Viva Sr. San Agustin!

Churchill Aguilar

 THE lined up activities for the annual fiesta have so far been very successful. The events have truly gathered people from all walks of life and in much festive mood. I even brought my wife and my daughter from Zamboanga del Norte to witness how Cagay-anons celebrate the feast of St. Augustine.

Let me share with you one of my reflections a few years back to remind us of why we celebrate Cagay-anon festival.

Cagay-anon festival is undoubtedly one of the grandest festivals in northern Mindanao. It is an awaited event not only amongst Catholics who honor our city’s patron saint but also amongst businessmen and tourists. In fact, what started as a religious activity has now become a secular event.

As the momentum of festivities steps up, it is so easy to forget to whom do we honor this grand annual celebration for. Without us knowing, we are actually taking the opposite direction that our patron saint tried to teach us. While we go towards secularism and worldliness, he was going away from it.

In his younger years, St. Augustine lived a life of loose living, which included parties, entertainment, and worldly ambitions. Born from a rich family, he grew up materialistic and very impure. He even fathered a child outside of marriage.

St. Augustine eventually got tired, feeling lost and puzzled by a number of questions that no one could answer for him. Through the constant prayer of his mother, he saw his crooked ways and repented. He gave up his mistress and began to study the teachings of the Catholic Church.

Another blessing came for him when he met Bishop Ambrose. As Augustine started to listen to the bishop’s sermons, he began to see Christianity in a new light. Out from his newfound truth and meaning, he entered priesthood and devoted himself to studying the bible and became a worldenowned theologian.

If there are three things I admire about St. Augustine, it would be:

1. He was a man of the world yet he was able to transcend from his worldly desires and lived a life of love and compassion not only to God but to the people around him. In these times when people equate happiness with having the newest gadgets, St. Augustine proposes a happier lifestyle and a more purpose driven one. i.e., a life of love, compassion, and prayer.
2. He was restless and full of questions. I would like to believe that what led him to conversion were ultimately his restlessness and the sense of meaninglessness. His questions made him seek answers from the books he read, people he sees, and scholars he listened to until he eventually developed a relationship with God for whom he said “my heart is restless oh God until it rests in you.”
3. He has a generous heart. When he finally received enlightenment about his crooked ways and saw the road to a more meaningful and happier life, he generously devoted his remaining years to share his newfound truth in priesthood. He shared his insights and realizations to the world. In fact, he is even considered as the father of Christian theology.

St. Augustine is the patron saint of Cagayan de Oro City. His feast day is celebrated on Aug. 28. His life has been an inspiration to people who struggle with a particular vice. He is the patron saint of brewers.