooked minds I still hate students like these, but I love them too, hoping to teach
them to mend their ways, so that they may learn to love their studies more than money.
St. Augustine’s Conversion

When he had the chance, he transferred

to Milan to be a teacher of literature and
rhetoric in a public school. It was here
that he met Bishop Ambrose and treated
him like a father. He was a kind man,
eloquent in preaching commentaries on
Scripture texts. Eventually, after listening
to his homilies, Augustine appreciated
the Bible and he made up his mind to
quit Manicheaism.

While Augustine was in Milan in 384 AD, he studied Neoplatonism which drove him away from
materialistic and worldly appetites. He understood that activities that satisfy the flesh weakened his
efforts to contemplate the readings by St. Paul (which he was studying at that time). Eventually, he
began the return-journey through Bishop Ambrose’s preachings on the Catholic interpretation of the
Bible and the Christian faith, recognizing Jesus Christ as Mediator of Grace and Redeemer. In 385 AD,
Monica arrived in Milan announcing her news that Augustine was arranged to marriage with a Catholic
woman. However, he had been faithful to Melania and this separation from her would be emotionally
wrenching to the both of them. By now, he struggled to live the Christian ideals. He went back to his
old lifestyle of worldly aspirations and conflicted his spiritual desire to search for truth.

The Garden in Milan

Late summer of 386 AD, Augustine and his companion Alypius entertained a visitor,
Ponticianus, who spoke to them about St. Anthony of Egypt who lived his life devoted to prayer
to God and contentment. Hearing his story, Augustine was touched that he began to feel his
heart burn in his breast, stirring with the power that called for renunciation. With a heavy
heart, he went to the garden of the house where he wept with great, tormented sobs over his
inability to accept the challenge of self-discipline and Christian way of living.

As Augustine sobbed in the garden, he heard a voice of a child singing a song “tolle lege, tolle
lege” which were “Pick up and read, pick up and read.” He thought the song was related to
some kind of a children’s game but he could not remember it exactly. Somewhere in that
garden, he found a Bible. Then, realizing that it might be God’s voice, he picked up the Bible,
opened it and read the first passage he saw.

“Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not is rioting and drunkenness, not in sexual excess and
lust, not in quarreling and jealousy. Rather, put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision
for the desires of the flesh.” Romans 13:13-14--
This was one of the letters of Paul that he had been studying. Reading this scripture, Augustine
felt as if his heart were flooded with light. That moment of grace has led him to embrace God’s
divine benevolence which resulted to a change of heart or “Metanoia”. He responded,
“Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!” and he reported all this to his mother
Monica, who rejoiced in God for His answer to her lifelong prayer for her son.

Thus his return to the Catholic faith was complete. He chose to abandon all his ambitions,
including his teaching career and marriage, and he consecrated himself fully to the devotion to
God. Later on, together with Alypius, Augustine was catechized and received the gift of Baptism
through Bishop Ambrose on the night of Holy Saturday of April 386 AD.

St. Augustine from Priesthood to Death

While planning to return to Thagaste with his family to carry out the Christian life in God’s
service, they stayed in the town of Ostia in Milan because his mother fell ill with a fever. A
few days later, Monica died at the age of 56 in 387 AD, but her wish left in Augustine:

"Bury my body anywhere you wish. Do not let care about it disturb you. I ask only this: that
you remember me at the altar of the Lord, wherever you may be." (Confessions 9, 11, 27)

Finally settled in Thagaste in 390 AD, he establised his own monastic community and
began to live a contemplative life as a lay “servant of God.” But his peaceful life devoted to
prayer and study was soon shattred by the death of his son Adeodatus and his friend Nebridius.

A year passed but still deeply aggrieved by the death of his loved ones, Augustine attended a
mass in Hippo, when Bishop Valerius was describing the urgent needs of the Catholic minority,
the congregation turned to Augustine and insisted him to accept ordination-- he was made a
priest on the spot! There he was surprised by the priesthood which he reluctantly accepted as
God’s wish. Augustine remained in Hippo for the rest of his life.
Later in 396 AD, Bishop Valerius died and Augustine succeeded him as bishop of Hippo.
He started writing his Confessions and completed it after 4 years. His pastoral activities included
preaching in Hippo and other parts of Africa, caring for the poor and orphans, training the
clergy, organization of the male and female monasteries, frequent journeys in colleague’s
invitations, and driving out heretical preachers.
When Africa was under the invasion of Vandals, Augustine died on August 28, 430 AD
after suffering a fever for several days. Together with his friends, they prayed for the gift of
perseverance in the faith by which anyone can come to share life in Jesus Christ. Until the end,
he stood firm as everything was destroyed by violence all around him.

Though Hippo was partly burned, Augustine’s library was preserved from destruction. It
contained all his accounts and works comprising some 100 books, 270 letters, and more than
400 sermons and were handed down until this present generation. The Catheral of Hippo, now
called Annaba in Africa, preserves the relic of his right forearm.

Here are some of the works of St. Augustine:

A. Autobiographical Works-- Confessions, Revisions

B. Philosophical/ Dogmatic Works-- Dialogues, The Trinity, The City of God, On Christian Belief
C. Pastoral Works-- On Marriage and Virginity, In Morality and Christian Ascetism D.
Exegetical Works-- Christian Instruction, On Genesis, On the New Testament, On the Old
Testament
E. Polemical Works-- The Arian Debate, The Manicheian Debate, Answer to Pelagians, Answer
to Semipelagians