Advent and Christmas Wisdom from St Augustine

On Christmas Day we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. It is the anniversary of the day light arrived to luminate our lives. We celebrate our Christian faith and how this sublime and supreme act of humility gave us the opportunity for eternal life.

Augustine of Hippo is arguably one of the more influential Fathers of the Church, but it is not because of his famous works in theology and philosophy that we look to him as a wisdom figure. In his search for truth, St. Augustine's writings and ponderings tell of a wonderful story of conversion, reminding us of our own daily conversions. His wisdom, founded on and nourished by his gifts of nature and grace, has its roots in the story of his conversion that transformed his life--and through these passages, our own lives--into a confession of praise.

In Advent and Christmas Wisdom from Saint Augustine, Agnes Cunningham, SSCM, uses passages from Saint Augustine's writing to guide and inspire our journey this Advent season. His rich spiritual life forges the way to a season of humility as we continue deeper into the mystery of the Incarnation.

Agnes Cunningham, SSCM, is a prolific writer and has traveled the world conducting workshops, retreats, study days, and consultations.

She was one of the first female theologians to teach at Mundelein Seminary, the major seminary of the Archdiocese of Chicago. She earned BA degrees in church music (University of Toronto) and English (St. Louis University), an MA in theology (Marquette), and was the first woman to obtain a doctorate in sacred theology from Facultés Catholiques, Lyon, France.

She is also the recipient of several honorary doctorates and in 2000, the Catholic Theological Society of America gave her its highest honor--the John Courtney Murray Medal for her distinguished and enduring contributions to theology.

Sister Agnes now lives in Champaign, Illinois where she translates documents for her congregation and continues to write.