This is the last entry on Augustine of Hippo. I have barely scratched the surface of his writings. I have never met anyone who has read all of Augustine. Maybe Benedict, Pope Emeritus, has.
Today, looking at perfection and Augustine, I want to sum up some of his points from A TREATISE CONCERNING MAN'S PERFECTION IN RIGHTEOUSNESS, which has been examined a bit here.
1. We are called to righteousness, which is justice.
2. We have concupiscence as long as we are in the body.
3. God calls us to perfection.
4. Christ has redeemed us, and He is the only one without sin.
5. Through this forgiveness of sin, we live in grace, moving towards the call to perfection.
6. Only Christ and the Church can give us this grace.
7. Only God is truly good perfect, but through suffering and grace, we are made good, then, perfect.
8. We are saved by grace, just at the saints of the Old Testament were saved by grace. The Commandments must be obeyed, but with grace.
9. Perfection is not only possible but necessary.
10. All happens in and through Christ.
(There is more, but this is a partial summary).
Two passages impressed me this morning. The first is self-explanatory, and reveals a connection to what Benedict, Pope Emeritus said last week about his need to ascend the hill.
(36.) THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE UPRIGHT IN HEART AND THE CLEAN IN HEART.
I suppose, too, that there is a difference between one who is upright in heart and one who is clean in heart. A man is upright in heart when he "reaches forward to those things which are before, forgetting those things which are behind" so as to arrive in a right course, that is, with right faith and purpose, at the perfection where he may dwell clean and pure in heart. Thus, in the psalm, the conditions ought to be severally bestowed on each separate character, where it is said, "Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place? He that is innocent in his hands, and clean in his heart." He shall ascend, innocent in his hands, and stand, clean in his heart,--the one state in present operation, the other in its consummation.
We are all called to be upright and we move towards cleanness of heart.
And of them should rather be understood that which is written: "Riches are good unto him that hath no sin on his conscience." Then indeed shall accrue the good, or true riches, when all poverty shall have passed away; in other words, when all infirmity shall have been removed. A man may now indeed "leave off from sin," when in his onward course he departs from it, and is renewed day by day; and he may "order his hands," and direct them to works of mercy, and "cleanse his heart from all wickedness," -- he may be so merciful that what remains may be forgiven him by free pardon.
This is possible.........through the sacraments, especially Confession and Eucharist. But, we must pray.
This indeed is the sound and suitable meaning, without any vain and empty boasting, of that which St. John said: "If our heart condemn us not, then have we confidence toward God. And whatsoever we ask, we shall receive of Him." The warning which he clearly has addressed to us in this passage, is to beware lest our heart should reproach us in our very prayers and petitions; that is to say, lest, when we happen to resort to this prayer, and say, "Forgive us, even as we ourselves forgive, we should have to feel compunction for not doing what we say, or should even lose boldness to utter what we fail to do, and thereby forfeit the confidence of faithful and earnest prayer.
And, the last part I want to emphasize in Augustine (ah, there is so much!) follows:
Let us therefore "so run that we may obtain." For all who run rightly will obtain,--not as in the contest of the theatre, where all indeed run, but only one wins the prize. Let us run, believing, hoping, longing; let us run, subjugating the body, cheerfully and heartily doing alms,--in giving kindnesses and forgiving injuries, praying that our strength may be helped as we run; and let us so listen to the commandments which urge us to perfection, as not to neglect running towards the fulness of love.
Sigh, life is too short. On to St. Ambrose, the great teacher of St. Augustine....to be continued. There are other postings on Augustine on this blog as well. And, I recommend the older Peter Brown biography. One should always start, of course, with The Confessions.