"Draining the Cesspool of Corruption"

What’s in the image?
This window portrays St. Augustine teaching his followers. One of his fingers points up, signifying a higher, eternal level, and the other points down, indicating the lower, temporal level. The pear tree at the top of the window symbolizes Augustine’s sin and humankind’s weakness in resisting temptation; the tree also refers to Adam and Eve, forbidden fruit, and original sin (see Serpent in the Tree). The bottom book, written by Pelagius (c.a.354-418), contends that humans can stop sinning without God’s grace. The book on top, titled “Original Sin,” states that humans are incapable of changing themselves without God’s grace because sin is a punishment for Adam’s fall. This challenge is at the heart of Augustine’s message as he realizes the power of God’s grace, which is why the book of original sin sits above the book by Pelagius.

What’s in Confessions?
This image illustrates a major theme of Confessions, the account of Augustine’s life that exemplifies how God saves humanity from sin. By admitting the human tendency to sin and depending upon God’s grace, Augustine embodies the ultimate transition from wretchedness to God. Augustine first accepts his weakness and acknowledges his shortcomings. He recalls that he “was shackled by weakness of the flesh” and calls himself “half crippled by the struggle, as part of me rose up to walk while part sank down” (6.2.21, 8.8.19). He refers to his temptation for the temporal, lower desires like the pears (see Serpent in the Tree) over the eternal, higher pursuits like love for God, a recognition that affirms Augustine’s progress on the road towards deliverance from a sinful life.

Augustine’s reconciliation to his weakness expands as he understands that he depends upon God’s grace. His independence resulted in unhappy restlessness (see Health Center Quotation), and his own efforts fail to disentangle him from temporal desires. Finally, he finds true freedom in God by acknowledging “You, Lord, are good and merciful…your right hand plumbed the depths of my death, draining the cesspool of corruption in my heart” (9.1.1). He learns to understand Continence when she says “Cast yourself on him and do not be afraid: he will not step back and let you fall” (8.11.27). By relying on God, he transitions from lower concerns like “selling talkative skills” for status to eternal, higher concerns such as love for God (4.2.2). In recognizing that he needs God’s grace, Augustine learns that God rescues humanity from sin. 

What’s in it for us?     
In college, students experience a new level of independence, which presents the risk of missteps as the temptation and opportunities to sin increase while supervision decreases. Attempting to overcome social, educational, and emotional challenges without seeking assistance frequently proves ineffectual. Recognizing one’s limitations signifies not defeat but a realistic assessment that precedes seeking help, whether from God or others. Villanova University provides resources and services that attend to its members’ spiritual well-being. Campus Ministry offers retreats, Get Real groups, service opportunities, and other resources for students wanting to discern, discuss, and enact their values.