St. Augustine lived from 354-430 and, although a great theologian, is probably known best for his Confessions. When I was a freshman in college, I saw that an advanced Latin course on the Confessions of St. Augustine was being offered and I actually went to the Dean to be allowed to take this course. It was over my head as far as Latin was concerned, but I was interested and with the help of a good translation I managed to finish the course as I was really interested in what Augustine wrote. I remember getting up early on Sunday mornings and spreading out my books on my desk and working through the translation of the chapters we would be covering in Latin during the week. When there is a will, there is a way.
Unfortunately for me, the Dean, thinking I really could do advanced Latin, put me in her course in my second year of college. I bought English translations of Pliny, Livy, and I do not know all we covered and set about trying to learn how the Latin matched the English translations. That worked only until our Friday afternoon class when the Dean would give a weekly quiz by putting the English on the board and asking us to translate it into Latin! That was impossible for me to do so I passed only because I was quick to raise my hand in the Monday and Wednesday classes to offer to translate into English - I never really managed to put English into Latin!
Not a very spiritual blog today. But here are two quotes from Augustine for reflection:
"My soul is like a house, small for you to enter, but I pray you to enlarge it. It is in ruins, but I ask you to remake it."
"You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You."
Augustine was converted after he came under the influence of St. Ambrose and his mother Monica had been praying for his conversion for years. He became a Bishop and is a Doctor of the Church.
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