There truly is not enough that I can speak about the incredible life and legacy of St. Augustine. "Confessions" is, in my opinion, the best possible name for the compilation of books that he left for the world to peer into. Unquestionably resembling David, Augustine was a man who sought after the very heart of God. It is my summation that, through constant contemplation and overwhelming openness, Augustine portrayed the life of one who is postured to receive the rich revelations of the knowledge of God.
The first key trait that I observe about Augustine is his contemplative nature. Throughout the entirety of "Confessions," Augustine displays a divine search for truth through meditating on God, on himself and on the constant battles of heavenly mercy and earthly struggle in between them. This can plainly be seen in his description of the joy that comes with conversion. He cries, “What kind of man am I? What evil has there not been in my deeds, words and will? But You, Lord, are good and merciful, and your hand…drew out the abyss of corruption that was in the bottom of my heart” (Book 10, I). It is through the meditation on these mercies and salvations that Augustine is filled with, “the sweetest of pleasures that are not of flesh and blood.” These transforming interactions and conversations between Augustine and the Holy Spirit are routine throughout the text, and are what I believe to have led him unto another humble trait.
The second key trait that is evident in Augustine is openness. The main struggle that Augustine discusses is the lust of the mind and body. Sexual immorality plagued him from his adolescence to his 30's. In Book 10, Augustine shares the reason why he is giving his written confession. He wants the brethren to rejoice with him in his victories, and to mourn with him in his failures and evil doings. He does not desire to simply share what he had been, but what he is at present. His desire and notion to tremble in honesty before the Father, yet stand confident in the Father’s love before men, is an example that should be followed by all believers. It is for Augustine’s humility and exposure that I believe the Lord rewards him with the final trait.
Augustine’s intimate understanding of the heart of God is the final trait that I see vividly. There is a maturing and holy desperation for truth and freedom in the text of "Confessions." His early paradigms of Jesus as the mediator and the Word are moving, and his growing confidence in prayer is stirring. We see a great deal of his personal revelations throughout his writings, but it is through his confession before and men that an exceedingly rich depth of the knowledge of God is revealed in Augustine. The triumph and freedom that he encounters in his life moves my heart intensely.
Augustine modeled a unique and provoking finale. Through his contemplations, others have now gone deep and perhaps deeper still. Through his confessions and openness, readers have been ushered into the freedom that Christ finishes and perfects.
