St. Augustine: Have You Really Begun to Love God?

About this sermon

Have we really begun to love God—or are we still hesitating? Using the life and Confessions of St. Augustine, this powerful meditation examines what true Christian conversion actually means. Augustine’s conversion was not instantaneous. At about 18 he began longing for eternal wisdom, yet roughly fourteen years passed before his baptism. His long struggle teaches us that conversion is not merely one dramatic moment, but a lifelong turning of the intellect, will, desires, and affections toward God. We also see the importance of St. Monica’s persevering prayer, Augustine’s struggle against lust, and his startling honesty: he had discovered the “pearl of great price,” knew it was worth everything—and still hesitated. The central question becomes: What do we truly love? Augustine teaches that loving God does not mean merely loving Him more than everything else. We must learn to love everything else in God, for God, and because of God. This talk also examines lukewarmness, marriage, the responsibility to cultivate love, Eucharistic devotion, Sacred Scripture, prayer, fasting, mortification, and practical ways to deepen conversion. May we someday say with Augustine: “Late have I loved You… but finally I have loved You.” St. Augustine, pray for us. 0:00 Opening prayer for conversion 0:33 St. Augustine as a teacher of the spiritual life 1:39 The deepest wisdom becomes simple 2:17 St. Thérèse and the primacy of love 3:14 Introduction to Augustine’s Confessions 4:30 “Late Have I Loved You” 5:27 Augustine’s extraordinary grace of conversion 6:27 Have we really begun to love God? 7:20 A meditation on conversion 8:39 Conversion is an ongoing process 9:46 Augustine discovers the desire for wisdom 10:36 Fourteen years before his baptism 11:18 Perseverance captures the prize 11:48 St. Monica and the power of prayer 13:19 “The son of these tears shall not perish” 13:46 Persevering prayer and conversion 14:11 Sin as an obstacle to conversion 14:35 Augustine’s struggle with chastity 15:05 Identifying our own dominant sins 16:06 Lent and attacking what keeps us from God 16:50 Augustine’s central challenge: ordered love 17:29 The pearl of great price 18:03 “I ought to have sold all—but I hesitated” 19:30 “I had begun to taste God” 20:08 “I willed it—but I didn’t really will it” 21:06 Conversion means changing the heart 21:40 The danger of lukewarmness 21:47 Christ’s warning in Revelation 23:17 Are we still holding back from total commitment? 23:42 Lent: the time to truly fall in love 24:20 Conversion means turning toward God 25:50 Augustine’s great rule of love 26:16 “He loves You too little…” 27:22 Love your friend in God—and enemy for God 28:19 Loving everything in God and for God 31:17 Everything we love because we love God 31:46 Why do I love what I love? 32:10 Loving spouse, children & vocation rightly 33:39 Three tests for ordered love 34:02 Does this love lead me toward Christ? 35:06 Agape and the perfection of love 37:06 Does my love build God’s Kingdom? 38:01 Can I surrender what God takes away? 39:04 The peace of rightly ordered love 40:37 We are responsible for our love 40:59 Love is more than a feeling 41:45 Modern marriage and the misunderstanding of love 42:58 Love must be deliberately cultivated 43:25 Are we treating God like a neglected spouse? 44:18 God commands us to love 45:31 Practical ways to deepen conversion 45:49 Jesus in the Eucharist and Sacred Scripture 46:28 Place yourself in Christ’s presence 47:29 Pray for God to redirect your desires 48:05 Augustine on chastity and dependence on grace 48:46 “Inflame us, draw us to You” 49:18 Bodily mortification and fasting 49:41 Mortification is ultimately about love 50:37 Returning to the pearl of great price 51:07 A special word for married couples 51:54 Spouses praying together for conversion 52:20 “Late indeed—but finally I have loved You” http://www.instituteofcatholicculture.org/complete-library/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 #StAugustine #SaintAugustine #Confessions #LateHaveILovedYou #CatholicConversion #CatholicFaith #CatholicSpirituality #CatholicTalk #CatholicTeaching #StMonic

Topics

• Love & Compassion