PL 38 · cols. 1301–1302

Augustine, Sermones 284-287 (Classis III, de Sanctis)

Sermon CCLXXXVII

aut vir, si vir dicendus est; et dicit aegroto, Fac illam ligaturam, et sanus eris: adhibeatur illa praecantatio, et sanus eris. Ille et ille et ille, interroga, sani inde facti sunt. Non cedit, non obtemperat, non cor inclinat; certat tamen. Vires non habet, et diabolum vincit. Fit martyr in lecto, coronante illo qui pro illo pependit in ligno.

or a man, if he is to be called a man; and he says to the sick person, Make that amulet, and you will be well; let that incantation be applied, and you will be well. This man and that man and that other man, ask them, were made well by it. He does not yield, he does not comply, he does not incline his heart; yet he contends. He has no strength, and he conquers the devil. He becomes a martyr in his bed, with Him crowning him Who for him hung upon the wood.

SERMO CCLXXXVII. In Natali S. Joannis Baptistae, qui est VIII calendas julii.

Sermon 287. On the Birthday of St John the Baptist, which is the eighth day before the calends of July.

CAPUT PRIMUM. — 1. Natalis dies Christi tantum et Joannis ab Ecclesia celebratus. Prolixa narratio, sed compensatur labor auditoris dulcedine veritatis. Illustrem nativitatem beatissimi Joannis praeconis et praecursoris Christi, cum sanctum Evangelium legeretur, audivimus. Hinc attendat Charitas vestra, quam magni hominis nativitas facta sit. Natalis dies carnis nulli Prophetarum, nulli Patriarcharum, nemini Apostolorum celebravit Ecclesia: solos duos Natales celebrat, hujus et Christi. Tempora ipsa quibus nati sunt ambo, magnum mysterium praefigurant. Joannes magnus erat homo, sed homo. Tam magnus autem erat homo, ut quidquid plus illo esset, Deus esset. Qui post me venit, major me est (Matth. II, 11). Dixit hoc Joannes: Ipse major me est. Si major te est, quid est quod ipsum majorem te, audivimus dicentem, In natis mulierum nemo exsurrexit major Joanne Baptista (Id. XI, 11)? Si nemo hominum est te major, quid est ille qui te major est? Quis sit, vis audire? In principio erat Verbum, et Verbum erat apud Deum, et Deus erat Verbum.

Chapter One. — 1. The birthday of Christ and of John alone is celebrated by the Church. A lengthy account, but the hearer's labour is repaid by the sweetness of the truth. We have heard, while the holy Gospel was being read, of the illustrious birth of the most blessed John, the herald and forerunner of Christ. From this let your Charity consider how great a man's birth this was. The Church has celebrated the birthday of the flesh of none of the Prophets, of none of the Patriarchs, of none of the Apostles: she celebrates two Birthdays only, his and Christ's. The very seasons in which both were born prefigure a great mystery. John was a great man, but a man. So great a man, however, was he, that whatever was more than he would be God. He Who comes after me is greater than I (Matt. 3:11). John said this: He is greater than I. If He is greater than you, what does it mean that we have heard Him Himself, Who is greater than you, saying, Among those born of women none has arisen greater than John the Baptist (ibid. 11:11)? If no one among men is greater than you, what is He Who is greater than you? Do you wish to hear Who He is? In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

2. Christus hic diem habet natalem ut homo, non ut Deus. Et quomodo Verbum Dei Deus, per quod facta sunt omnia, quod natum est sine initio temporis, per quod facta sunt tempora, diem natalem invenit in tempore? Quomodo, inquam, Verbum per quod facta sunt tempora, diem natalem invenit in t⟨e⟩mpore? Quaeris quomodo? Audi ipsum Evangelium: Verbum caro factum est, et habitavit in nobis (Joan. I, 1, 14). Natalis Christi uatalis est carnis, non Verbi: sed ideo natalis est Verbi, quia Verbum caro factum est. Natum est Verbum, sed in carne natum est, non in se. In se autem est quidem a Patre, sed diem natalem non habet in tempore.

2. Christ has a birthday here as man, not as God. And how did the Word of God, God, through Whom all things were made, Who was born without beginning of time, through Whom times were made, find a birthday in time? How, I say, did the Word, through Whom times were made, find a birthday in time? Do you ask how? Hear the Gospel itself: The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us (John 1:14). The birthday of Christ is the birthday of the flesh, not of the Word: but it is the birthday of the Word for this reason, that the Word was made flesh. The Word was born, but was born in the flesh, not in Himself. In Himself indeed He is from the Father, but He has no birthday in time.

CAPUT II. — 3. Mirabilis utraque nativitas, Christi et Joannis, licet tanta sit inter eos distantia. Natus est Joannes, natus est et Christus: annuntiatus Joannes ab angelo, annuntiatus Christus ab angelo. Utrumque magnum miraculum. Servum praecursorem parit sterilis de sene viro, Dominum possessorem parit virgo sine viro. Magnus homo Joannes: sed plus quam homo Christus; quia et homo et Deus. Magnus homo; sed humiliandus erat homo, ut exaltaretur Deus. Denique quia humiliandus erat homo, audi ipsum hominem: Non sum dignus corrigiam calceamenti

Chapter II. — 3. Both births, of Christ and of John, are wonderful, although so great is the distance between them. John was born, and Christ was born: John was announced by an angel, Christ was announced by an angel. Each a great miracle. A barren woman bears a servant forerunner from an old husband; a virgin bears the Lord and Owner without a husband. John a great man: but Christ more than man; because both man and God. A great man; but the man had to be humbled, that God might be exalted. In short, because the man had to be humbled, hear the man himself: I am not worthy the strap of the shoe

Editors' notes and page, col. 1301

Footnotes

(*) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image (sermon title)› · call in col 1301 * Emendatus ad gr. et ad Ulim. Par. Lov.

Corrected against gr., and against the editions of Ulimmerius, Paris and Louvain.

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(a) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image› · call in col 1301

(printed under page 657) (a) Alias, de Diversis 40.

Elsewhere, De diversis 40.

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(b) ‹anchor: not visible in foot image› · call in col 1301

(printed under page 657) (b) Sermones de Natali Joannis Baptistae plures notat Possidius in Indiculo, capp. 8, 9 et 10.

Possidius notes several sermons on the Nativity of John the Baptist in his Indiculus, chapters 8, 9 and 10.

(printed under page 657) (a) Alias, 23 inter Sirmondianos.

Elsewhere, no. 23 among Sirmond's sermons.

(printed under page 657) (b) Meminit Possidius in Indiculo, cap. 8; et Florus ad Philipp. II.

Possidius mentions it in his Indiculus, chapter 8; and so does Florus, on Philippians 2.

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Page

running head: 1301 SERMO CCLXXXVI… (cut off at the right edge of the image)
marginal letters: (none)
old-edition numerals: (none)

PL 38:1302

ejus solvere (Joan. I, 27). Si se dignum diceret, quantum se humiliaret? Nec hoc se dixit dignum. Omnino prostravit se, et prostravit se sub petra. Lucerna enim erat (Id. V, 35), et vento superbiae timebat exstingui.

of Him to loose (John 1:27). If he had called himself worthy, how much would he have humbled himself? Yet he did not say he was worthy even of this. He laid himself down entirely, and he laid himself down beneath the rock. For he was a lamp (ibid. 5:35), and he feared to be put out by the wind of pride.

CAPUT III. — 4. Christi et Joannis in die natali et in passione differentia quid significavit. Denique quia humiliandus erat omnis homo Christo, ac per ho⟨c⟩ et Joannes; et quod exaltandus erat Deus homo Christus, demonstravit et dies natalis, et genera passionum. Natus est Joannes hodie: ab hodierno minuuntur dies. Natus est Christus octavo calendas januarias: ab illo die crescunt dies. Joannes in passione capite est diminutus, Christus in ligno est exaltatus. Quam bene nuntiatus est virgini Mariae, quam vere, quam sancte: Quomodo fiet istud, quoniam virum non cognosco? Credebat, sed modum quaerebat. Et quid audivit? Spiritus sanctus superveniet in te, et virtus Altissimi, ipse Spiritus sanctus, id est, virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Et propterea hoc quod nascetur ex te sanctum, vocabitur Filius Dei (Luc. I, 34 et 35). Virtus Altissimi obumbrabit tibi. Erit in te conceptus, libido non erit concupiscentiae. Non erit aestus, ubi umbram facit Spiritus sanctns. Sed quia corpori nostro sunt aestus, sufficiant haec charitati vestrae: bene cogitata plura erunt.

Chapter III. — 4. What the difference between Christ and John on their birthdays and in their passions signified. In short, that every man had to be humbled before Christ, and therefore John too, and that Christ, God and man, had to be exalted, was shown both by their birthdays and by the kinds of their passions. John was born today: from today the days grow shorter. Christ was born on the eighth day before the Kalends of January: from that day the days grow longer. John in his passion was diminished by his head; Christ on the wood was exalted. How well was He announced to the Virgin Mary, how truly, how holily: How shall this be, since I do not know a man? She believed, but she asked about the manner. And what did she hear? The Holy Spirit shall come upon you, and the power of the Most High, the Holy Spirit Himself, that is, the power of the Most High, shall overshadow you. And therefore that holy thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God (Luke 1:34–35). The power of the Most High shall overshadow you. There will be conception in you; there will be no lust of concupiscence. There will be no heat where the Holy Spirit makes shade. But since our bodies are in the heat, let these things suffice for your charity: well pondered, they will become more.

Editors' notes and page, col. 1302

Footnotes

(1) ‹anchor: quam sancte› · call in col 1302

¹ Germanensis Ms., quam vere sancta.

The Saint-Germain manuscript: quam vere sancta ("how truly holy").

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