Augustine in His Own Words (continued)
ferent from truth? For it has also been said: 'I am the Truth' (Jn 14:6). Truth receives its being through the Supreme Measure from which it proceeds and with which it coincides when perfected. But no other measure is imposed on the Supreme Measure. For if the Supreme Measure is the measure for the Supreme Measure, it therefore is itself what the measure is. Of course, the Supreme Measure also must be a true measure.37 But just as the truth is engendered through measure, so measure is recognized by truth. Thus neither has truth ever been without measure nor measure without truth. Who is the Son of God? It has been said: 'The Truth.' Who is it that has no father? Who other than the Supreme Measure? Whoever attains the Supreme Measure through the Truth is happy. To have God within the soul is this: it is to enjoy God.
(4.35) "A certain admonition, flowing from that very fountain of Truth, urges us to remember God, to seek Him, and to thirst after Him tirelessly. This mysterious sun pours out its blazing light illuminating our interior lights. From Him is every truth that we speak, even though in our anxiety, we hesitate to turn courageously towards this light and to behold it in its totality, because our eyes, only recently opened, are not yet strong enough. This light appears to be nothing other than God, that perfection which no imperfection can diminish. For in Him all is absolutely perfect, and He is at the same time the omnipotent-est God.38 But as long as we are still seeking, our thirst not yet satiated by the 'fountain' itself—the 'fullness,' to use our normal word— we must confess that we have not reached our measure; and that is why, even though God has helped us, we are not yet wise or happy. This, then, is the full satiety of souls—this is the happy life: To recognize piously and completely the One by whom you are led into Truth, the One whose Truth you have full enjoyment of, and the One by whom you are linked to the Supreme Measure. For those who have understanding and who exclude all various illusory superstitions, these three are the one God and the one Substance."
My mother, recalling here words that deeply adhered within her memory, woke up, so to speak, in her faith and with joy let flow this verse of our priest: "Protect, O Trinity, those praying."39 Then she added: "This is, without doubt, the happy life, that is, the perfect life which we must assume that we can attain soon by a well-founded faith, a joyful hope, and a burning love."40
37. "Supreme Measure": In the background is Wis 11:20: "You have arranged all things in measure and number and weight." See his longer discussion in Gen. litt. 4.3.7–6.12.
38. "Omnipotent-est God" (omnipotentissimus Deus): Augustine coins a neologism here, a superlative of a superlative; I have coined one to match it. Cf. conf. 1.4.4. See O'Donnell, 2:23.
39. "Protect, O Trinity . . .": Monnica is quoting Ambrose's hymn Deus creator omnium ("God, Creator of all"). Augustine himself famously quotes from it in conf. 9.12.32; see O'Donnell 3:142–43.
40. De beata vita 4.33–35 (CCL 29:83–85); my trans., based on Schopp, FOTC 5:82–84. On this issue, see the classic study of Regnar Holte, Béatitude et sagesse: Saint Augustin et le problème de la fin de l'homme dans la philosophie ancienne, CEASA 14 (Paris: Institut d'Études Augustiniennes, 1962).