Day By Day with Saint Augustine [Paperback]

Donald X. Burt (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 10, 2006

Before he was a famous saint, Augustine was a notorious sinner. He wandered from the faith and, after a dramatic spiritual transformation in his thirties, returned to become a bishop and theologian in the early church. The short, daily meditations in Day by Day with Saint Augustine are candid reflections on the challenges to living a life of faith from someone who experienced the pitfalls. His wisdom is timeless, his words are profound, and his message ever relevant.

Day by Day with Saint Augustine includes meditations for each day of the year. Each one consists of a short quote from Augustine followed by a reflection by Fr. Burt. They cover many of the daily experiences we all have such as living a life of hope, falling in love, facing death, and dealing with difficult people.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Liturgical Press (February 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814615198
• ISBN-13: 978-0814615195
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.3 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #520,103 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspiration by Date or by Topic, March 12, 2006

By 

Carol Blank (USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: Day By Day with Saint Augustine (Paperback)

This calendar-style book has much to offer in short, easily adaptable entries for each day of the year. The obvious approach would be to set aside a few minutes to read and reflect on each day's entry. However, the author has generously offered an option via the topic index. Either choice is suitable for individuals or small groups. The format is a selection from Augustine's writings, containing an appropriate heading and the citation, followed by a brief reflection.

For example, the entry for the day on which this review was written, March 15, is titled "A Prayer for Prayer." It begins with an excerpt from Augustine's Soliloquies asking God to wash him free "of all my silly earthly desires so that I may be clear-eyed enough to see you," a wish that continues to echo into the twenty-first century. Fr. Burt's reflection compares our ability to pray despite silly earthly desires with an airplane's ability to fly despite the pull of gravity. "Gravity is always an obstacle to flying; flying with weakened wings is all the more a challenge," he writes. Overcoming worldly distractions even for a moment allows us to receive the grace to pray, he explains, and it takes few words for our attention and love to become gradually fixed on God.

This pattern of acknowledging human frailty while expressing encouragement and hope runs throughout Fr. Burt's current work, making it a valuable resource to keep close at hand.