The Villanova Seal

The mosaic of the Villanova seal is centrally located in the stairwell of the St. Augustine Center. Marking the direct center of the building, it is the next thing that one sees after the “Augustine the Rhetor Painting.”  There are a number of symbols in the seal, discussed in the official University website.  We focus on two in particular, the book and the heart. The book symbolizes Augustine’s dedication to learning especially when he hears voices telling him to “tolle lege” or pick up a book and read, as was mentioned in our discussion of the tolle lege window in the St. Thomas Church. After he picks up the book and reads Romans 13, he undergoes a conversion and he starts a new life in which he is able to see the world more clearly. At the core of not only the mosaic, but also of your ourselves, lies our main focus: the heart, representing Augustine’s search for happiness in God. As Father Joe Farrell said, the arrow that pierces the burning heart shows that the heart “now burns for the love of God.” The location of the heart is significant because it is the center of our university’s seal as well as the center of the Saint Augustine Center. It represents the ideal of students with a burning desire to learn.

Augustine’s heart undergoes three stages in Confessions. The first phase is his restless heart, followed by his pierced heart, which culminates to his burning heart. In the beginning, Augustine struggles to find things that will satisfy his restless heart. He says, “how foolish the human heart that anguishes without restraint over human ills” (4.7.12). He looks for happiness in things that give him immediate pleasure, such as taking the pears from the tree, as mentioned in the Augustine the Rhetor section. He also demonstrates this idea of the restless heart when he mourns the death of his friend, he finds himself completely distraught and empty because he is not living his life through God.

          Later on in the Confessions, Augustine’s heart is pierced by the love of God. Augustine says, “with arrows of your charity you had pierced our hearts” (9.2.3). The arrows of the pierced heart represent God’s loving grace piercing through Augustine’s heart. In Confessions, the arrow which pierces his heart is Romans 13 which Augustine "picks up and reads," or tolle lege. The passage strikes Augustine’s heart directly by changing his outlook on his current lifestyle and his interest in God.

Following Augustine’s enlightenment, his heart burns for God’s love. Upon finding a path to happiness, “[he] could not get enough of the wonderful sweetness that filled [him] as [he] meditated upon [God’s] deep design for the salvation of the human race” (9.6.14). This demonstrates the new outlook Augustine finds. He finally recognizes that he can obtain happiness through God. The burning heart represents Augustine's enthusiastic love for God. The fire reflects his passion and excitement. Together, the restless heart, pierced heart, and burning heart add up to unique phases in Augustine’s life and show his transformation throughout Confessions.   

The Hearts of Villanova Students

The restless heart phase can apply to virtually all students at Villanova. At this age, it is rather unusual for people to have found their true calling, or something that will continually satisfy their heart.

It is important to remember that it is in no way disadvantageous to have a restless heart at this stage. For those who are serious about discovering more about themselves, Villanova does provide some great opportunities to explore, to learn, and to “Tolle Lege” in order to find the passion for which their heart may burn. In fact, the curriculum is set up in a fashion that anticipates and supports the restless heart by teaching a broad spectrum of knowledge during the first years. College is a time in which students should be adventurous, take risks, and gather experience--it is meant to move students closer to finding their own “burning heart.” Hopefully, students' hearts will be transformed, from restless and wandering, to pierced, into burning for a specific passion, over the course of their time at Villanova. However, it is also important that students do not rush into making a decision. Dr. Helen Lafferty, College Professor of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences,  explains the benefits of exploration: “It is good to have a restless heart, because the worst thing you can do is to tie yourself down too quickly. You really want to try and test all of your options so you can find the thing that fits you best.”      

Students can learn much from the stories Augustine tells in Confessions. As students make transitions in their lives (high school to college, college to graduate school, etc.), they must leave behind physical dependencies and focus on their emotional dependencies. Students must find time in their busy lives to reflect upon the things that they do and they must find time to read books because, as Augustine realized, much knowledge can be gained from reading. Overall, Augustine’s journey taught him that the heart will remain restless until it finds something that will satisfy it for eternity.