Today's Saint of the Day is the patron of England! 😇
May 27, 2024
Hello John,
Augustine’s story is a reminder that even saints can struggle with self-doubt and setbacks. His first journey to England ended in retreat, and he often sought guidance from Rome on decisions he could have made himself. Despite these challenges, Augustine persevered, teaching us that gradual progress and perseverance are key in our spiritual journeys.
This brings to mind a moment from my own pilgrimage. While climbing over a stone fence, I noticed a snail moving slowly but steadily on one of the rocks. It struck me that a snail’s pace, though slow, is purposeful and unwavering. Similarly, in our spiritual lives, it’s not about how fast we progress, but that we keep moving forward, renewing our commitment to Christ each day.
Reflecting on this, I encourage you to think about the small, daily steps you can take in your own spiritual journey. Even when progress seems slow, remember that perseverance is what ultimately leads us closer to God.
I invite you to deepen your spiritual journey with us through our Retreat with St. Anthony of Padua. Spend seven days letting St. Anthony be your guide to finding yourself and your way to God. Through rich content, guided prayer activities, and probing questions inspired by his preaching and life stories, you will learn about this remarkable Franciscan saint and, more importantly, about your own spiritual life.
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In the year 596, some 40 monks set out from Rome to evangelize the Anglo-Saxons in England. Leading the group was Augustine, the prior of their monastery. Hardly had he and his men reached Gaul when they heard stories of the ferocity of the Anglo-Saxons and of the treacherous waters of the English Channel. Augustine returned to Rome and to Gregory the Great—the pope who had sent them—only to be assured by him that their fears were groundless.
Augustine set out again. This time the group crossed the English Channel and landed in the territory of Kent, ruled by King Ethelbert, a pagan married to a Christian, Bertha. Ethelbert received them kindly, set up a residence for them in Canterbury and within the year, on Pentecost Sunday 597, was himself baptized. After being consecrated a bishop in France, Augustine returned to Canterbury, where he founded his see. He constructed a church and monastery near where the present cathedral, begun in 1070, now stands. As the faith spread, additional sees were established at London and Rochester.
Work was sometimes slow, and Augustine did not always meet with success. Attempts to reconcile the Anglo-Saxon Christians with the original Briton Christians—who had been driven into western England by Anglo-Saxon invaders—ended in dismal failure. Augustine failed to convince the Britons to give up certain Celtic customs at variance with Rome and to forget their bitterness, helping him evangelize their Anglo-Saxon conquerors.
Laboring patiently, Augustine wisely heeded the missionary principles—quite enlightened for the times—suggested by Pope Gregory: purify rather than destroy pagan temples and customs; let pagan rites and festivals be transformed into Christian feasts; retain local customs as far as possible. The limited success Augustine achieved in England before his death in 605, a short eight years after his arrival, would eventually bear fruit long after in the conversion of England. Augustine of Canterbury can truly be called the “Apostle of England.”
Reflection
Augustine of Canterbury comes across today as a very human saint, one who could suffer like many of us from a failure of nerve. For example, his first venture to England ended in a big U-turn back to Rome. He made mistakes and met failure in his peacemaking attempts with the Briton Christians. He often wrote to Rome for decisions on matters he could have decided on his own had he been more self-assured. He even received mild warnings against pride from Pope Gregory, who cautioned him to “fear lest, amidst the wonders that are done, the weak mind be puffed up by self-esteem.” Augustine’s perseverance amidst obstacles and only partial success teaches today’s apostles and pioneers to struggle on despite frustrations and be satisfied with gradual advances.
Saint Augustine of Canterbury is the Patron Saint of:
England
Spend seven consecutive days letting St. Anthony of Padua be your guide to finding yourself and your way to God.
One morning, as I was climbing over a stone fence, I noticed a snail sitting on one of the rocks. Given that I had a lot of time on my feet, I found myself thinking about the snail. Everyone has heard the expression “a snail’s pace.” A snail is not going to break any speed records. But if it keeps moving forward, it will eventually get where it wants to go. And so was my life on the Camino. And so is the spiritual life.
This particular day was a short one, only about 13 miles. When I thought of how little I had walked, it seemed like a waste of time. It did occur to me, however, that 13 miles is a lot of ground. And what was ultimately most important was that I progressed forward. I did not quit. I kept moving ahead, even at what seemed like a snail’s pace.
The spiritual life is just that. In order to progress, we must renew our commitment to Christ daily and then be committed to doing this over and over again.
If we have uncomfortable memories of being forced as children to thank Aunt Sue for the ugly sweater or Grandpa for the gluey oatmeal, we don’t want to feel compelled into a duty. The good news from science is that gratitude can lead to chemical bodily responses that bring health benefits and longer life spans.
Pray
Dear God, you shower me with more blessings than I could ever have imagined, and it lifts my spirits to count them. Amen.
Act
Start a gratitude journal—any small notebook set aside specifically for the purpose of writing down what makes you thankful. Today record your name, date and at least one thing for which you’re thankful.
Today’s Pause+Pray was written by Kathy Coffey. Learn more here!
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