I never knew that St. Augustine had a very close friend, Alipius, who was so addicted to blood sports (gladiatorial combat to the death) that it was all consuming. Alipius was so addicted that when his friends tired of attending, he would go and lure new innocents to attend with him. It's an odd thing that Alipius was such a good friend of Augustine's that he followed him to Milan and Carthage, became a Manichean along with him ... but none of Augustine's entreaties could sway him from his addiction. Here is where my admiration for St. Ambrose, already great because of his influence converting Augustine, becomes even greater. I can't imagine what an unbelievable speaker he must have been. As Craughwell tells us:
Drawn by Ambrose' reputation for eloquence, Augustine began attending the bishop's masses. And where Augustine went, Alipius followed. Ambrose's sermons fell on fertile ground. After a period of private instruction with the bishop, Augustine and Alipius -- along with Augustine's illegitimate son Adeodatus -- were baptized by St. Ambrose on the night of the Easter Vigil, 387.Did you see who else was baptized along with Alipius and Augustine? Augustine's son ... and I may have read that before but certainly didn't remember it at all.
When Alipius renounced the Manichean heresy for the Catholic faith, he also gave up the amphitheater. Strengthened by the grace of the sacraments, he never went to the gladiatorial games again.
Baptism seems to have drawn Alipius and Augustine even closer, with careers that followed identical paths. They both entered the priesthood and returned home to North Africa, where Augustine was named bishop of Hippo and Alipius bishop of their hometown, Thagaste. ...
I like thinking of St. Augustine having such a good friend for his whole life. Certainly, I think that Alipius deserves to be better known. His fight against his obsessive nature (you'll have to read the book to see just how hard he fought and lost) is one that lends his intercession to many of us these days.
Tags: Catholicism, Christianity
HE was of a good family, and born at Tagaste in Africa, of which town the great St. Austin was also a native. He studied grammar at Tagaste, and rhetoric at Carthage, both under St. Austin, till a disagreement happened between St. Austin and his father. Alipius still retained an extraordinary affection and respect for him, and was reciprocally much beloved by him on account of his great inclination to virtue. At Carthage Alipius was unhappily bewitched with the vain shows of the circus, to which the inhabitants of that great city were extravagantly addicted. St. Austin was much afflicted that so hopeful a young gentleman would be, or rather was already, lost in that dangerous school of the passions; but he had no opportunity of admonishing him of that evil custom; Alipius at that time not being suffered by his father to be any longer one of his scholars. He happened however one day to step into his school, and hear some part of his lecture, and then depart, as he did sometimes by stealth. Austin, in expounding the subject which he had in hand, borrowed a similitude from the shows of the circus, with a smart derision of those who were captivated with that folly. This he did without any thought of Alipius. But Alipius, imagining it had been spoken purely for him, and being a well-disposed youth, was angry with himself for this weak passion, not with Austin, whom he loved the more for this undesigned rebuke. Condemning himself, he rose out of the pit into which he was sunk, and went no more to the circus. Thus God, who sitteth at the helm and steereth the course of all things which he hath created, rescued from this danger one whom he had decreed to adopt one day among his children, and raise to the dignity of a bishop, and a dispenser of his sacraments. After this, Alipius prevailed with his father that he might be again Austin’s scholar. He was afterwards involved with his mother in the superstition of the Manichees, being much taken with their boasted continency, which he supposed to be true and sincere, whereas, says St. Austin, it was only counterfeit to inveigle souls; for such are the charms, and such the dignity of virtue, that they who know not how to reach the height of that which is true, are easily deceived by superficial appearance, and what has only the shadow of it. 1
ReplyDeleteAlipius, whilst he was a student at Carthage, found a hatchet in the street, which a thief, who had attempted to cut off and steal some lead from certain rails in the city, had dropped to save himself, being closely pursued. Alipius innocently took up the hatchet, and, being found with it, was carried before the judge, where he was treated as the true thief. As the officers were leading him to prison or to punishment, he was met by an architect who had care of the public buildings, and knew Alipius, whom he had often seen at the house of a certain senator. This man, surprised to see him in such hands, inquired of him how so great a misfortune had befallen him; and having heard his case, he desired the people, who were in a great tumult and rage, to go along with him; for he would prove to them the innocence of their prisoner. He went to the house of a young man who was guilty of the fact, and met at the door an infant who innocently told the whole matter without suspecting any harm to his master; for being shown the hatchet, and asked whose it was, the child presently answered, it is ours; and being further examined, discovered the theft. Whereupon the mob was confounded, and Alipius discharged. This accident, according to the remark of St. Austin, was an effect of divine providence, that he might learn from it to be tender of the reputation of others, and to guard against rash judgment; for, generally, common fame is no grounds for condemning a man.
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