St Augustine of Hippo

Today is the Feast Day for St Augustine of Hippo (354 - 430 A.D.).

He was of Berber origin, born in modern day Algeria. His mother Monica was a Christian and his father Patricius a pagan. After a wayward youth he converted to Christianity in 386 A.D.

Thanks to his early education in rhetoric and philosopy, he became a writer in philosophy and theology. His written work continues to have great incluence on Western Christianity, for example in the way he developed the concept of 'original sin' and his emphais on the concept of divine grace as essential to salvation.

He has been both condemned and admired by later Christian thinkers. He is often quoted as an authority, but he had a realistic and humble view of his limitations. 

My favorite story about him is how he wrestled to understand the Christian doctrine of the Trinity. Don't we all? He wanted to be able to explain it. Can anyone? Here's my version of the story:

As Augustine walked by the sea shore he saw a child alone on the beach, doing what children must always have done on a sandy beach. She dug a hole in the sand, then ran with her small cup to fill it in the sea. She returned to her hole in the sand and poured in the cup-full of sea water. She did it again and again. Augustine approached her and asked what she was doing. She told him she was trying to empty the sea into the hole in the sand. Augustine asked how she thought she could possibly empty the great sea into the small hole? The child replied, "And how with your small head can you understand the immensity of God?" Then the child vanished.