Someone asked by email about an image I used in my entry about the Post Communion prayer for Mass of the Most Holy Trinity today.
The image, a painting by Botticelli, depicts the legendary meeting of St. Augustine with a boy along the seashore.
The story goes like this, according to this version from the Golden Legend by Jacobus de Voragine (+1298) as translated by William Caxton (+1492).
Saint Augustine made a book of the Trinity, in which he studied and mused sore in his mind, so far forth that on a time as he went by the sea-side in Africa, studying on the Trinity, he found by the sea-side a little child which had made a little pit in the sand, and in his hand a little spoon. And with the spoon he took out water of the large sea and poured it into the pit.
And when Saint Augustine beheld him he marvelled, and demanded him what he did. And he answered and said: I will lade out and bring all this water of the sea into this pit. What? said he, it is impossible, how may it be done, sith the sea is so great and large, and thy pit and spoon so little? Yes, forsooth, said he, I shall lightlier and sooner draw all the water of the sea and bring it into this pit than thou shalt bring the mystery of the Trinity and his divinity into thy little understanding as to the regard thereof; for the mystery of the Trinity is greater and larger to the comparison of thy wit and brain than is this great sea unto this little pit. And therewith the child vanished away. Then here may every man take ensample that no man, and especially simple lettered men, ne unlearned, presume to intermit ne to muse on high things of the godhead, farther than we be informed by our faith, for our only faith shall suffice us.
Loading ...
Father told that story in his homily this morning. :)
“Father told that story in his homily this morning. :)”
So did ours! WIN
I also heard this beautiful story in this morning’s homily. Good stuff indeed. :-)
We also heard this in Father’s homily this morning. Beautiful story.
I heard this story for the first time in the homily last night (vigil Mass).
At school (in the ’50s!) we were told this story but about St Thomas Aquinas!
One of my very favorite stories. I took so much comfort in the metaphor during my conversion; the acceptance that It’s Just Too Much For Me To Know reminded me of a story Corrie Ten Boom told.
As a fairly young girl, she asked her father a question about sex (or sexuality, I can’t recall).
He paused, then asked her to go to a steamer trunk, lift it and bring it to him.
She tried but of course was not able to lift it-much less carry it- and told her father that she couldn’t do it because the trunk was too heavy.
Her wise father responded that in the same way the trunk was too heavy for her to carry, so was the answer to the question she had asked of him. I think she finishes the story by recounting her father saying that as he can carry the trunk while she cannot, he would also carry the answer to her question until she had the strength for the answer.
Whether we ever will understand or ‘get the answer’ to the Mystery of the Holy Trinity is a non-issue for me now, but before I’d heard the story of St Augustine and the boy I struggled with it. Thanks Fr Z for posting this story- especially with the pictures!
I had heard this story but had never known it had been depicted in art.
Somewhat feebly I have been trying to follow along with Brevarium Meum app, based on the encouragement of Fr. Z here on this blog and of the others who comment. I found this antiphon striking in its beauty and simplicity this morning: “Caritas Pater est, gratia Filius, communicatio Spiritus Sanctus, o beata Trinitas.”
We heard this story too! With the punchline given as “Not as dumb as trying to pour everything about the Holy Trinity into your head!” I don’t think anybody will forget it. :)
Our new young priest’s a character. He tries to be so decorous and solemn, and it all comes out so bluntly. :) But he’s got good ars celebrandi all the same, and his family got him some awfully nice vestments.
Have you seen the discovery of a previously unknown painting by Caravaggio of St Augustine?
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/art/art-news/8586053/Previously-unknown-painting-by-Caravaggio-discovered-in-Britain.html
I guess our pastor got the memo, because he mentioned St. Augustine at the seaside, but didn’t get into the story. It rang a very faint bell somewhere in my mind, because reading the story here, I remember hearing it many years ago from the nuns at school. The artwork is beautiful, and I guess the child is the Christchild, since he has a halo. Very touching.
Thank you, Father, that was a great help,overwhelming in fact, as I hadn’t heard the St. Augustine story before!