May 27 | Saint Augustine of Canterbury

Welcome, young history buffs and curious minds, to My Daily Saint, the podcast that digs deep into the incredible lives of the saints, those remarkable people who shaped history, and continue to inspire us today. Forget dusty old portraits and boring stories. Today, imagine being sent on a mission into a strange, misty land filled with fierce warriors. These warriors are so dangerous that the missionaries who tried to visit before you completely failed, and the few locals who share your beliefs have been forced to hide in the shadows just to survive.

Now, you are just a peaceful monk who is used to quiet. Prayers, chanting, and the incredibly safe walls of your monastery back in sunny Italy. Would you go on this mission? Today, we are talking about Saint Augustine of Canterbury. And, spoiler alert, he didn't just survive this impossible mission. He thrived, earning the title Apostle of England, and he is now the patron saint of the entire country of England.

Let's rewind the clock to the late 500s. Augustine is spending the first part of his life as an abbot, leading a peaceful Italian monastery. This wasn't just any monastery, either. It actually used to house the pope of that time, a man named Gregory the Great. Life is quiet. Life is safe. But then, Pope Gregory throws a massive curveball. He calls upon Augustine to carry out An incredibly difficult task. He wants Augustine to lead a mission group of about 30 monks straight into the heart of Anglo-Saxon territory, which is modern-day England, to bring the hidden Christians out of the shadows and somehow convert the brutal, savage Saxons.

So, Augustine and his band of brothers pack up and hit the road. But as they travel, the terrifying rumors and horrific stories of Saxon cruelty start messing with their heads. In fact, they get so scared that they literally stop in their tracks and turn back. That's right. Even a legendary saint got terrified and tried to quit.

But Pope Gregory wasn't taking no for an answer. The pope was... We are totally certain that the time was absolutely perfect for England's conversion, mainly because the Saxon king, a man named Ethelbert, had just taken a Christian bride named Bertha. The Pope tells Augustine to turn right back around and finish the mission.

Fast forward to the big showdown. Augustine and his monks finally arrive to meet the terrifying King Ethelbert. But here is the fascinating plot twist. The king is just as terrified of the monks as they are of him. King Ethelbert actually believes these men in bishops' robes might be sorcerers. He insists on meeting them outside in the open air, hoping that being outside will make it harder for the monks to cast a violent magic spell. And kill him.

But of course, there were no magic spells that day. Instead of using violence or magic, Augustine and his monks simply spoke to the king and his bride, preaching to them through an interpreter. King Ethelbert was relieved and intrigued. He gave them a somewhat positive initial response. He told the monks they were allowed to stay and continue preaching, but under one strict condition. They were absolutely not allowed to convert anyone through violence.

Augustine happily agreed to this peaceful rule. What happened next was an explosion of faith that changed the course of history. The peaceful, patient approach worked perfectly. King Ethelbert soon converted to the faith himself, later becoming Saint Ethelbert, and he became one of the monks' absolute greatest benefactors and supporters. Augustine and his followers made their home base in Canterbury, living according to the rule of Saint Benedict and preaching all throughout the surrounding countryside.

The locals responded in a massive way. By the end of the year 597, an astonishing 10,000 people wanted baptism from the missionaries. Pope Gregory and Augustine remained incredibly close friends, writing letters back and forth to each other until they died within just a year of one another in the early 600s. The seeds of Catholicism that Augustine bravely planted would continue to grow for hundreds of years, lasting over a hundred years. All the way until a schism divided England in the 16th century.

Think about that highly relatable moment when Augustine and his 30 friends were so paralyzed by fear and scary rumors that they actually turned around and gave up. Have you ever let fear, gossip, or intimidation stop you from doing what you know is right? It is totally normal to be scared. True courage isn't the absence of fear. It's turning back around, walking into the open air like he did with the king, and doing the right thing with total peace and kindness. Thank you for joining us on My Daily Saint. We look forward to sharing another incredible story of faith and courage with you tomorrow.