This week, the Catholic Church celebrates the great feast of St. Augustine. Many of us are familiar with his first conversion story but we often forget his second conversion story. Today, Dr. Sri shares St.Augustine’s ongoing conversion and how we can learn from this saint’s complete reliance on God in his weakest moments.
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“It is not as though I do not suffer wounds , oh Lord, but I feel rather that you heal them over and over again”- St. Augustine
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Many of us are familiar with the first conversion story of St. Augustine, the moment when he left his decadent life of pleasure, riches, influence, and power in pursuit of a life of holiness. St.Augustine had it all according to the standards of this world but his heart was restless until it finally rested in God and returned to his Catholic faith.
However, not many of us are familiar with his second conversion. His second conversion is very meaningful for living our everyday Catholic life and persevering in our struggles as disciples of Christ. In St. Augustine’s second conversion, he becomes aware of his own weakness, frailty and need of God’s ongoing grace and healing. Even after leaving his worldly pleasures and becoming a priest and bishop, St. Augustine realizes that he still struggles in many areas. He still found himself lured by the passions of the world, and struggled with sins such as lust, gluttony, comfort, pride, and vanity.
When St. Augustine returns to Carthage in North Africa and preaches to the people there, he said:
“Whoever thinks he can do it on his own, doesn’t understand himself or Him whom he seeks.”- St. Augstine
The Ascent to God vs. God’s Descent
St. Augustine’s second conversion reveals to us the mystery of God’s descent. When it comes to the spiritual life, many of us think of the ascent up to God- the process by which we become sanctified and transformed by the very life of God as we begin to follow Christ and leave our sinful habits behind. As we journey up to God, we start to become more like God. However, there is more to holiness that just our willpower and our efforts to carve away our weaknesses. The mystery of God’s descent is the reality of a God coming down to meet us in our utter weaknesses, frailty, and lowliness. This mystery came first and it is most beautifully revealed in the incarnation when God becomes man to save us from sin.
The mystery of God’s descent reminds us that we are in constant need of God’s mercy. Conversion is an ongoing process and we don’t become saints overnight by our own strength. Our souls are works in progress and we must rely on God completely as we continue to struggle with sin. It often takes many years for the Lord to heal us and help us break away from our sins and sinful tendencies. Our struggles are humbling because we realize that we constantly need God’s mercy, grace, strength, and courage. When we realize our own weaknesses, we can also be more patient and merciful with the weaknesses of others. Most importantly, we must allow God to meet us in our lowliness and heal the broken parts of hearts.
Practical Takeaways
- Be patient with yourself, learn to rely on God.
- Become aware of your weakness, inner poverty, and frailty.
- Take your weakness to God and ask for his healing.
Feed Your Spiritual Life in Just 25 Minutes a Day
Join Fr. Gregory Pine, O.P. and Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P. as they read and explain The Confessions of St. Augustine in Season 2 of Ascension’s podcast, Catholic Classics!
Resources
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Dr. Edward Sri is a theologian, well-known Catholic speaker, and author of several best-selling books. His work with Ascension includes study programs such as A Biblical Walk Through the Mass, No Greater Love: A Biblical Walk Through Christ’s Passion and Mary: A Biblical Walk with the Blessed Mother. Several of Dr. Sri’s programs were filmed on-site in the Holy Land, and feature immersive video explorations of the sacred sites where Jesus, Mary, and the Apostles lived and died.
Dr. Sri is the host of the acclaimed Ascension podcast All Things Catholic with Dr. Edward Sri. Together with Curtis Martin, Dr. Sri is a founding leader of the Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS), of which he serves as senior vice president of Apostolic Outreach.
Dr. Sri lives with his wife Beth and their children in Colorado.
Awesome podcast! Helps me understand my own failures! It will I hope help me understand other’s failures!!
Awesome podcast! Helps me with my own failures but also to be more understanding of other’s failures
Very insightful. Relying on Gods mercy and love to heal our wounds. Not relying on our own willpower. Thank you.
What a wonderful way to start the week.
I know I rely too much on myself and then feel so disappointed in the outcomes, today’s subject was a great reminder of how weak I am and who I should really be relying on.
Thank u
I live in Ireland. May God continue you love you and your family.
I want to thank you for your wife’s having her coffee first thing in the morning before her prayer and before taking care of her children’s requests. I am not permitted any caffeine in my meals. So with my coffee in the morning, I say my morning prayer, participate in the Mass online and then do my Morning Office with The Magnificat online. Your wife’s action confirms that what I am doing is ok. Thank you.
Dear Dr. Sri,
I do so enjoy ALL your talks, I find them soothing almost like a balm to my mind.
Also, I have learned from you so much of the LOVE of God.
May God RICHLY Bless You,
Molly
Thank you for sharing this .god bless your good work.praying for many to come to lead this world
Thanks you Dr. Sri for your podcast and insight, it’s very helpful. One of my often recited prayers when I notice myself thinking highly of myself is this: my God, you are everything, I am nothing, everything is yours, nothing is mine, to you alone be honor, glory and praise for all ages, for ages unending, Amen. Alleluia!
Thank you and God bless your ministry. Tony O
Dr Sri, you have the best radio voice! Also, of course your content is where you shine. Please keep up your presentation style as understandable and informative. It’s dynamic!
Thank you for this! It is very helpful !
Excellent podcast! It really spoke to my struggles today, some thirty years after my first conversion. I’m praying for my second conversion so that I can let Jesus come down to me in my weakness and lift me up.
Is this on the Ascension App?
I thought this was an excellent podcast. It really helps us to realize that we all have sins that we need to confess over and over again, even though it seems difficult at times to know if you are making progress. Like anything when you keep repeating something, you quickly recognize that you are committing that sin again. I keep asking Jesus to help me to conversion daily – I know He is always there helping us – all we have to do is ask and feel His presence.
Thank you. This is just what I needed to hear. I need to work on the second conversion rather than relying on myself. I need to rely on God. He is just waiting for me.
Great review on St. Augustine and how this relates to our own lives.
Dear Dr. Sri. Thank you so much for the message on this podcast. It was one that I really needed to hear, especially today, and now I need to remember to put it into practice. Like Augustine, I have struggled with a weakness for a good part of my life. I know that I will not change immediately after listening to this podcast, but I am given a little more hope that conversion is possible. Thank you!
Your podcasts always enlighten me and they always educate me. Thank you so very much Dr. Sri for all of them.
I loved this. Very profound as we need to be reminded that our wounds are always with us. we think we have to do this all on our own and forget that the Grace of God heals us continually…..thank you
this was very helpful to understand more about the descent of God to me. That I can’t do it by myself, even though I think I should
Wow this is me. That’s why I live St. Augustine. Because his conversion is like an image of me. Because I still struggle.
Wonderful podcast. I do this with forgiveness. I know I must forgive. Some wounds are so soul deep that I take it back over and over again. My spiritual advisor told me when I do this I cannot say “forgive us our trespasses we we forgive those who trespass against us” until I’ve reconciled myself once again with this sin. Because I really want God to forgive and I recognize I cannot expect that if I myself am not willing to forgive as well. It’s been years and I have recognized when the spirit of unforgiveness enters my soul I must stop and renounce this immediately. Thank you for sharing this wisdom and your struggle in this podcast. Shalom.
Thanks so much! Just what I needed to hear! May God continue blessing you always.
I’m 85, a clinical psychologist still working and teaching in a medical school, a survivor so far of two cancers, married to a Spiritual Rock for 62 years, and facing the end of my life pretty soon despite decent health right now. Your talk on Agustin today was what I needed. I’m struggling. with ‘finishing the race” and angst associated with that fact. I need to let God into the process of that struggle every day with prayer, especially, YOUR WIILL BE DONE. Show me how today, Lord.
Thank you for this podcast about St. Augustine. Boy did I need to hear this. Thank you very much
This podcast really helped me to learn how to as God for help with my recurring sins as well as past sins in my life.
Thank you Dr Sri, enjoyed your podcast very much. I love also your book, A Biblical Walk Through The Mass I also in my Catholic faith have considered myself a work in progress. Always journeying for a better understanding of my faith. God Bless you.
I had never heard or experienced listening to your podcast. This happened to be on the conversion of St Agustín. Very informative and inspiring indeed. God bless you and others like you who are involved in this type of ministry. You are helping souls understand themselves better and bringing them to a closer relationship with God. Thank you, again.
You were the first professor I listened from Augustine institute and became “hooked “. Your messages are so enlightening and inspiring. Thank you and God bless which I’m sure he does!
Amen. I needed this today. Thank you.
Loved this lesson. I always felt so bad about myself because I kept repeating the same sins and asking for forgiveness in confession. I now know I will ask for God’s grace and that I am a work in progress and ask for his healing over and over again.
I really enjoyed this podcast, bringing to light that our struggle against sin is a lifelong journey for us all & how much we need Jesus to help us-over & over, not just once & it’s this way for us all.
Enjoyed your podcast about St Augustine. I can so relate to the ongoing Fight with our weaknesses. Thank you!
You are right, Dr. Sri there’s nothing I can do on my own to deserve heaven; it is only with God’s Grace and Mercy that I could possibly get there! Knowing that Jesus is constantly healing my recurring wounds is a great consolation through life’s pilgrimage. Keep up your great Ministry!
Just listened to this and my heart just melted. At last I see what confession is about and understand that I’ve just had my second conversion. I am a regular at confession and can’t wait to go again for His wonderful and heartfelt healing. God bless you Dr Sri and thank you St Augustine for your honesty.
❤️ What a hope-filled message than would encourage anyone who wonders why theyre not perfect yet. It meets us face to face, human to human. We’re all in the same boat and we’re all seasick. 🙃
Dr. Sri, I had a first conversion about two years ago at the age of 50 and I thought ok, I love Jesus and everything was going to be alright.
I did a general confession, received Holy Communion, I started reading the Bible and being going to Mass every Sunday. I had it figured it out. Recently I started to become more aware of the frequency of my mistakes and as a result, sinning.
First, I heard this voice saying “it’s ok, it’s just small thing, you’ll be fine…just pray and ask for forgiveness.” Luckily, another voice deep inside was making more aware of the problem.
I started going to confession, and received Holy Communion, I was walking on air. Then the next day I will fall and hit the ground again and again.
I started getting frustrated. I was feeling disappointed of myself and most of al I failed and disappointed God.
I prayed the Holy Rosary and The Divine Mercy Chaplet everyday. I’ll go the days that adoration is available and continued asking The Lord, what am I doing wrong?teach me…show me the way! please let me hear Your voice!.
I broke down in tears and had a meltdown. I prayed to Him and Our Blessed Mother for intercession. I finished my prayer and went about with my day. Then I realized how peaceful and serene I was. I thank The Lord and I thought, “He heard me! This is over! I’m saved!”.
Well it wasn’t. I continued opening my big mouth and doing it all over again.
I was going to confession weekly. If confession was offered daily in my parish, I would be doing it daily. But this time I started asking Our Lord and the Blessed Mother for help, discernment and wisdom. I realized that as much as I love Him, I am making decisions and trying to fix things on my own. I was not placing my trust in Him and or Our Lady. I was not understanding how His Mercy works.
I happened to come across an email from Ascension and clicked on your podcast. It was like…this is me! this guy is talking to me! I felt like someone gave you access to my heart. I thought my priest had called you.
The Lord does speaks to you. You just need to keep silent and learn to listen.
In less than 15 minutes you just confirmed what The Lord is being trying to get into my little brain and the brokenness of my heart for a really long time.
I’m a work in progress. Like St. Augustine, I struggle and hope to become the best version of myself. I’m learning to trust God’s Mercy.
Thank you so much.
May the Almighty God Bless you.
Wonderful and refreshing. Just what as I needed as I continue to struggle with certain nagging sins on my journey with Christ. Thank yo.
I enjoyed this podcast very much. Two weeks ago, I stopped playing games on line, and decided to learn more about my Catholic faith.
Learning about St. Augustine, was truly very interesting and extremely helpful to me.
This was very helpful in realizing that it is okay when we struggle with the same sins. God forgives us over and over and wants us to bring them to Him always. Thanks for making that clear.
Love this podcast. You always speak about personal things we can relate to.
Very informative. I was Blessed to hear this first thing this morning. Thank you. Nancy
TY for this message.I keep struggling with a lot. I go to confession, speak to others about it and yet this podcast, just touch my soul with a clear message from God. Thank you for being my adult catechist. I appreciate the message and the solution for my struggles. Jesus touch my struggles and heal me over and over again. Amen
This is an important podcast! I’m delighted that you are presenting the Confessions of St. Augustine which is one of the greatest classics. My spiritual Mother, St. Teresa of Jesus (Ávila), her conversión in 1554 came about partly by reading the Confessions. Fr. Daniel
Thank you! God bless!
Excellent podcast
Some great ideas to work on the remainder of my life
This podcast was very helpful. There is hope after all. pray for my son and daughter who live their lives similar to St Augusto> My tears are many
I often pray for Jesus to send down his Holy Spirit to take possession of me and overcome my weakness and give me moral courage to do His Will in life🙏
Prayed last night asking Holy Spirit to send me a Saint I could relate to. Found you on an email this morning. Found my Saint.
You might mention this is about St Augustine of Hippo, since there is a St Augustine of Canterbury. My son is a simple professed Benedictine monk who took the name Augustine after the one from Canterbury.
Thank you. Another reason to go to confession frequently so Jesus can heal us over and over again