Augustine of Hippo: One

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All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. Acts 4:32

“The chief motivation for your sharing life together is to live harmoniously in the house and to have one heart and one soul seeking God. Do not call anything your own; possess everything in common. Your superior ought to provide each of you with food and clothing, not on an equal basis to all, because all do not enjoy the same health, but to each one in proportion to his need. For you read in the Acts of the Apostles: ‘They possessed everything in common’, and ‘distribution was made to each in proportion to each one’s need.’ Those who owned anything in the world should freely consent to possess everything in common in the monastery.”

Augustine of Hippo in The Rule of St. Augustine 1.2-4. The text of the rule is adapted from George Lawless’ translation in Augustine of Hippo and His Monastic Rule (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1987), included in Constitutions of the Order of Preachers (Dublin: Dominican Publications, 2012).

The Rule of St. Augustine had eight sections. We will explore them in the coming days.

Notice the opening portion of the rule explains why possessions were to be held in common. It was to follow the example of the early church in Acts to maintain oneness of heart and mind in seeking after God.

Stuff distracts us and those around us from connecting to each other and to God.

This should inspire each of us to determine what portion we need and to resolve to share the rest. By this way, each of us maintains a posture of dependence on God and interdependence with each other as a community of stewards under spiritual authority.

We’ve strayed from this pattern! What if we chose to live this way? 

Jesus said the road would be narrow and few would take it. If we can’t find other stewards living this way, rather than follow cultural patterns, let us start a group where we are. It started with Augustine in Hippo, it depends on us where we are.

God, help us be one and not let possessions separate us from each other or you. Amen.