St. Augustine: The Doctor of Grace, Conversion & Our Lady

About this sermon

Today we celebrate St. Augustine of Hippo, one of the greatest Fathers and Doctors of the Catholic Church, whose dramatic conversion became one of the most influential stories in Christian history. Born in North Africa in 354, Augustine spent his youth pursuing worldly ambition, sensual pleasure, and false philosophy. He embraced Manichaeism, lived a disordered life, and wandered far from the Catholic faith. Yet his mother, St. Monica, never stopped praying for him. Through her perseverance, the preaching of St. Ambrose, the Sacred Scriptures, and the grace of God, Augustine finally surrendered himself to Christ and was baptized in Milan. He would go on to become a priest, Bishop of Hippo, defender of the faith, and the great Doctor of Grace, helping the Church articulate the doctrines of grace and original sin. This sermon also explores a less-discussed side of Augustine: his profound Marian theology. He taught about Mary’s unique election, perpetual virginity, divine maternity, extraordinary holiness, faith, obedience, and her relation to the Mystical Body of Christ. Augustine’s life gives hope to every sinner and to every parent praying for a wandering child. His conversion shows what perseverance, prayer, truth, and divine grace can accomplish. St. Augustine, pray for us. St. Monica, pray for us. Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of all conversions, pray for us. 0:00 Opening prayer 0:31 Feast of St. Augustine, Doctor of the Church 0:45 St. Monica’s perseverance and prayer 0:54 The early life of St. Augustine 1:20 St. Monica converts both husband and son 1:45 Augustine’s pride, temperament, and youth 2:01 His immoral life in Carthage 2:25 Augustine abandons Catholicism for Manichaeism 2:49 Breaking with Manichaeism 2:58 Augustine goes to Milan 3:05 St. Ambrose and the return toward Catholicism 3:30 “Take and read” — Augustine’s conversion moment 4:12 Baptism of Augustine and his son 4:20 St. Monica sees her prayers answered 4:37 Augustine returns to Africa 4:45 Augustine battles heresy 5:00 Bishop of Hippo 5:17 Augustine at the summit of the Patristic age 5:31 Why Augustine is called the Doctor of Grace 5:49 Augustine’s influence on Western civilization 6:02 St. Augustine’s teaching on the Blessed Virgin Mary 6:27 Mary in relation to Christ and the Church 7:02 Mary chosen in God’s eternal plan 7:33 “He chose the Mother He created” 7:50 Mary as Virgin and Mother 8:23 Mary conceived Christ first by faith 8:31 Mary as Mother of the Church 8:47 Augustine on Mary’s holiness 9:28 Mary preserved from sin 9:45 Augustine against Pelagianism 10:10 Augustine’s famous statement on Mary and sin 10:41 Mary’s faith at the Annunciation 11:08 True faith requires obedience 11:23 Mary as the model for Christian life 11:48 Developing a Marian disposition 12:05 Augustine as an icon of conversion 12:40 The conversion of one soul 12:57 Thanksgiving to St. Monica 13:06 Mary, Mother of all conversions 13:14 Thanksgiving to Christ for St. Augustine 13:39 Closing prayer For more please visit https://www.themarianfranciscans.org/ Please sign up at this link https://lifecrusade.org/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ 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 #StMonica #DoctorOfGrace #CatholicSaints #BlessedVirginMary #OurLady #CatholicFaith #CatholicChurch #CatholicSermon #Conversion #Grace #OriginalSin #StAmbrose #ChurchFathers #MarianTheology #CatholicTradition #Catholicism

Topics

• Grace