St. Augustine, whom most consider the greatest of all the Church Fathers, spends the last three “books” of his Confessions interpreting the spare outline of the Creation recorded in Genesis. The result is a moving tribute to Divine Love, and to the surpassing fulfillment each soul finds in God alone. But along the way he teaches us two important things about how to read Scripture. They are well worth passing along.
Book XI reflects on “In the beginning, God created” and Book XII reflects on the completion of that initial sentence, for in the beginning God created “heaven and earth”. Book XIII examines the “days” of Creation, yet another great mystery. Augustine’s exploration of the text is at once prayerful and philosophical, bringing to bear everything he can summon from both Faith and reason. Twenty pages on a subject and verb; twenty more on a direct object; and on from there: You or I might falter, but Augustine seems to have little trouble.
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