One of my colleagues (a New Testament professor) had to remind me, because I don't have Augustine's feast day on my calendar. I do, however, has his mother's feast day - St. Monica - which was Sunday. Anyway my colleague was surprised that Augustine is not one of my "favorite" saints, since I do patristics. Then he asked, what about Aquinas? So I had to explain that in the 4th/5th century, I gravitate more toward St. Ambrose than St. Augustine (not that they are at odds, Ambrose was Augustine's mentor). And in the middle ages, I gravitate more toward St. Bonaventure than St. Aquinas. (They were contemporaries, Bonaventure was the Franciscan, Aquinas was the Dominican; Bonaventure was the mystic, Aquinas was the analyst).
Having said that, I mentioned in our last meeting in The Piazza just how important St. Augustine's Confessions is, and how I think everyone should read it. It's St. Augustine's autobiography, sandwiched between his thoughts on the doctrine of God, and his thoughts on time and creation. If I was in charge, it would be required reading for everyone, not just in school, but again at every stage of life!
Dear friends - Please take 10 minutes to watch this personal update from me:
I mentioned in The Journey that I wrote a song based on Isaiah 2, which is one of my favorite OT passages:
In days to come, the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest mountain, and raised above the hills.
All nations shall stream toward it. Many peoples shall come and say:
“Come, let us go up to the Lord’s mountain, to the house of the God of Jacob, That he may instruct us in his ways, and we may walk in his paths.” For from Zion shall go forth instruction, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations, and set terms for many peoples.
They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; One nation shall not raise the sword against another, nor shall they train for war again. House of Jacob, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord!
I hope you like the song!
This is Michael Knowles' commentary on the murder of Charlie Kirk, and directly on the press conference about the arrest - In the middle is a great speech by the governor of Utah - overall excellent stuff if you have 1.5 hr to spend on it
with some Florida colleagues - all of them Protestant, but with varying traditions on the Eucharist - it was encouraging to hear how there are some Protestant denominations that have a real respect for the Sacrament (and I'm not talking about Anglicans or even Lutherans):
