Augustine, Sermo 329 (In natali martyrum)

SERMON 329. On the Birthday of the Martyrs.

1. The death of the Martyrs is precious, bought at the price of the death of Christ. — Through deeds of the holy martyrs so glorious, by which the Church flowers everywhere, we prove with our own eyes how true is that which we have sung, that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints: since it is precious both in our sight, and in the sight of Him for Whose name it was undergone. But the price of these deaths is the death of one. How many deaths did one man buy by dying, Who, if He had not died, the grain of wheat would not have been multiplied? You have heard His words when He was drawing near to the passion, that is, when He was drawing near to our redemption: Unless the grain of wheat, falling into the earth, shall have died, it remains alone: but if it shall have died, it brings forth much fruit (John 12:24 and 25). For upon the cross He carried on a great commerce; there was loosed the purse of our price: when His side was opened by the lance of the striker, there flowed out from it the price of the whole world. The faithful were bought, and the martyrs: but the faith of the martyrs

was proved; the blood is witness. What was laid out upon them, they gave back, and they fulfilled what holy John says: As Christ laid down His soul for us, so we also ought to lay down souls for the brethren (1 John 3:16) [Migne prints animus, not the grammatically expected animas; kept as printed]. And elsewhere it is said: You have sat down at a great table, consider diligently the things which are set before you, since it behoves you to make ready such things (Prov. 23:1, 2). Great is the table, where the very lord of the table is the fare. No one feeds his guests upon his own self: this the Lord Christ does; He Himself the inviter, He Himself food and drink. The martyrs therefore recognized what they were eating and drinking, that they might give back such things.

2. The martyrs are victors not out of themselves, but out of the grace of God. — But whence should they give back such things, unless He gave whence they might give back, Who first laid out? Whence also the Psalm, where we sang what is written, Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints — what does it commend to us? There the man considered how much he had received from God; he looked round upon how great the gifts of the grace of the Almighty, Who created him, Who sought him when lost, Who when he was found gave pardon, Who helped him as he fought with feeble strength, Who did not withdraw Himself from him in peril, Who crowned him as he conquered, Who gave Himself as the reward: he considered all these things, and cried out, and said, What shall I repay to the Lord for all the things which He has repaid to me? He was unwilling to be ungrateful, he wished to render back, and what he might render back he did not have. He did not say, What shall I repay to the Lord for all the things which He has bestowed upon me; but, for all the things which He has repaid to me? He did not bestow, but repaid. If He repaid, we had laid out something. Plainly we had laid out our own evils, He repaid His own goods: for He repays goods for evils, since we had repaid evils for ourselves [Migne prints mala pro nobis, "evils for ourselves," where the antithesis with retribuit bona pro malis would expect mala pro bonis, "evils for good"; kept as printed]. He asks therefore what he may repay; he suffers straits, he does not find whence he may discharge the debt: What shall I repay to the Lord for all the things which He has repaid to me? And as though he had found what he might repay, I will take, he says, the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord (Ps. 115:15, 12, 13) [Migne prints the verse numbers in this order, 15 before 12, 13; kept as printed]. What is this? Certainly he was thinking to give back. Still he seeks to receive: I will take the chalice of salvation. What is that chalice? The chalice of the passion, bitter and healthful: the chalice which, unless the physician had first drunk it, the sick man would fear to touch. This is that chalice: we recognize this chalice in the mouth of Christ, saying, Father, if it can be done, let this chalice pass from me (Matt. 26:39). For the sons of Zebedee also sought through their mother the high places, that one of them might sit at the right hand, the other at the left: to whom He said, Can you drink the chalice which I am about to drink (ibid. 20:22)? Do you seek height? It is through the valley that one comes to the mountain. Do you seek a seat of glory? First drink the chalice of humility. Of that same chalice the martyrs said, I will take the chalice of salvation, and I will call upon the name of the Lord. Do you not then fear that you may fail there? No, he says. Why? Because I will call upon the name of the Lord. How should the martyrs conquer, unless He conquered in the martyrs, Who said, Rejoice, for I have overcome the world (John 16:33)? The Emperor of the heavens was governing their mind and their tongue, and through them was overcoming the devil upon earth, and in heaven was crowning the martyrs. O blessed, who so drank that chalice! they finished their sorrows, and received honours. Attend therefore, most beloved:

what you cannot with your eyes, think over with mind and spirit, and see that precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.