Confessions - Book X - Chapter IX
St. Augustine explores the profound nature of memory as a divine gift that stores not just images but the essence of knowledge and experience, revealing the soul's capacity for understanding and reflection.
In this devotional reflection from Confessions Book X, Chapter IX, St. Augustine delves into the mysterious and profound nature of memory. He articulates how memory is not merely a storehouse of images but a divine faculty that retains the essence of knowledge and experience. Augustine invites listeners to appreciate the soul’s capacity for deep understanding and spiritual reflection through the gift of memory.
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16. And yet this is not all that the unlimited capacity of my memory stores up. In memory, there are also all that one has learned of the liberal sciences, and has not forgotten--removed still further, so to say, into an inner place which is not a place. Of these things it is not the images that are retained, but the things themselves. For what literature and logic are, and what I know about how many different kinds of questions there are--all these are stored in my memory as they are, so that I have not taken in the image and left the thing outside. It is not as though a sound had sounded and passed away like a voice heard by the ear which leaves a trace by which it can be called into memory again, as if it were still sounding in mind while it did so no longer outside. Nor is it the same as an odor which, even after it has passed and vanished into the wind, affects the sense of smell--which then conveys into the memory the image of the smell which is what we recall and re-create; or like food which, once in the belly, surely now has no taste and yet does have a kind of taste in the memory; or like anything that is felt by the body through the sense of touch, which still remains as an image in the memory after the external object is removed. For these things themselves are not put into the memory. Only the images of them are gathered with a marvelous quickness and stored, as it were, in the most wonderful filing system, and are thence produced in a marvelous way by the act of remembering.
Sermon Outline
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I. The Nature of Memory
- Memory stores more than images, it retains the essence of knowledge
- Distinction between sensory images and intellectual concepts in memory
- Memory as a vast, inner capacity beyond physical senses
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II. The Role of Memory in Knowledge
- Memory preserves learned sciences and logic
- Knowledge is stored as itself, not just as sensory impressions
- The mind’s ability to recall and reflect on abstract concepts
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III. Spiritual Implications of Memory
- Memory as a reflection of the soul’s divine capacity
- The connection between memory and spiritual understanding
- Encouragement to seek deeper knowledge through reflection
Key Quotes
“In memory, there are also all that one has learned of the liberal sciences, and has not forgotten--removed still further, so to say, into an inner place which is not a place.” — St. Augustine
“It is not as though a sound had sounded and passed away like a voice heard by the ear which leaves a trace by which it can be called into memory again.” — St. Augustine
“Only the images of them are gathered with a marvelous quickness and stored, as it were, in the most wonderful filing system, and are thence produced in a marvelous way by the act of remembering.” — St. Augustine
Application Points
- Reflect on the depth of your own memory as a gift from God that goes beyond mere sensory recall.
- Seek to cultivate knowledge and wisdom by engaging deeply with what you learn, not just memorizing facts.
- Use moments of quiet reflection to connect with the spiritual dimension of your mind and memory.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does St. Augustine say about memory?
He describes memory as a vast inner capacity that stores not only sensory images but also the essence of knowledge and learned concepts.
How is memory different from sensory experience?
Memory retains the things themselves intellectually, unlike sensory experiences which leave only images or traces.
Why is memory important spiritually?
Memory reveals the soul’s ability to understand and reflect, pointing to a divine aspect of human cognition.
Does St. Augustine mention specific knowledge stored in memory?
Yes, he refers to liberal sciences, literature, and logic as examples of knowledge preserved in memory.