Augustine

Augustine was living a reckless and immoral life his devout mother came to ask the help of a Christian bishop. “It is impossible,” he said, “that the child of such prayers and tears should perish.” Many of us would gladly witness that we owe all that we are and ever will be to the faith of godly parents .

 Tortured and driven, he continued his quest until he read these words in the Bible: "Let us walk properly, as in the day, not in revelry and drunkenness, not in licentiousness and lewdness, not in strife and envy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts" (Romans 13:13-14). Augustine later wrote about his response to this passage: "No further would I read; nor needed I. For instantly at the end of this sentence, by a fight as it were of serenity infused into my heart, all the darkness of doubt vanished away." This former drunkard eventually became the bishop of Hippo in northern Africa, founded the first monastery in that region, and influenced much of Christian thought by his brilliant writing.

As Augustine had it: “God loves each one of us as if there was only one of us to love.”

 Only one Master, Only one Father and he is in heaven, only one teacher and he is the Christ.

St. Augustine rephrased this point by saying:  "Love God—and do as you please."  For if you truly love him, you will please him; you can't help it.  This is the real work of God:  to love, trust and obey the one He sent:  Jesus, the Christ.