Confessions

The Confessions

The Confessions is an autobiography written by the famous St. Augustine. In this, the story of his life Augustine discusses how he made some poor decisions and committed sins and what he feels he has done to prove to his worthiness to God. Augustine goes from his infancy to his adulthood explaining in full detail the offenses in which he took part, and asks both whether what he did constituted mortal sin. He also asks for forgiveness from God. One event that took place during his adolescent years turned out to be his biggest sin of all, or rather, the climax of his sinning. As a teenager Augustine and some friends went over to the neighbor’s yard, and stole pears from the pear tree. There was no reason for these boys to steal the pears for they were not hungry or in any other need of food. “Our real pleasure was simply in doing something that was not allowed” (Augustine pg 31). For having no real reason to steal the pears leaves Augustine with the guilt of his sin, and for having no reason for sinning, becomes his epitome of evil.

Augustine writes very much about what happened

the night of the pear stealing. “Near our vineyard there was a pear tree, loaded with fruit, thought the fruit was not particularly attractive either in fruit or taste. I and some other wrecthed youths conceived

the idea of shaking the pears

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off this tree and carrying them away. We set out late at night (having, as we usually did in our depraved way, gone on playing in the streets till that hour) and stole all the fruit that we could carry. And this was not to feed ourselves; we may have tasted a few, but then we threw the rest to the pigs.” (Augustine pg 30-31). This statement is quoted directly from Augustine and his personal recollection of what happened during the pear theivery. He clearly states how he considers himself a wretched youth and how the fruit had no value to the teens. They tried only some of the fruit before throwing the rest to the pigs. The teens had no motive and no reason for doing this, which makes this the epitome of Augustine’s sins.

“And now let my heart tell you what it was looking for there, that I became evil for nothing, with no reason for wrongdoing except the wrongdoing itself. The evil was foul, and I loved it; I loved destroying myself; I loved my sin- not the thing for which I had committed the sin, but the sin itself.” (Augustine pg 31). Augustine is noticeably regretful and ashamed at what he did, especially because