Augustine: ask for better than wealth

Saturday, August 28, 2021
    Feast of Augustine, Bishop of Hippo, Teacher, 430
Meditation:
    Ill-gotten treasures are of no value, but righteousness delivers from death.
    —Proverbs 10:2 (NIV)
Quotation:
    Picture God as saying to you, “My son, why is it that day by day you rise, and pray, and genuflect, and even strike the ground with your forehead, nay, sometimes even shed tears, while you say to Me: ‘My Father, give me wealth!’ If I were to give it to you, you would think yourself of some importance, you would fancy that you had gained something very great. Yet because you asked for it, you have it. But take care to make good use of it. Before you had it, you were humble; now that you have begun to be rich you despise the poor. What kind of a good is that which only makes you worse? For worse you are, since you were bad already. And that it would make you worse you knew not; hence you asked it of Me. I gave it to you, and I proved you; you have found—and you have found out!... Ask of Me better things than these, greater things than these. Ask of Me spiritual things. Ask of Me Myself!”
    ... St. Augustine of Hippo (354-430), Sermons, cccxi, 14-15 (see the book)
    See also Prov. 10:2; Matt. 7:7-8; 16:24; 18:4; 19:21-22; 1 Tim. 6:17; 1 John 3:17
Quiet time reflection:
    Lord, let Your wisdom alone rule my life. CQOD    Blog    email    RSS
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