Friends of Augustine; National Meeting at Clare Priory  September 2008

Theme: Unity, Truth, Charity. Guest Speaker: Deacon Nigel Bavidge

The Weekend:

Local Friends of Augustine were joined by friends from Carlisle and Hythe and members of our own parish for last weekend's Augustinian Workshop.

Led by Nigel Bavidge they examined Scripture and some of Augustine's reflections which are particularly relevant to our own time.

Nigel's first talk was on Genesis 3.  Augustine sees this as a story of disconnectedness, when Adam and Eve start hiding from themselves, from each other, from creation and from God. This leads to division, barriers, isolation and loneliness, which society suffers from today.  The parables and miracles in the New Testament are about repairing this damage. Blind Bartimaeus and the leper, for example, and the woman caught in adultery were not only healed or forgiven. Jesus restored them to society.

Jesus reconciles us too, and with healing comes responsibility. Augustine emphasises the need to live in unity, truth and love. The big challenge for us is to work this out in our families, parishes and workplaces.

Nigel suggested that the Rule of St Augustine, followed by so many Orders of men and women in the Church, offers a way forward for all people. For instance - we search for God together. Carry one another's burden together. So whatever we do should be done with enthusiasm and for the greater good of all.  Augustine points out that God understands what Augustine did not understand about himself. The Confessions in the story of Augustine beginning to understand himself. "Everything I learn," he said, "is leading to God." "Let those who are quicker in understanding reflect that they are walking along the road together." We look forward to travelling with Augustine and Nigel in Boarbank Hall, 23/25 January 2009.

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Short report by Ian Harding:

Friday evening commenced with the arrival of “Friends” from Carlisle, Cumbria and Hythe, Kent. After supper we met for Prayer and meditated on “The Whole Christ -Together one body”.

Saturday saw the arrival of Brother Nigel from his home in Yorkshire and we commenced with Morning Prayer with the Clare Community. 21 of us sat down to listen to Nigel’s talks on Unity, Truth and Charity from an Augustinian viewpoint. A full report of this by Paul Bethel follows.  Between the sessions we shared Midday Prayer and lunch with the Community as well as several cups of tea and coffee, aided by the odd biscuit or two. Celebration of Mass for Sunday, Adoration and Evening Prayer ended the formal part of the day. After Supper we had time to catch up with our fellow Friends of Augustine.

Sunday commenced with Morning Prayer with the Community, Nigel “batted” several questions that had arisen from Saturday’s session. A short business session took place looking at whether we were meeting our goals set in 2006 and finally agreed to arrange the next meeting in January at Boarbank, Cumbria. A phone call in the afternoon set a provisional date at Boarbank for  23rd - 25th January 2009.

Nigel brought with him two new topics to add to our “Augustine for Today” compiled by Sr Margaret Atkins of Boarbank Hall; “The Gentleness of God” and “The Goodness of Creation”.  We thank Sr Margaret for sharing her insights.

Paul Bethel thanked Nigel on our behalf for  such a stimulating set of sessions.

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 Final Session: Reflections and Ideas for the Future - Report by Paul Bethel:

Scripture:

Query about place of study and books in our spiritual life. Books can help but scripture is the face of God and our hearts melt in front of it. Books are a helpful intermediary but scripture is a sacrament – direct contact with God. A hallmark of Augustine spirituality – we ‘eat’ scripture; Augustine absorbed scripture it became his language and idiom. Scripture will speak to us for the word of God is living an active and speaks freshly to us each day with new insights. Commentaries are helpful but only as an intermediary, source of useful insights.

Prayer:

Cry of the heart – Augustine never stopped praying – as long as your heart is yearning for God then you are praying.
St. Teresa of Avila described it as the heart leaping to meet its Creator.
Something mysterious happens to us in prayer, it is like the seed which grows night and day and we don’t know how, ‘You lulled me to sleep  in my madness and when I awoke I saw you differently!’
We need time alone to pray – the Monks on Lindisfarne look forward to the tide coming in so they can be alone!
Prayer allows ourselves to collect our scattered life together – Ben’s recent book on Augustine shows this progression: Augustine starts of scattered and then collects himself in God as the book progresses.

Ideas for the Future:

How can we involve the Parish more? Perhaps just sowing the seed is enough, we’re not responsible for harvest. Perhaps use Lent as a time to present some of Augustine’s teachings?

Nigel’s advice: The significant thing about salt is that only a little is needed! Don’t force Augustine on everyone – they need Christ not Augustine! Lay groups are bound to be small. Augustine helps us to be salt and yeast to others who won’t be interested in Augustine and why should they be?

David’s Advice: There are many different shapes of Augustinian representation – don’t look for uniformity. The weekend has been very encouraging and it is a good to have the FOA group but don’t ‘overconstitutionalise’! What is there is already marvellous – perhaps the present groups will link up more but no need for uniformity. Think of the example of Brendan Walsh and his reflection of Augustinianism – he walked one mile uphill every morning to say the office and attend mass! Let the variety be there!

Others ideas: Let’s just scatter the seed – we’re not responsible for the harvest. Let’s link with other groups , not to merge but just to get to know each other.
Perhaps varying the location of retreats will help – consider Dublin as a venue.
Advertise the retreats well in advance and widely so that others have the opportunity to come.
Perhaps organise bigger conferences as well – as we did at Hinsley Hall so that all the various branches of the family can gather and help each other.

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FRIENDS OF AUGUSTINE RETREAT - CLARE PRIORY – SEPT. ‘08

Nigel Bavidge: Talk 2.

Augustine’s response to the ‘disconnectedness’ that resulted from the Fall is found in three words which occur throughout his writings: ‘UNITY, TRUTH, CHARITY’. Charity has a very formal sound today, perhaps familial love and sharing captures the sense more.

UNITY

Greek thought influenced Augustine here, their concept of harmony; essentially it was for Augustine the rediscovering of the unity of God and man through undivided love.

Conf. 10:29 ‘By continence the scattered elements of the self are collected and brought back into the unity from which we have slid away.’

The Parable of the Seeds: note that we are not expected to harvest all the crop, all God wants is that we scatter the seed, he takes responsibility for the harvest! We are the field and all the different terrains described. We have ‘stony’ times, weed infested times and shallow times. But we must remind ourselves that there IS a part of us which is fertile and flourishing. OK there are areas of our lives that need attention but never forget the great thing God is doing in us!

Paul VI often talked about the great heresy of separating life from religion and Augustine as well emphasises the need to love God in every aspect of our life, ‘For anyone who loves something else along with you but does not love it for your sake loves you less....’

We must realise that everything is a Sacrament of God’s presence, capable of uniting us with him if we but recognised it, though usually we think only of the seven liturgical sacraments. There is a powerful image of this truth in the ‘Hymn of the Universe’ where at one point the Host expands and then explodes to fill the whole universe. Similarly in the ‘Mass and the World’ the point is made that the whole of creation is a sacrament of God’s presence, everything speaks to us about God. God does speak! In the opening verses of Genesis this is clear – ‘And God SAID, let there be light’. Gen 1:3.  He is always speaking to us of his love but too often we don’t hear him.

You must love God and your neighbour as yourself. The tragedy is that we don’t love ourselves…or our neighbour! Augustine emphasised the need for interiority – return to your heart and use it as a stepping stone to God, find out how beautiful you are and let it lead you to God.

TRUTH AND CHARITY

The Rule of Augustine
‘Before all else let us live together in harmony, being of one heart and one mind on the way to God’. The Rule 1:2.

The Rule can be applied in whatever ‘community’ you find yourself: family, church, and workplace. Some of the injunctions seem archaic but the principles apply e.g. he advised his brothers not to go the baths – because that would be associating oneself very clearly with the wealthy; the principle of simplicity applies here.

‘The first is, ‘Hear O Israel, the Lord our God the Lord is one and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength’. The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbour as yourself’. There is no other commandment greater than these.’ (Mk 12: 29-31).

It is interesting that Jesus adds we should love God with all of our mind to the Old Testament quote.  God wants us to use our minds to deepen our understanding of his truth. Augustine emphasises the need for clear understanding of God’s TRUTH.

If we are to love God and each other then we need the Parable of Pentecost: love requires sacrifice, forgiveness, hope and letting go of wrongs; it is not without cost! It will only be fully achieved in heaven but we must never let go of the dream and hope. We have to deal with the fall, with the disconnection in our lives but we still live with joyful hope, though we won’t achieve perfect love we will keep on hoping.

One tendency we have is to try and contain and control God, to reduce our Christian life to rules or to demand certain experiences of God. Two examples show us this is not how we should relate to God: when Mary met Jesus in the garden after she’d found the tomb was empty she tried to hold onto him. ‘Jesus said to her ‘Mary’ (Miramne in the Greek, her nickname, shows intimate friendship). She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabboni’ (which means teacher). Jesus said to her, ‘Do not hold (clutch) me for I have not yet ascended to the Father’ (Jn. 20 16-17). This shows we cannot ‘get hold’ of God but we can reach out to touch him. Similarly when God appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush, Moses asks Him His name, ‘If I come to the people of Israel and say to them, ‘The God of your fathers has sent me to you’ and they ask me, ‘What is his name?’ What shall I say to them?’ God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM.’ (Ex. 3: 13-14). It’s almost as though God is saying, ‘Get back in your box!’ We can’t contain or control God.

Fraternal Love and our need for one another

‘Whatsoever you do, do for the whole community! Your enthusiasm should be the greater because it is for the good of all’

Augustine taught that we search for God together. The Sisters of Lucetto have times for both private and communal study because they understand we only find God as we search together. All promises are made to the community or to an individual because of the community – we search for God together, so groups like Friends of Augustine are not optional! We need each other! If we withdraw from one another then we diminish the body: it’s similar to the feeling expressed at weddings, ‘Isn’t it a shame so-and-so couldn’t be here....’ – we feel their absence. We make God present to each other – it is a real presence and if we’re not present then a real absence. Jesus promised, ‘Where two or three are gathered in my name I am there’. For instance at the mass God is present in the priests and ministers, the word, the Eucharist and the people gathered together. In fact all sacraments should be celebrated in community – hence the need for an altar boy so that the priest would still have a congregation even when no others are present.

‘Leave all your desires…he will be to you everything that you love’.

We need each other in order to be ourselves – think of the extreme case of children who have been neglected, they never develop fully; in the same way we need each other if we are to grow fully.

Humility

‘What are the ways of God: first, second and third they are humility!’ ‘If humility does not precede what we do our efforts will be fruitless.’ ‘Pride waits in ambush even for the destruction of good works!’ I recall how often I would take pride in how well I’d done my penances! In fact I’ve given up trying to be good, now I pray to be healed - this is a big concept for Augustine.

Love and Conflict

‘Where humility reigns, there is love.’ ‘Do not quarrel. But if you do have a quarrel, put an end to it as quickly as possible. Otherwise and isolated moment of anger grows into hatred, the splinter becomes a beam and you make your heart a murderer’s den.’ (Rule 6.1)
Hatred can fester in us and eventually harms and controls us. I can recall nursing a loathing for someone for 30yrs and yet when I met him after that time I didn’t even recognise him and realised what a dreadful waste nursing those feelings was. Anger and hatred will stop love growing so we have to deal with it. But we must understand forgiveness is a process not an event, it takes time. I recall one mother interviewed about her son’s killers who said she had forgiven them, saying ‘I will not let this anger destroy me’.

‘O God, ever the same, let me know myself, let me know you.’   God knows and sees all things, my deepest secrets and he is compassionate even about what I don’t know about myself! The Confessions are Augustine’s journey of understanding himself and as he understands the wonder of his own being he understands God. Ps. 139 is all about thanking God for the wonder of our being, ‘For thou didst’ form my inward parts, though didst knit me together in my mother’s womb. Wonderful are thy works! Though knowest me right well…’ (v 13-14). Are we thankful for ourselves? How often we dislike ourselves – we need to work on this.

All these things are necessary for living in community, So let us make progress in awareness [of self, others and God], in good news, in searching, in laughter, in loving, in hoping, in poetry of life. Sing and keep on walking: do not hesitate or turn back, keep on walking!