There's hope! One perfect saint for our fallen world today is Saint Augustine, an impressive man who passionately pursued all the worldly mammon that the spirit of the age had to offer, to put it nicely.

He would make a great patron saint of overcoming mammon and wealth addiction. Born in A.D. 353, Augustine achieved great success in his career as a teacher and scholar, gaining great wealth and honor. But still, he longed for more. He also had a social life that many would envy - friends, parties, food, drink, coliseum events, and other pleasure galore.

On the outside, Augustine appeared to have it all, but on the inside, something was missing. Does anyone know an Augustine in your family or life who is desperately in need of Christ and His Church?

Don't give up! Augustine came to see that things in moderation may be fine, but idolizing mammon can never make us happy. God made us with "longings for the infinite", and nothing from this finite world can satisfy us. That's why Augustine prayed, "You have made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you." One reason for Augustine's miraculous conversion and sainthood was his mother Monica's many years of prayer for her son. She prayed her son Saint Augustine into heaven and is now Saint Monica - note to self.

A play by Oscar Wilde points out that every saint has a past, and every sinner has a future. Yes, there's hope for us too! While we're called to judge everything except a person's soul and intention, anyone we meet may be a future Saint Augustine. Since it is nearly impossible to preach to family and friends, our daily example and persistent prayer are critical. We can live a life that makes them wonder what we've got, and we can always pray for them, as Saint Monica did for her son for 30 years.

As Winston Churchill repeated in a short commencement speech, Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never Never give up! God even gives us a few chances to learn self-giving love. In marriage, or ma-wage, we carry our small crosses and give of ourselves fully, faithfully, fruitfully , and for-ever to get our spouse to heaven. Please be kind when you discuss who has the heavier cross to bear. The gift of children allows us to learn to give love, time, and lots of money. Plus, being a parent never ends. Also, Jesus said, "you will always have the poor with you." Catholic Social Teaching (CST) is not the same as social justice. CST includes a preferential option for the poor who, as it's said, may be with us so the rest of us can get to heaven by serving the poor, who are the face of Christ. So, money, a big part of mammon is a big deal today, as always. This broken world idolizes the rich, young, and good-looking. (Well, I'm not that rich, and I'm not that young, but one out of three ain't bad.)

Finally, being made in the image and likeness of a giving God challenges us to ask: What do I worship in my life? For whom do I really live? Do I live more for God and others or just myself? Do I search for happiness in the mammon of the world - wealth, pleasure, power, and honor? Or do I live like the Trinity, a life of self-giving love? We can't serve both God and mammon, so the choice is simple: Your money or your life. As Saint Augustine's life teaches us, every saint has a past, every sinner has a future, so there's hope!

In Christ,
Deacon Jeff

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