The Figure of the Priest in Augustine

Saint Augustine never thought of becoming a priest. After receiving the waters of baptism from the hands of Saint on the paschal of vigil of 387 AD ( in Milan, they were following the Alexandrian calendar. Thus, Augustine must have been baptized within April 24 and 25: Vita 1), his only desire was to return to his birthplace to establish there a community of monks, following the models of communities, which he had come to know in the same city of Milan and later in ( mor. 1, 31, 67). And this dream was realized in the year 388 AD, when, after the death of his mother Monica, Saint Augustine was able to return to North Africa. He settled in Tagaste with a group of friends, and there founded a monastery. At that moment, his only dream was to live as a monk, or as the same Augustine says in his Letter 10 addressed to his dear and ill-fated friend, Nebridius, using the a phrase of the classical Latin world that he only wanted: “deificari (…) in otium” (ep 10, 2), which means to be filled with God, to be deified in the life of otium sanctum, that is to say, in the life of contemplation and praise of God, manual and intellectual work and community life. Nevertheless, the plans of God were not the plans of Saint Augustine. A trip that will change his life

At the end of 390 AD or at the beginning of 391 AD, Saint Augustine went to Hippo. It was a trip that will definitely mark his life, and the life and history of the West as well. His plan was to found a new monastery in that maritime city (Hippo was considered to be the second most important port of North Africa at that time) and also he wanted to speak with a friend ( for Saint Possidius, he is an agens in rebus, a member of the imperial police who longs to speak with Augustine: Vita 3), whom he wanted to win over for their monastery (s. 355, 2). Saint Augustine went to Hippo and talked with this friend. One day, Saint Augustine, with all his innocence, attended the celebration of the Eucharist. In that celebration, the bishop of Hippo, the old Valerius, who was of Greek origin and did not have a good command of the Latin language, spoke to the people of Hippo saying that he was already old and that he spoke Latin badly that he needed the help of a priest who would help him in the pastoral care of the diocese of Hippo (one of the biggest dioceses of North Africa if not the biggest). At that moment, the eyes of those present were fixed at Saint Augustine. They had heard of his life before as a Manichaean, his conversion and sanctity of life. As a result, the people at that moment saw in Augustine more than enough solution to the needs of Valerius. Thus, they started to shout, asking for Augustine’s ordination to the priesthood. (At the time of Saint Augustine, this was the normal procedure. The election of God’s ministers is done by acclamation). Before he knew it, Augustine was surrounded by the people and he was brought before Valerius (s. 355, 2; Vita 4). Saint Augustine was not able to say no: thus, he was ordained priest.

As Augustine himself narrates, we know that in the midst of this occurrence and the very drastic change of plans, Augustine thought of escaping to live in solitude (We do not know if it was before or after his priestly ordination), but the words of Saint Paul, “For this reason, Christ died for everyone, so that those who live, may not live for themselves, but for the One who died for their sake,” stopped and encouraged him to accept the priestly office. (1 Cor 5, 75; Conf. 10, 43, 70).

Saint Augustine was ordained priest most probably at the end of January 391. At that point, Augustine asks Bishop Valerius to grant him some time before Easter, to prepare himself for his priestly ministry (Ep. 21). Saint Augustine was aware of the great responsibility entailed by his priesthood. For this reason, he wants to prepare himself, most especially in the study of the Sacred Scriptures. Thus, in his Letter 21, Saint Augustine expresses to Valerius this great responsibility when priesthood is desired to do the plans of God, and that which is pleasing that brings about the diaconal, presbyteral and Episcopal ministry, when it is only sought for vanity or mundane interests. Thus, Saint Augustine says: “(…) in this life, and especially at this time, nothing is easier, more pleasant, and more attractive for men than the office of bishop, priest or deacon, if the task is carried out perfunctorily or in a self-serving manner, but that before God, nothing is more miserable, more sad, and more worthy of condemnation. Likewise, nothing in this life, and especially at this time, is more difficult, more laborious and more dangerous than the office of a bishop, priest or deacon. But before God, nothing is more blessed if one soldiers as our Emperor commands. (Ep. 21) Augustine asked from Bishop Valerius for two months before Easter to study the Sacred Scripture. The Easter celebration then fell on April 6, 391. Nevertheless, he practically had one month, for he had to take upon himself the priestly duties at the beginning of Lent, since Valerius has already entrusted him one of his responsibilities, that is, the preparation and catechesis of the neophytes. Since the Lent of 391 until his final days, Augustine has carried out joyously his priestly and later his Episcopal duties, the episcopalis sarcina (ep . 71, 2) as he used to call it. It is a task that does not imply so much honor, but responsibility ( non est honor sed onus : s. 301, 7), because the sarcina is the “backpack/shoulder bag” or the load that Roman legions used to carry in their military operations and in reality it was necessary, but heavy and cumbersome. It is necessary to say that Saint Augustine never ceased to be a monk. Even though, he received Holy Order and later Episcopal ordination, he never set aside the life of a monk. Neither did he stop in founding monasteries nor in living in community with his clergy when he would become a bishop. Having known Augustine’s desire, Bishop Valerius gave Augustine a garden, a property of the Church of Hippo where Augustine could found a monastery for non-clerical monks ( Vita 5).

Three Characteristics of Augustine’s Priestly Ministry Augustine’s priesthood was marked not only by the foundation of a new monastic community, but also by the brilliant exposition of the Symbol of faith that he made before the bishops of North Africa, gathered in a local synod in the year 393 in the Secretarium of the basilica of Hippo. Such was the impression that moved the bishops to ask Augustine to put this Augustinian exposition into writing that they may bring and expose it to their faithful. Saint Augustine, as a priest, then wrote the so-called De Fide et Simbolo. A second element that needs to be taken into consideration is his polemics with heretics. In the year 392, by the petition of both Catholics and Donatists, Augustine faces Fortunatus, the Manichaean in the thermal of Sossius. At the end of the debate, Fortunatus loses and later decides to leave the city. The proceedings of the debate are recorded in Contra Fortunatum. A third important element of Saint Augustine as priest is the preaching to the people. At the time of Saint Augustine, this was a work proper of a bishop. Nevertheless, Valerius delegated this task to Saint Augustine, not only because the same Valerius did not have a good command of the Latin language, but also because Saint Augustine was a professional rhetorician and a true teacher of oratory. For this reason, one of the tasks that will form part of Saint Augustine’s pastoral ministry, will be the preaching to the people. He will have to preach when he would be a priest and later as a bishop. His preaching was generally an explanation of the Word of God, since Augustinian theology is no other than an elaboration of Biblical doctrine. In his preaching as a good pastor, Augustine is able to adjust to his listeners. He would use a cultured tone and vocabulary when he finds himself in the presence of persons belonging to a certain cultural level, but when he preaches to simple people, he has a simple and plain tone. According to some experts, especially Verbraken and Drobner, Saint Augustine used to preach every day, and as a bishop, twice a day on some occasions, and including that which he delivered outside the celebration of the Eucharist. Saint Augustine gave such importance to the preaching of the Word. He urges that those who have to preach the Word, ought to be orantes, before becoming preachers, that is, they must pray and put themselves in the presence of God, before opening their lips to explain the Word of life to the people of God. (Orator antequam dictor : De doctrina christiana 4, 32) And his well-known and striking preaching, will have to last until the last moment of his life, as his first biographer, Saint Possidius recalls and describes: “Up to the very moment of his last illness, he preached the Word of God in the church incessantly, vigorously and powerfully, with a clear mind and sound judgment. (Vita Augustini, 31)

Next to preaching is the quotidian celebration of the Eucharist. It is something usual in the Church at the time of Augustine. Although it is true that each region had their proper practices, we know, through Augustinian sermons, especially Sermon 227, that the Eucharist was celebrated daily in Hippo. It speaks of the reception of the body of Christ “everyday.” Thus, Saint Augustine, a priest was celebrating the Eucharist for the faithful every day, recognizing the necessity that both faithful and pastors have the need of the sacrament that gives life: “ From it, we also live, as we are your co-servants.” (s. 229 E, 4) In view of these two roles that make up the life and ministry of the priest, Saint Augustine will define the priest as the dispensator verbi et sacramenti (c.litt. Pet. 3, 67), the minister, the administrator who, in the name of God, serves his brothers, the same word of God and the sacraments, in a very special way, the sacrament of the Eucharist. Saint Augustine, Bishop Saint Augustine was crying on the day when he was taken by the people to Valerius so that he might be ordained priest in the year 391. A certain person, interpreting his tears as if he was sad because in reality what he desired was something greater, told him that, while he was worthy of greater honor, the office of presbyter was but little inferior to the bishopric . (Vita 4) And then Saint Augustine was still crying with much desolation. And these words were prophetic, because Saint Augustine received his Episcopal ordination within May of 395 AD. He was last cited as a priest during the famous feast of Laetitia – and on August 28, 396 Saint Augustine is mentioned as bishop of Hippo in the list of bishops present during the conference or synod at Carthage. As a bishop, Saint Augustine will endeavour to live as a good pastor (s. 46), serving the Church generously and joyfully (cat. rud . 4) and being a faithful dispenser of the Word and of the sacraments of God to his people. *For Saint Augustine, the good pastor, the good priest and bishop is that one who by imitating Christ, gives his life for the sheep entrusted to them. It is he who does not look for his own interests but those of Christ. (s. 46,3) The good pastor is he who acknowledges that he is a mere servant (“servant of the servants of God” (Ep. 217, 1), according to the Augustinian phrase to be used later by the ), that what he administers and what he offers his brothers is not his. For this reason, he ought not feel that he is the owner or the one who has dominion over that which is entrusted to him. (s. 229 E, 4).

A good pastor does not maltreat the sheep nor neglect the most weak (s. 46, 9), but the one who always keeps in mind his role as a servant and as a humble instrument in the hands of God (en. Ps. 123, 3).

The good pastor examines, deepens and studies the Word of God. He meditates on it in his heart in order to understand it better and to be able to expound it better to the people of God. (qu . 5, 23).

The good pastor endeavors to be a model to his flock, giving witness to a righteous life in Christ (s. 46, 9), safeguarding not only the tranquility of his own conscience, but also his good repute. (s. 355, 1).

The good pastor according to Augustine is he who safeguards and searches for the most weak and needy sheep of his flock, and he who is not contented with “drinking the milk and the vesting themselves with the wool” of the strong sheep, even though the worker always deserves his wage (s. 46, 30).

The good pastor is he who spends generously his life and his time at the service of the flock entrusted to him. Saint Augustine as a bishop will have to dedicate many hours of his day in the audientia episcopalis or Episcopal tribunal, which was very tiring and exhausting, but it was a task he had to fulfill for the good of the flock (op. mon. 29, 37)

The care and preoccupation of the most needy, and the ministry of charity were always very important for Saint Augustine as priest, and later also as a bishop. We know that during the anniversary of his ordination, he used to offer food not to business magnates or the powerful of Hippo but to the poor of his city. (s. 339, 4) These same poor persons are those who dialogue with him with familiarity and friendship and in his sermons, Saint Augustine becomes the bearer of the needs of the least favoured (s. 61, 13), exhorting the faithful to Charity. As part of what we would call today ministry of charity, thanks to the donations of the priest Leporius, (s. 356, 10) - he constructed a xenodochium, a small inn or a lodging house to accommodate pilgrims and those transients who did not have a place to stay (Most probably, many of those who stayed in the xenodochium were piligrims who have come to pray before the famous chapel of of the Basilica of Peace at Hippo: ciu. 22,8).

Saint Possidius reminds us that when the arks of the Church were empty, Saint Augustine had ordered: to melt the sacred vessels in order to help the prisoners and the other indigents (…)” (Vita, 24). As a priest and bishop, he will always have great love for the Church. He advises the monks not to prefer contemplation over the needs of the Church and to be always available for the Church (Ep. 48, 2).

He feels proud of belonging to the (s. 71, 5) and he will fight for the unity of the Church against the Donatists (s. 46, 18) and against all those who wanted to destroy the unity of the body of Christ. He will put in monastic life not at the edge of the Church but at the very heart of the Church. It is that same reality which adorns and embellishes the same Church (en. Ps. 132, 7).

His correspondences with different popes of his his time will be very frequent, most specially regarding the Pelagian controversy; He will know how to counsel and orient Innocent I (ep. 175, 1), the deacon Sixtus (who will be the future Sixtus III: ep. 194), and (ep. 190, 1). But his area of operations is not limited in the Catholic Church. Saint Augustine, as bishop and pastor, will also be preoccupied by non-Catholics, in order to invite them to form part of the body of Christ, and he will carry out an interesting work which we would call today ecumenism , particularly with the Jews, not only through his work Adversus iudaeos – (that it is necessary to read within the literary genre that takes the same name within the Patristics authors of that period), that is an invitation to recognize Christ as Messiah, - but also in Letter 8* where Augustine defends the Jew Licinius before Bishop Victor (ep. 8* Divjak).

He also approaches the pagans, responding to their mockery in a very educated manner (ep. 17), or trying to channel his good intentions or thoughts through classical cultural models, utilizing them to elucidate the mysteries of Christ (ep. 137 to Volusian and his clique).

At the end of his life, as a good pastor and aware of the fact that, when bishops die, the ambitious and contentious usually disturb the Churches (…) (ep. 213,1), gathered his people to ask for their consent – as it was usual in his time -- to choose someone who would be his successor (the priest Heraclius). In doing this, Saint Augustine assured pastoral continuity and avoided lawsuits and divisions, when he would not be present anymore. Although it is true that he proposed this but God disposed other things. After his death, North Africa will be occupied by the Vandals who were Arians and the fate of the North African Church would again be highly complicated and delicate. Saint Augustine as a good pastor prepared the Church for it. Then many of his monks from his monasteries were called by the Church to priestly ministry.

Finally, Augustine’s gaze on the priesthood could not be directed to another person other than that of Christ. He is the High and Eternal Priest (ciu. 10, 4), the only and true mediator (s. Dolbeau, 26), who offered himself to the Father for the redemption of the world on the cross. Augustine’s exhortation directed to the religious at the end of the de Sancta Virgnitate is valid for all believers: “He who was nailed on the cross, remains nailed in your heart.” (vir. 55, 56)