Peace, love and well being to all.
My blog today celebrates not only my art and news about whats going on in the sphere of my personal life, but also our attention can be drawn here to St Augustine. Saint Augustine of Canterbury in my humble view was one of - if not the prime instrument - our Lord Jesus`s Saints tasked to bring knowledge of the Kingdom of God to these British Isles.
For those of you only visiting my site to see my art and not interested in the life of saints, please scroll down to below the information immediately following this sentence.
St. Augustine of Canterbury
At the end of the sixth century anyone would have said that Augustine had found his niche in life. Looking at this respected prior of a monastery, almost anyone would have predicted he would spend his last days there, instructing, governing, and settling even further into this sedentary life.
But Pope St. Gregory the Great had lived under Augustine's rule in that same monastery. When he decided it was time to send missionaries to Anglo-Saxon England, he didn't choose those with restless natures or the young looking for new worlds to conquer. He chose Augustine and thirty monks to make the unexpected, and dangerous, trip to England.
Missionaries had gone to Britain years before but the Saxon conquest of England had forced these Christians into hiding. Augustine and his monks were to bring these Christians back into the fold and convince the warlike conquerors to become Christians themselves.
Every step of the way they heard the horrid stories of the cruelty and barbarity of their future hosts. By the time they had reached France the stories became so frightening that the monks turned back to Rome. Gregory had heard encouraging news that England was far more ready for Christianity than the stories would indicate, including the marriage of King Ethelbert of Kent to a Christian princess, Bertha. He sent Augustine and the monks on their way again fortified with his belief that now was the time for evangelization.
King Ethelbert himself wasn't as sure, but he was a just king and curious. So he went to hear what the missionaries had to say after they landed in England. But he was just as afraid of them as they were of him! Fearful that they would use magic on them, he held the meeting in the open air. There he listened to what they had to say about Christianity. He did not convert then but was impressed enough to let them continue to preach -- as long as they didn't force anyone to convert.
They didn't have to -- the king was baptised in 597. Unlike other kings who forced all subjects to be baptised as soon as they were converted, Ethelbert left religious a free choice. Nonetheless the following year many of his subjects were baptised.
Augustine was consecrated bishop of the English and more missionaries arrived from Rome to help with the new task. Augustine had to be very careful because, although the English had embraced the new religion they still respected the old. Under the wise orders of Gregory the Great, Augustine aided the growth from the ancient traditions to the new life by consecrating pagan temples for Christian worship and turning pagan festivals into feast days of martyrs. Canterbury was built on the site of an ancient church.
Augustine was more successful with the pagans than with the Christians. He found the ancient British Church, which had been driven into Cornwall and Wales, had strayed a little in its practises from Rome. He met with them several times to try to bring them back to the Roman Church but the old Church could not forgive their conquerors and chose isolation and bitterness over community and reconciliation.
Augustine was only in England for eight years before he died in 605. His feast day is celebrated on May 26 in England and May 28 elsewhere. He is also known as Austin,a name that many locations have adopted. (Maybe in Texas, USA, but I have know infinitive knowledge of this!) So my beloved brothers and sisters - not only of here in The United Kingdom but all over the world, St Augustine is the spiritual being that I am contemplating this glorious day.
hairstyle, which was created by one my beloved
partner Sylvia`s nieces - Sharelle - a couple of days ago.
The photo take by me does not do true justice to the
work done by someone I consider a wonderful artist!
Here are some pictures of my latest
labyrinth, which is still not completed
and needs approximately another 30%
of the dark lines to have my art added
to it!
Below we can see a small image of my late son Harry, but this is
so small that if people following the way around the labyrinth are
not aware I have placed it where it is, they may well miss it. Me
and you now know it is there now though, don't we!
Two of the works below are still works in progress, but the small painting I have now completed. 
Below are shots of our wonderful dog Maisy and one of our neighbours dog`s Rocky.
below is our beloved Staff cross Dog De Bordeaux
Maisy.
May I ask for those of you that pray to add for the relationship between Silvia and me to strengthen and be blessed by God.. My thanks to you.
Your brother in Christ and of St Augustine, Peter.
ps. I will be grateful to you for passing this on, as I need your prayers to be stronger and worthy of my beloved Silvia`s love.
