Augustine, Sermones 195-209 (Classis II, de Tempore)

we may confirm? Do not the Jews even then show Christ to the Gentiles, Whom they refuse to adore with the Gentiles?

4. The former life is not to be returned to after repentance. We, therefore, dearly beloved, of whom those Magi were the first-fruits, we the inheritance of Christ to the ends of the earth, for whose sake blindness has come in part upon Israel, that the fullness of the Gentiles might come in (Rom. 11:25), having come to know our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, Who for the sake of consoling us then lay in a narrow lodging, and now for the sake of raising us up sits in heaven: let us so proclaim Him in this land, in this region of our flesh, that we do not return by the way we came, nor retrace the footsteps of our former manner of life. For this is what those Magi also did, in not returning by the way they had come. The way was changed, the life was changed. To us too the heavens have told the glory of God (Ps. 18:2); us too the truth shining from the Gospel, like a star from heaven, has led to adore Christ; we too have received with a faithful ear the prophecy celebrated among the Jewish nation, as a sign of the Jews who do not travel on with us; we too, acknowledging and praising Christ as king and priest and as having died for us, have honoured Him as though with gold and frankincense and myrrh: it remains that, preaching the Gospel of Him, we take a new way, and do not return by the way we came.

Sermon 203. On the Epiphany of the Lord, 5.

Chapter I. — 1. The feast of the Epiphany rightly instituted. Epiphany, a word of the Greek language, can be called "manifestation" in Latin. On this day, then, the Redeemer of all nations, having been made manifest, has made a solemn feast for all nations. So He Whose nativity we celebrated a very few days ago, His manifestation we celebrate today. Our Lord Jesus Christ, then, born thirteen days ago, is related to have been adored by the Magi today. That it happened, the truth of the Gospel tells; but on what day it happened, the authority of this so illustrious solemnity proclaims everywhere. For it seemed just, and it truly is just, that since those Magi were the first from among the Gentiles to know Christ the Lord, and, not yet moved by His speech, followed the star that appeared to them and spoke visibly on behalf of the infant Word, like the tongue of heaven (Matt. 2:1–12), the Gentiles should gratefully recognize the day of salvation of their first-fruits, and dedicate it to the Lord Christ with thanksgiving and solemn homage. For the first-fruits of the Jews for faith in and the revelation of Christ appeared in those shepherds who, on the very day on which He was born, saw Him by coming from nearby. To those the angels, to these the star made the announcement. To those it was said, Glory to God in the highest (Luke 2:14); in these was fulfilled, The heavens tell the glory of God (Ps. 18:2). Both, indeed, as the beginnings of two walls coming from different directions, of the circumcision and of the uncircumcision, to the corner

stone ran; so that He might be their peace, making both one (Eph. 2:11–22).

Chapter II. — 2. Among the Jews grace came first, among the Gentiles humility was greater. Nevertheless those men praised God because they had seen Christ; but these, having seen Christ, even adored Him. In those grace came first, in these humility was greater. Perhaps, then, those shepherds, being less guilty, exulted more eagerly over salvation; but these Magi, burdened with many sins, sought pardon more submissively. This is that humility which divine Scripture commends more in those who were from the Gentiles than in the Jews. For from the Gentiles was that centurion who, although he had received the Lord with his whole heart, nevertheless said that he was unworthy that He should enter his house, and did not wish his sick servant to be seen by Him, but to be ordered healed (Matt. 8:5–10). Thus he kept Him present inwardly in his heart, Whose presence he respectfully called back from his roof. Finally the Lord said, I have not found so great a faith in Israel. That Canaanite woman too was from the Gentiles, who, when she had heard herself called a dog by the Lord, and unworthy that the children's bread should be thrown to her, begged for crumbs as a dog: and therefore she deserved not to be what she had been, because she did not deny what she had been. For she too heard from the Lord, O woman, great is your faith (Matt. 15:21–28). Humility had made her faith great, because she had made herself small.

Chapter III. — 3. The salvation of all the Gentiles prefigured. So the shepherds come from nearby to see, and the Magi come from afar to adore. This is the humility by which the wild olive deserved to be grafted into the olive, and to yield olives against nature (Rom. 11:17); because it deserved to change its nature through grace. For when the whole world was growing wild and bitter with this wild olive, through the grace of grafting it was made fat and shone forth. For they come from the end of the earth, according to Jeremiah, saying: Truly our fathers worshipped lies (Jer. 16:19). And they come, not from one part of the world, but, as the Gospel according to Luke says, from the East and the West, from the North and the South, to recline with Abraham and Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven (Luke 13:29). Thus the whole world, from its four parts, is called to faith by the grace of the Trinity. According to this number, when four is taken three times, the apostolic number twelve was consecrated; as if prefiguring the salvation of the whole world from the four parts of the earth into the grace of the Trinity. For that dish also signified this number, which was shown to Peter full of all animals (Acts 10:11), as if of all nations. For it too, suspended by four cords from heaven, was let down and taken up three times; so that fours might make twelve. Perhaps it is for this reason that, twelve days being added after the Nativity of the Lord, the Magi, the first-fruits of the Gentiles, came to see and adore Christ, and deserved not only to receive their own salvation but also to signify that of all nations. Let us therefore celebrate this day too most devoutly; and let us adore dwelling in heaven the Lord Jesus, Whom those first-fruits of ours adored lying in the inn. For those men venerated in Him as future that which we venerate as fulfilled.

The first-fruits of the Gentiles adored Him as He hung eagerly upon His mother's breasts; the nations adore Him seated at the right hand of God the Father.

Sermon 204. On the Epiphany of the Lord, 6.

1. Epiphany, the manifestation of Christ. A few days ago we celebrated the Lord's Nativity; today we celebrate the Epiphany. This Greek word signifies manifestation, and it refers to what the Apostle says: Without doubt great is the mystery of godliness, which was manifested in the flesh (1 Tim. 3:16). Both days, therefore, belong to the manifestation of Christ. On the former He was born a man from a human mother, He Who without beginning was God with the Father. But He was manifested to the flesh in the flesh, because the flesh could not see Him as He was in the spirit. On that day, which is called His Nativity, the shepherds of the Jews saw Him. On today's day, which is properly called Epiphany, that is, manifestation, the Magi of the Gentiles adored Him. Angels announced Him to the former, but a star to the latter. Angels inhabit the heavens, and stars adorn them: to both, therefore, the heavens told the glory of God (Ps. 18:2).

2. Christ the corner stone for uniting Jews and Gentiles. For to both He was born the corner stone, so that, as the Apostle says, He might establish the two in Himself into one new man, making peace, and might change both over in one body to God through the cross. For what is a corner but the joining of two walls which come from different directions and there, in a certain manner, find the kiss of peace? For circumcision and uncircumcision, that is, the Jews and the Gentiles, were hostile to each other on account of two things different from and contrary to each other: on the one side the worship of the one true God, on the other that of many false ones. Since, then, the former were near and the latter far off, He brought both to Himself, He Who "changed both over in one body to God," as the same apostle adds next, "through the cross slaying the enmities in Himself. And "coming He preached peace to you," he says, "who were far off, and peace to those who were near; because through Him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father" (Eph. 2:11–22). See whether he has not shown both the two walls coming from the diversity of enmities and the corner stone, the Lord Jesus, to Whom both came from different directions, in Whom both came into agreement, that is, both those from the Jews and those from the Gentiles who believed in Him. It is as though it were said to them: You from near at hand and you from afar, "come to Him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not blush" (Ps. 33:6). For it is written: "Behold, I lay in Sion a corner stone, chosen, precious; and whoever believes in Him shall not be confounded" (1 Pet. 2:6). Those who heard and obeyed came from both sides, both groups; they held to peace and put an end to enmities. The first-fruits of both were the shepherds and the Magi. In them the ox began to know its owner, and the ass the manger of the lord

that is its own (Isa. 1:3). From the Jews, the horned animal, where the horns of the cross were being prepared for Christ. From the Gentiles, the long-eared animal, whence it had been foretold: A people whom I did not know has served me; at the hearing of the ear it has obeyed me (Ps. 17:45). For He Himself, the owner of the ox and the lord of the ass, was lying in the manger, and was providing common food for both. Since, therefore, peace had come to those who were far off, and peace to those who were near, the Israelite shepherds, found as being near, came to Him on the very day on which Christ was born, saw and exulted; but the Gentile Magi, found as being far off, after so many days had intervened since that on which He was born, arrived today, found, adored. It was fitting, therefore, that we, that is, the Church which is gathered from the Gentiles, should join the celebration of this day, on which Christ was manifested to the firstfruits of the Gentiles, to the celebration of that day, on which Christ was born of the Jews, and should keep the memory of so great a mystery with a twofold solemnity.

3. From the Jews, some reprobate, others elect. Jacob both blessed and lame. When these two walls are considered, the one from the Jews, the other from the Gentiles, cleaving to the corner stone, keeping the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace (Eph. 4:3), let not the multitude of the reprobate among the Jews offend the mind, among whom were the builders, that is, those wishing to be teachers of the Law, but such as the Apostle speaks of, Understanding neither what they say nor concerning what they make assertions (1 Tim. 1:7). For through this blindness of mind they rejected the stone which has become the head of the corner (Ps. 117:22). But it would not become the head of the corner unless it provided for two peoples coming from different directions a peaceable joining, with grace binding them together. Let there not, therefore, be considered in the Israelite wall the persecutors and slayers of Christ, as if building up the law and destroying faith, rejecting the corner stone and contriving ruin for the wretched city. Nor let there be considered there that great number of the Jews dispersed throughout the lands, for a testimony to the divine Letters, which they carry everywhere without knowing them. For in these Jacob limps, the breadth of whose thigh was touched and withered (Gen. 32:25), by which was signified the multitude of his race limping away from its paths. But in the holy wall, which from among them came to the peace of the corner stone, let those be considered in whom Jacob is blessed. For the same man is both blessed and lame: blessed in the sanctified, lame in the reprobate. Let those be considered in this wall whose abundance went before and followed the Saviour's little ass, crying: Blessed is He Who comes in the name of the Lord (Matt. 21:9). Let those be considered who were chosen from there as disciples and were made apostles. Let Stephen be considered, called in the Greek language by the name of a crown, and the first after the Lord's resurrection to be crowned with martyrdom. Let there be considered also the many thousands of believers from among the very persecutors, when the Holy Spirit came. Let the Churches be considered of which the Apostle says: But I was unknown by face to the Churches of Judaea which were in Christ; they were only hearing that he who once persecuted us now preaches the faith which he once laid waste; and in me they glorified