Saints' Discussion Forums

The turbulent have to be corrected, the faint-hearted cheered up, the weak supported; the Gospel's opponents need to be refuted, its insidious enemies guarded against; the unlearned need to be taught, the indolent stirred up, the argumentative checked; the proud must be put in their place, the desperate set on their feet, those engaged in quarrels reconciled; the needy have to be helped, the oppressed to be liberated, the good to be encouraged, the bad to be tolerated; all must be loved.  St. Augustine

Good quote!

There is much work to do!

Great question.  I was trying to return to the thread on whether evil is from God and stumbled into this one, but after at least a half hour on this one I can't find the source of the Dr of Grace designation, nor whether it applies just to St Augustine, or all four Great Latin Fathers/Doctors, or perhaps to the Four Greeks as well.  I suspect you know of Pope Boniface VIII's letter of 1298, and I'm tempted to presume it isn't what you're inquiring about.  I'm delighted to see discussion here and hope to return much more frequently.

     
 
eschator83, I was not inquiring about Pope Boniface VIII's letter of 1298. Please return more frequently!!!  :D

It's good to hear from you eschator! :D

We've had some fine quotes to appreciate from St. Augustine lately.

Many thanks for both comments and smilies.  You have greatly brightened my day.

     
 
Eschator, Thank you for the pleasant compliment! Do you like to learn about Popes from previous centuries?

Yes, I enjoy most history, especially the Church and its Popes.  I was very disappointed when Shin stopped posting about Pope Pius V, but felt his thread didn't encourage comments. 

Eschator, In Catholic General Discussion I have begun two threads: Holy Roman Empire and Church Affairs.

Saint Augustine's Word & Spirit Chapter 11 [VII.]--From What Fountain Good Works Flow.
1 This holy meditation preserves "the children of men, who put their trust under the shadow of God's wings," Ps. xxxvi. 7. so that they are "drunken with the fatness of His house, and drink of the full stream of His pleasure.

2 For with Him is the fountain of life, and in His light shall they see light. For He extendeth His mercy to them that know Him, and His righteousness to the upright in heart." Ps. xxxvi. 8-10.

3 He does not, indeed, extend His mercy to them because they know Him, but that they may know Him; nor is it because they are upright in heart, but that they may become so, that He extends to them His righteousness, whereby He justifies the ungodly. Rom. iv. 5.

4 This meditation does not elevate with pride: this sin arises when any man has too much confidence in himself, and makes himself the chief end of living.

5 Impelled by this vain feeling, he departs from that fountain of life, from the draughts of which alone is imbibed the holiness which is itself the good life,--and from that unchanging light,

6 by sharing in which the reasonable soul is in a certain sense inflamed, and becomes itself a created and reflected luminary; even as "John was a burning and a shining light,"  John v. 35. who notwithstanding acknowledged the source of his own illumination in the words, "Of His fulness have all we received." John i. 16.

7 Whose, I would ask, but His, of course, in comparison with whom John indeed was no light at all? For "that was the true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world."John i. 9.

8 Therefore, in the same psalm, after saying, "Extend Thy mercy to them that know Thee, and Thy righteousness to the upright in heart,"  Ps. xxxvi. 10. he adds, "Let not the foot of pride come against me, and let not the hands of sinners move me.

9 There have fallen all the workers of iniquity: they are cast out, and are not able to stand." Ps. xxxvi. 11, 12.

10 Since by that impiety which leads each to attribute to himself the excellence which is God's, he is cast out into his own native darkness, in which consist the works of iniquity.

11 For it is manifestly these works which he does, and for the achievement of such alone is he naturally fit.

12 The works of righteousness he never does, except as he receives ability from that fountain and that light, where the life is that wants for nothing, and where is "no variableness, nor the shadow of turning."Jas. i. 17.

Believing the grace of Christ was indispensable to human freedom, Augustine helped formulate the doctrine of original sin and made significant contributions to the development of just war theory.

Saint Augustine Confessions Book 1 Chapter 4 excerpt
“God is sovereign and sovereignly good, great and everlasting; most powerful and most benevolent, most merciful and most just, most hidden and most omnipresent, most strong and most beautiful, most simple and most perfect, indivisible and immeasurable, stable and incomprehensible; changeless, yet changing all things; always in action, yet ever in repose, amassing yet lacking nothing; creating nourishing, perfecting, upholding, completing and perfecting all things; the Being from whom are all things; by whom are all things, and for whom are all things.”