The Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
A Reflection for the Memorial of St. Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
“So too, you also must be prepared,
for at an hour you do not expect, the Son of Man will come.” (Matthew 24:44)
Find today’s readings here.
Until recently, I didn’t have much experience with the Augustinians.
The extent of my knowledge started and ended with the fun fact that Villanova University, my older sister’s beloved alma mater, is an Augustinian school, and that their basketball team won two national championships while she was a student. Recently, however, the religious order has been in the spotlight for other reasons. On May 8th, Cardinal Robert Prevost, an Augustinian friar and Villanova alumnus, became Pope Leo XIV.
But I’m proud to say, and my friends and colleagues can attest, that I became a huge fan of the Augustinians long before white smoke came out of the Sistine Chapel’s chimney. (Realistically, it was about two months).
Our team at America partnered with the Augustinian Province of St. Thomas of Villanova back in March for a number of events. Zac Davis and Ashley McKinless, our “Jesuitical” co-hosts, spoke with Rob Hagan, O.S.A., about the story of his fellow Augustinian and servant of God, Bill Atkinson. Later that day, we headed to the National Shrine of St. Rita of Cascia, where Ashley, Zac and Sebastian Gomes, one of America’s executive editors, sat down with Bill Gabriel, O.S.A., for a conversation about evangelization in front of a local crowd. This short trip to Philadelphia very well might have been the highlight of my time working for America Media.
That day, I felt so connected to my faith and the mission of our work. The conversations were rich and joyful. The people present were clearly impacted positively. But more than anything, I felt inspired and empowered by the warmth and kindness of Father Rob and Father Bill. And so, today, I feel lucky for the opportunity to write a reflection on the Feast of St. Augustine.
The message of today’s Gospel is to live our lives with virtue and integrity, in such a way that if Jesus unexpectedly showed up on our doorstep, he would be pleased with how we are going about our business on any given day.
Father Rob and Father Bill understand that message well. Through my interactions with them, they both embodied the principles of servant leadership and accompaniment in a way that has stayed with me and continues to encourage me to do the same. They made me feel incredibly seen, heard and loved through the way they spoke with us and cared for us, even in such a short period of time. Their humility and selflessness were evident through many small but incredibly thoughtful efforts to make us feel at home.
Father Bill shared a message that I’ve revisited in prayer and reflection many times over the last few months which I’ll do my best to summarize: God doesn’t particularly care if you are an Augustinian friar or if you work for America Media. God simply calls you by your name. God cares that you are becoming more you and helping others to do the same. In your brokenness, in your imperfection, without pressure…become more you.
On this feast day, I’m proud to know these two friars who follow St. Augustine’s instruction so well: “Set love as the criterion of all that you say and, whatever you teach, teach in such a way that the person to whom you speak, by hearing may believe, by believing hope, and by hoping love.”
If the son of man were to return at any hour in the near future, I’m confident they would be ready.
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