"Aroused, Kindled, and Set on Fire"

What's in the image?

In the main foyer of the St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts, a mosaic of Villanova University's official seal adorns the floor, encircled by a spiral staircase. A burning heart topped by a crown of fire and pierced by two arrows occupies the middle of the seal. This image of the burning heart is also featured in multiple pictures of St. Augustine. The burning heart symbolizes Augustine’s desires and passions, for he struggles to orient his yearnings towards God. The arrows represent God’s word, which guides Augustine during his life. While the fire fuels his love, the arrows pierce and direct him with the good grace of God. The heart sits on a Bible, which plays a key role in his conversion (see the "Tolle Lege" section below). The black curved line represents the "cincture," a belt worn by the Augustinian friars who founded and run Villanova. A bishop’s staff and a cross decorate the background. Below the heart, a banner reads, “Veritas, Unitas, Caritas,” meaning truth, unity, and charity. The positioning of the image in the exact center of the St. Augustine Center demonstrates the importance of Augustine to Villanova.

What’s in Confessions?

The image of the burning heart appears in Confessions during Augustine’s college years, the height of his pride, arrogance, and sin. While in Carthage, he partakes in scandalous love affairs. His lifestyle deteriorates until “it leads him to abandon God and plunge into treacherous abysses, into depths of unbelief and a delusive allegiance to demons, to whom he was offering his evil deeds in sacrifice” (3.3.5). During this time, Augustine discovers the author Cicero for his rhetoric but later grows to appreciate the content of his writing. Through reading Cicero’s Hortentius, Augustine’s “hollow hopes suddenly seemed worthless, and with unbelievable intensity his heart burned with longing for the immortality which wisdom seemed to promise” (3.4.7). Augustine realizes his heart burns for misdirected aspirations, and he alters his desires in order to journey to God. Although the philosophy contained within Hortensius elicits a change within Augustine, he still believes that he can return to God through his own intellect. Despite his newfound philosophy, Augustine's heart still does not burn for the Lord, so he remains trapped in worldly desires, even though “the deepest and innermost marrow" of his mind ached for God (3.6.10). Augustine desperately wants his heart to burn for God, but he remains enslaved by his worldly chains.

What’s in it for us?

In many ways, Augustine parallels college students today. Throughout his college years at Carthage, he was chained by worldly desires. His heart burned for the temptations of sex, status, power, and lust; he was in love with loving. Likewise, many college students encounter these same temptations. They sometimes abuse their newfound freedom and succumb to misdirected desires, allowing their hearts to burn for sinful objects. However, as Augustine discovers, college can also introduce inspirations that ignite hearts for admirable pursuits. College students must be open and willing to accept these new ideas in order to achieve true happiness.