Oh Lord God, who art the light of the minds that know thee, the life of the souls that love thee, and the strenghth of the hearts that serve thee: Help us after the example of they servant St Augustine, so to know thee that we may truly love thee, so to love thee that we may fully serve thee, whom to serve is perfect freedom; Through Jesus Christ our Lord.
St Augustine of Hippo was the heart of early Christian theology, and the ‘modern’ father of the Church.
In the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion, he is a saint, a pre-eminent Doctor of the Church, and the patron of the Augustinians. His memorial is celebrated on 28 August, the day of his death. He is the patron saint of brewers, printers, theologians, the alleviation of sore eyes, and a number of cities and dioceses. Many Protestants, especially Calvinists, consider him to be one of the theological fathers of the Protestant Reformation due to his teachings on salvation and divine grace.
We give thanks to God this day for his contributions to the Church.