Augustine and Dante

St. Augustine: The Confessions -
Born in North Africa - most likely a black man - lived in the late 300's and early 400's AD. His mother, Monica, was a Christian, his father, Patricius, was a pagan who later converted to Christianity. Augustine was from a wealthy and educated family. Augustine's "Confessions" is considered the first ancient autobiography. As he looks back on his life, he is very introspective and also very hard on himself. "So small a boy and so great a sinner!" His story of the Pear Tree is so true, and reminded me of my college friends who took a bouquet of flowers off of a grave just for the fun of it! All of the temptations and struggles Augustine had are still the same things that tempt us today - knowledge, intellectualism, pride, drunkenness, lust, sexual relationships, the desire to make fun of people. This line sounds so modern: "I was all hot for honors, money, marriage: and You made mock of my hotness." Wow! He had a mistress for many years and fathered a son with her. Eventually, he sent his mistress away, though he loved her deeply, only to take up with another woman. His first mistress vowed never to marry any one else. After years of study and teaching, Augustine finally became a Christian, along with several close friends, and also his son. His mother had prayed for years for this! And as we all know, he went on to become one of the greatest leaders in the Western Church (even non-Catholics like him! :) Two of my favorite quotes from St. Augustine: "Late have I loved Thee, O beauty so ancient and so new." "Our hearts are restless, until they rest in Thee."

"The Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri
(We read all of "Inferno", and excerpts of "Purgatorio" and "Paradiso")
Amazing and insightful - full of numerous classical/biblical/contemporary (to Dante's time) references!! Dante is not afraid to call it like he sees it - he has popes and politicians in Hell, and some pagans close to Purgatory! Dante is a character in his own drama, as is his love, Beatrice. (Beatrice is not his wife!) Virgil is his guide through Hell and into Purgatory; then Beatrice guides him through Purgatory into Heaven, and then St. Bernard guides him to the Virgin Mary, and then into the presence of God! Dante is the creator of modern Italian, and his "Divine Comedy" is considered the greatest "poem" of the Middle Ages. It is incredibly creative and dramatic! I love the very last line - "by the Love that moves the Sun and the other Stars."