Just laid hands on a nifty little book, St. Augustine LifeGuide: Words to Live By from the Great Christian Saint. It’s pocket-sized (or purse-sized) and fifty-two pages. Each page offers several choice quotes from Augustine, first in Latin and then in English translation. The editor included citations, too, so you can call up the content fairly easily, if you’re so moved. The two hundred quotations are arranged thematically. It’s a handy book to keep with you for help in meditative prayer. It’s also a great way to grow in appreciation for the beauty of the Latin language. Augustine was a master, and reading him in the original we can pick up a lot more of his virtuoso wordplay. His cadences are musical. His assonance, alliteration — and punning! — are explosive, but even the best translations rarely relay the big bang of the Latin. I love this little book, and I think you’ll love the price. Here are a couple of seasonal samples:

Magna est enim miseria superbus homo, sed maior misericordia humilis Deus.
The wretchedness of a proud man is great, but the mercy of a humble God is greater.

Locus eius tu eris si bonus, si confessus invocaveris eum.
You will be His dwelling place if you call upon Him after being cleansed in Confession.