Minute Meditations for Every Day Taken from the Writings of Saint Augustine

• Introduction to these pages

• Preface to Augustine Day by Day

• Dedication to Augustine Day by Day

• Augustine's Great Canticle of Love

January:

January 1: Weakness Becomes Strong

January 2: The Church of Faith

January 3: The Humble Person

January 4: Whoever Comes to Me Becomes Humble

January 5: The Virgin Mary

January 6: A Man in Time

January 7: The Source of Light

January 8: Without Humility Pride Will Win

January 9: The Root of Friendship

January 10: Men and Women Aching for God

January 11: The Hymn of Love

January 12: Change People, and Times

January 13: Conceive Christ by Faith

January 14: Dreams and Reality

January 15: Be Like the Deer

January 16: Observe the Local Custom

January 17: Possess What You Need

January 18: Keep on Moving

January 19: The Treasures of Scripture

January 20: The Grace of God

January 21: Knowledge by Writings

January 22: Getting Dressed

January 23: Avoid Pride and Grasp Wisdom

January 24: My Weight Is My Love

January 25: The Faith of Abraham

January 26: Renewed by Love

January 27: The Sensitive Person

January 28: Prayer from the Heart

January 29: Love God's Creation

January 30: Putting Up with All That is Annoying

January 31: The Meaning of Good People

February:

February 1: Call Upon the Lord

February 2: The Christ of the Temple

February 3: Be within the Law

February 4: Don't Turn Your Back on God

February 5: Living Together and Marriage

February 6: The Delight of Friendship

February 7: Praising God

February 8: Good Pupils

February 9: Abstain and Sustain

February 10: The Marks of Good Superiors

February 11: Take Account of Failures

February 12: The Force of Habit

February 13: A Cheap Old Song

February 14: The Inner Teacher

February 15: The Lesson of Ashes

February 16: God's Mercy is Our Hope

February 17: You Approached Me

February 18: The Inner Light

February 19: Maintaining Sound Doctrine

February 20: Hold Fast to the Love of God

February 21: Let the Better Love Take Over

February 22: True Priestly Service

February 23: The Value of Mortification

February 24: Excess in Eating and Drinking

February 25: Temptations out of the Past

February 26: True Fasting

February 27: Everything Works Together for Charity

February 28: Pride--the Beginning of All Sin

March:

March 1: The Promised Gift

March 2: Life Entails Change

March 3: Bear One Another's Burdens

March 4: Causes of Punishment

March 5: Our All-powerful Physician

March 6: Jesus Overcame the Curse

March 7: We Pray to Him, through Him, and in Him

March 8: Daily Progress toward God

March 9: God Calls Us to Conversion

March 10: Tomorrow May Never Come

March 11: The Lord Turns Us toward Him

March 12: The Gift of Being Good

March 13: The Mercy of the Shepherd

March 14: Lent--the Epitiome of Our Whole Life

March 15: Daily Remedy for Sin

March 16: Perseverance in the Midst of Trials

March 17: Granting Pardon

March 18: Asking Forgiveness of Others

March 19: It Is God Who Initiates Conversion

March 20: Help for a Complete Conversion

March 21: Christ's Cross Abides Forever

March 22: Life through Death

March 23: God Has Died for Us

March 24: The Glory of the Cross

March 25: Hail, Full of Grace

March 26: Acknowledging Sins against Others

March 27: Restraining Fleshly Desires

March 28: The Lesson of Three Crosses

March 29: The Nails of Christ

March 30: Fraternal Correction

March 31: The Sacrifice of Christ

April:

April 1: The Crucifixion is Always Lived

April 2: The Importance of Intention

April 3: Head and Members Pray

April 4: The Human Cry of Jesus

April 5: God First Loved Us

April 6: Without Christ We Can Do Nothing

April 7: Our Human Weakness Overcome in Christ

April 8: God Makes Me Good

April 9: Made Anew

April 10: Bearing One Another's Burdens

April 11: Bearing Our Cross

April 12: The Lesson of Nature

April 13: Move On

April 14: Cross and Resurrection

April 15: Christ Died That You May Live

April 16: Christ's Resurrection

April 17: Be an Ant of God

April 18: The Kiss of Peace

April 19: Give What You Have

April 20: Our Brother in Heaven

April 21: Life--the Intermediate State

April 22: Inner Conflict

April 23: The Choice is God's

April 24: Turn Your Steps Homeward

April 25: Christ's Example

April 26: We Call Upon You

April 27: Love Your Brother and Sisters

April 28: Abiding in Christ

April 29: Possessed by the Lord

April 30: The Beauty of Creation

May:

May 1: Forgive--Give

May 2: The Following of Christ

May 3: How to Love God

May 4: Christian Grief for a Saintly Mother

May 5: Solace in God

May 6: Prayer from the Heart

May 7: Withdrawal from God

May 8: Spiritual Progress Draws Detractors

May 9: Love the Church--Receive the Spirit

May 10: Possessing the Scriptures

May 11: Love Your Neighbor--Receive the Spirit

May 12: A Foretaste of Heavenly Beauty

May 13: The Way of Charity

May 14: Sign of Love

May 15: Studying the Scriptures with Humility

May 16: Recognize Christ

May 17: Never Tire of Trying

May 18: Value of Augustine's "Confessions"

May 19: Thanks Be to You

May 20: Christ Has Put an End to Fear
May 21: The Right Hand of the Father

May 22: Christ Is Our Way

May 23: The Path of Christ

May 24: Love, and Do What You Will

May 25: Seek What Is Better

May 26: Spiritual Power of the Sacrament

May 27: The Holy Spirit Animates Us

May 28: Gossipers Stir Up Disharmony

May 29: Spiritual Growth through Temptations

May 30: In Heaven But Still on Earth

May 31: Eat Life -- Drink Life

June:

June 1: Head in Heaven, Body on Earth

June 2: Christians in Name Only

June 3: God, Creator of Rich and Poor

June 4: Pride Can Destroy

June 5: The Gift of Celibacy

June 6: Gift for the Clergy

June 7: The Catholic Church

June 8: The Spirit Gives Life

June 9: The Spirit of Love

June 10: Receive What You Are

June 11: Sing and March

June 12: The Call of Augustine to Ministry

June 13: The Church Cries Out for Help

June 14: The Spirit Within

June 15: The Body of Christ

June 16: Awake Christ Sleeping in You

June 17: The Sea-Walker

June 18: Not on Your Own

June 19: Truth through Signs

June 20: Everything Becomes Light with Love

June 21: Question Your Heart

June 22: The Upright of Heart

June 23: The Eucharist Forgives Sins

June 24: Humility of John the Baptist

June 25: God the Father and Our Mother the Church

June 26: Live from God for God

June 27: Come and Be Filled

June 28: Prayer to Christ within Us

June 29: Peter, Figure of the Church

June 30: Act in the Proper Way

July:

July 1: One Teacher: Christ

July 2: Love the Whole Christ

July 3: Who Are the Proud?

July 4: Let Our Lives Be Good

July 5: Think Lowly

July 6: The Love of God and the Church

July 7: Lord, Save Me

July 8: The Power of Words

July 9: The Prayers of the Martyrs

July 10: See God in Your Neighbor

July 11: The Toil of Righteousness

July 12: A Gradual Knowledge

July 13: Leaders Are Servants

July 14: Admitting One's Weakness

July 15: Pray without Much Speaking

July 16: Your Good Name

July 17: Even in Waging War Be a Peacemaker

July 18: Not by Walking But by Loving

July 19: Special Times for Prayer

July 20: Two Kinds of People

July 21: The Devil's Entry: Cupidity and Fear

July 22: Our End

July 23: Love, the Guardian of Virginity

July 24: The Needs of the Church over Contemplation

July 25: My Purpose Is to Reach My God

July 26: Hungry for God

July 27: Two Cities

July 28: Love Reaches Out

July 29: Chaste Fear

July 30: The Common Store

July 31: Living in Unity

August:

August 1: The Healing Physician

August 2: Lift Up Your Hearts

August 3: Temperance

August 4: Not Every Sin Is Sinful

August 5: A Redeemer Fashioned for Us

August 6: You Are a Beggar of God

August 7: You Must Be Drawn

August 8: Prayer and Temptation

August 9: Christ's Members Follow the Head

August 10: Let Friends Help Us

August 11: Two Types of Fear

August 12: You Loved Me First

August 13: Rich and Poor -- Equal Births

August 14: Death Starts with Life

August 15: Mary and the Church

August 16: The Beauty of Singing

August 17: The Force of Habit

August 18: Perseverance into Old Age

August 19: The Providence of God

August 20: Legitimate Human Longing

August 21: Absence of Friends

August 22: Sing with Human Reason

August 23: Talents Are for Others

August 24: Praying for Others

August 25: Vocations in a Monastery

August 26: The Inner Voice

August 27: Caught Up in Ecstasy

August 28: For You I Am the Bishop

August 29: Love -- the Distinguishing Sign

August 30: Every Moment You Are Passing On

August 31: Light to My Lamp

September:

September 1: Christ Our Way

September 2: The Testimony of Creation

September 3: The Lord Is Within

September 4: Love of Neighbor

September 5: The Lord Builds the House

September 6: O Beauty, So Ancient and So New

September 7: Admiration for the Dedicated

September 8: Mary and the Church

September 9: Christ is Needy in His Followers

September 10: The One Vow All Must Make

September 11: The Way of Correction

September 12: Love the Creator in the Creature

September 13: Charity Constitutes Your Roots

September 14: Mystery of the Wooden Cross

September 15: Pride -- Beginning of an Evil Will

September 16: You Are a Work of God

September 17: One Goal

September 18: Removal of Social Evils by Education

September 19: True Superiors

September 20: Love for Sinners

September 21: The Fast and the Slow

September 22: We All Have One Teacher

September 23: Renewal in Christ

September 24: Putting a Vocation to the Test

September 25: The Grace of God

September 26: You Owe Love

September 27: Praying for Bodily Health

September 28: God's Correction Is for Our Good

September 29: Helping the Needy

September 30: Lead Us Not into Temptation

October:

October 1: Possess Us

October 2: Seek the Lord Within

October 3: Silence

October 4: Putting Up with Others

October 5: Counterfeits in the Church

October 6: Know Yourself

October 7: Seriousness of Study

October 8: Strength in Christ

October 9: Truth Dwells Within

October 10: Our True Homeland

October 11: Embracing the Gospel

October 12: Living the Common Life

October 13: Living Poverty

October 14: Seek the Lord

October 15: Brothers and Sisters at Peace

October 16: Bond of Fraternity

October 17: Praising God

October 18: The Harbor of Life

October 19: Faith Working through Love

October 20: Blessed the Peacemakers!

October 21: The Wedding Garment

October 22: The Eternal Jerusalem

October 23: Everyone Has Something To Give

October 24: Beauty in Material Things

October 25: Youth to Old Age

October 26: Pain for the Sake of Healing

October 27: The Object of Our Joy

October 28: Let Them Live Well

October 29: The Proving of Christians

October 30: The Need for Daily Bread

October 31: Request the Gift of God Himself

November:

November 1: The Holy Martyrs

November 2: Good Life--Fearless Death

November 3: True Health in Immortality

November 4: Fear Everlasting Punishment

November 5: Choose Not To Die Forever

November 6: Brief Teaching

November 7: Fear Only What You Can Avoid

November 8: Strength in God's Grace

November 9: We Are the Church

November 10: Warming the Cold One

November 11: The Miracle of Changes

November 12: Help the Incorrigible

November 13: Final Goal

November 14: Be Upright of Heart

November 15: Trust

November 16: Dig Deep

November 17: Friendship Is Godlike

November 18: A Rule of Life

November 19: The City of God Sighs for Heaven

November 20: Captivity and Liberation

November 21: Father and Judge

November 22: Pine for the Homeland

November 23: Christ Instructs Us in Silence

November 24: A Physician Who Does Not Charge

November 25: Our Judge

November 26: Love Eternal Life

November 27: The Eternal Jerusalem "on High"

November 28: Time of Mercy

November 29: Live for the Lord's Coming

November 30: Christ Makes Us Beautiful

December:

December 1: Love Will Sing

December 2: Let Us Wake Up!

December 3: The Final Rest

December 4: The Right Choice

December 5: Our Desire is Before God

December 6: Woe to Those Guided by Pride

December 7: St Ambrose, Servant of God

December 8: Mary, the Mother

December 9: Invite the Lord into Your Hearts

December 10: The Coming of Christ

December 11: Promises of God Fulfilled in Christ

December 12: Count of the Lord's Help

December 13: Contemplation and Activity

December 14: St. John the Baptist

December 15: Christ is the Way and the Haven

December 16: Clean Faces

December 17: Born of a Woman

December 18: Christ Our Mediator

December 19: Toward the Father

December 20: The Way Comes to You

December 21: Time of Healing

December 22: Humility Does the Will of God

December 23: You Can Now Reach Out

December 24: Humble yet Extraordinary

December 25: It is Christ's Birthday

December 26: God Became Man

December 27: Love One Another as Christ Did

December 28: Take Advantage of Little Things

December 29: A Great Event

December 30: Mary and the Word

December 31: Son of Mary