The "Sinner’s Prayer" or "Believer’s Prayer," according to St. Augustine.

[raumzeitmc2]

According to the great Father and Doctor of the Church, Saint Augustine, accepting and believing Christ, means also accepting and believing his bride, the one Church, which the Scriptures foretold.

Listen to what Augustine says:

Take the next step. The prayer of a believer must be:

“O Lord, I already see that Christ is the bridegroom. That much is done. But let no one entice me away from the members of your bride. Do not be the head for me, unless I am among your members. Tell me something about the Church, for I am no longer in any doubt about her bridegroom.” Listen then to what He says about the Church. He continues, And for repentance and forgiveness of sins to be preached in his name (Lk 24:47).

Nothing can be truer than that: For repentance and forgiveness of sins to be preached in his name. But where? Some say, Here, look! or *Look, there! *But what does Christ say? Do not believe them. False Christs and false prophets will arise and say, Here he is! There he is! (Mt 24:23-24).

They do not say now about the head himself, Here he is! There he is! For everyone knows that Christ is in heaven. They say it about the Church where Christ is, the Church which he promised, Lo, I am with you throughout all days, even to the end of the ages (Mt 28:20).

But the Lord insists, “Do not believe. Anyone who says, Here, look! or Look there is pointing to parts. I purchased the whole.

Exposition of Psalm 147

Moreover, Augustine tells us that this one Church which the Scriptures foretold, which Christ promised, is none other than the *Catholic *Church alone:

Live in a way that accords with that inheritance, especially you there, white-robbed candidates 4 of Christ, so recently baptized, just lately born again; as I have warned you before, and now say again, declaring my care and anxiety about you, because this current reading from the gospel has filled me with even greater fear, watch yourselves carefully, don’t copy bad Christians. Don’t say, “I will do this, because many of the faithful do it.” This is not to prepare a defense for the soul at the bar of God’s judgment, but to seek companions on the road to gehenna.

Grow up 5 on this threshing floor of the Lord’s; on it your will find good people, people you can even admire, provided you are good yourselves too. …

The heretics and schismatics 6 have privatized personal properties for themselves from what they have stolen from the Lord, and have chosen to feed, not the flocks of Christ, but their own against Christ. …

Do they pay any attention to what the Lord said to Peter: Feed my lambs, feed my sheep (Jn 21:15.16.17)? He didn’t say to him, “Feed your lambs,” did he, or “Feed your sheep”?

Once they had shut themselves out, though, what was it he said to the Church in the Song of Songs? Speaking as the bridegroom to the bride, he said, *Unless you recognize yourself, most beautiful among women, go our yourself * (Sg 1:8).

As though to say, “I am not throwing you out; go our yourself, unless you recognize yourself, most beautiful among women; unless yourself in the looking glass of divine scripture; unless you pay attention, O beautiful woman, to the mirror which does not deceive you with any false elegance; unless you recognize that it is about you that it says, Over the whole earth your glory (Ps. 57:11); that it is about you that it says, I will give you the nations as your inheritance, and as your possession the ends of the earth, (Ps. 2:8), and the countless other testimonies which can be cited on behalf of the Catholic Church. So unless you recognize all this, you can have no share in it, you cannot make yourself the heir of it.

Sermon 146:2, On the Words of the Gospel of John, 21:15-17: Simon son of John, do you love me? Etc. “Preached at Hippo on the Saturday after Easter, between 405 and 411. A less likely opinion is that it was preached on the Sunday after Easter, whether in those years, or even before 400.”

The Works of Saint Augustine, A Translation for the 21st Century, 1992, III/4, Sermons (94A-147A), ISBN 1565480007, p. 446.

 

[raumzeitmc2]

No one has anything to say about Augustine’s teaching that the Catholic Church was foretold in the Scriptures?

 

[JonNC]

No one has anything to say about Augustine’s teaching that the Catholic Church was foretold in the Scriptures?

I pray that the undivided Catholic Church that St. Augustine knew, long before the schism, much less the Reformation, can be again, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jon

 

[blazerdave]

I have read many of St. Augustine’s works. His earnest belief in the unity of the Catholic Church and in the utter sin of schism has “rocked my world” on more than one occasion. Indeed, I almost replied to this thread about 4 times, but I held off because this topic is a complex one for me. I cannot deny any of the things that he said about the Church in the Scriptures, just as I cannot escape his answers to the Donatists.

Like Jon, I pray for a miracle. Beyond that, I have too many conflicting emotions right now to say any more.

 

[raumzeitmc2]

I pray that the undivided Catholic Church that St. Augustine knew, long before the schism, much less the Reformation, can be again, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jon

Like Jon, I pray for a miracle.

And I join both of you in praying for Christian unity! And speaking of* prayer* (this is on a somewhat lighter note) …

Have a look at this most unusual rendition of the Lord’s Prayer by John Denver. This is amazing!

God bless!

 

[benidict]

I pray that the undivided Catholic Church that St. Augustine knew, long before the schism, much less the Reformation, can be again, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

Jon

:grouphug:

 

[JonNC]

And I join both of you in praying for Christian unity! And speaking of* prayer* (this is on a somewhat lighter note) …

Have a look at this most unusual rendition of the Lord’s Prayer by John Denver. This is amazing!

God bless!

Hey raum,
Thanks for the link. I worked as a teacher on an indian reservation for a number of years. The renditions of religious music by native speakers was often beautiful and moving.
The link also had some wonderful videos, including Charlotte Church doing The Our Father, and Ava Maria.

Thanks again,
Jon

 

[raumzeitmc2]

Hey raum,
Thanks for the link. I worked as a teacher on an indian reservation for a number of years. The renditions of religious music by native speakers was often beautiful and moving.
The link also had some wonderful videos, including Charlotte Church doing The Our Father, and Ava Maria.

Thanks again,
Jon

Worked on an Indian reservation? Wow, bet that was a great experience!

As for the link, glad you liked it. But John Denver? I mean, who’d have thought…?

God bless!

 

[DebChris]

Christ’s prayer, “that they may be one as we are one.”

This is the sinner’s prayer as I like it. "Jesus, may I not treat your gracious gift as pointless (Gal. 2:21). I repent of my sins, accept you as Lord and Savior, and place my life on Your altar as a living sacrifice to God (Rom12:1).www.presentationministries.com