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Thank you Salvation. I repeat the section on Augustine of Hippo, and this little bit on The Rule of St. Augustine. His autobiography, Confessions, is a truly wonderful book, well worth reading by anyone who has the interest.

Augustine, St.

Personal: Son of Monica (332?-387)
Born a pagan
Converted in 387 and baptized by Ambrose
Ordained a priest in 391
Bishop of Hippo (395)
Combated Manichean heresy (conflict of Good and Evil)
Martin Luther and John Calvin were close students of the works of Augustine
Place and dates: (Numidia, now Algeria) 354-430
Writings: Confessions (c. 400): his autobiography
The City of God (413-426): great Christian apologia; a theological philosophy of history
Retractions (428): final verdict of earlier works
Epistles (386-429)
On Free Will (388-395)
On Christian Doctrine (397)
On Baptism: Against the Donatists (400)
On the Trinity (400-416)
On Nature and Grace (415)
Homilies

The Rule of Saint Augustine

One of Saint Augustine's most important legacies is his Rule: a brief set of principles, fewer than a dozen pages in length, for the guidance of those living in a religious community.

Augustine advised his followers to "see yourselves in this little book, as in a mirror." The oldest of its kind in the Western world, the Rule has been chosen by the Augustinians—and by more than a hundred other religious orders and congregations—as the pattern for their daily lives.

The Rule’s most fundamental message is this: Love—love of God, love of neighbor—is the center of Christian life. By their love for one another, by their ability to live together in harmony, a religious community's members embody the truth of Christ's teachings. They make Christ's love visible to others.

The Rule addresses, concisely and in the plainest of language, what Augustine saw as the major elements of monastic daily life: prayer, moderation and self-denial, chastity, the sharing of goods, the care of the sick, obedience to authority, friendship. Though the occasional detail reminds us that Augustine was speaking at a different moment in history, the Rule’s lessons are timeless. For Augustinians, this "little book'" is as powerful a model of conduct as it was when Augustine wrote it more than sixteen centuries ago. The challenge for those who wish to follow Augustine is twofold. We seek God not in philosophical speculation alone, but in careful observance of the guiding presence of a loving, personal God always at work in our life’s journey. At the same time, we strive to be dedicated servants of the Church in the ministries of word, sacrament, and justice.