“You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.”
St. Augustine was able to write so beautifully about our restless nature because he grew up extremely restless.
An anecdote may help tell his story better.
When Augustine was a young man growing up in the town of Thagaste, he and his friends did something that seemed harmless at the time—they stole some pears from a neighbor’s tree.
These weren’t special pears, and the boys weren’t even hungry. Augustine later admitted he didn’t steal the pears because he wanted them; he stole them just for the thrill of doing something wrong. He was restless and he wanted some excitement. He wanted something more.
But Augustine’s story doesn’t end with the stolen pears. As he grew older, this restlessness continued to plague him, and he continued to seek meaning in everything but his faith. Although he didn’t continue stealing, he didn’t quite shape up either. He fell into drinking, womanizing, and spending his time around the wrong crowd.
When this particular brand of restlessness wearied him, St. Augustine continued his search, yet still remained away from God. Rather than turning to his faith, he explored different philosophies and ways of thinking. However, none of them gave him the peace he was looking for.
One day, while in a garden, Augustine heard a voice telling him, “Take up and read.” He picked up the Bible and read a passage from Romans 13:13-14, which speaks about living a life free from sin and turning toward Christ. He decided then to dedicate his life to following Christ.
St. Augustine’s constant, exhausting searching had finally come to an end. He had found true rest and peace in Christ.
We can all relate to St. Augustine and his restless wanderings away from God. His personal account of his life, found in the Confessions of St. Augustine, is a powerful read for anyone. No Catholic library is complete without a copy of the Confessions. Order yours today from The Catholic Company!
