Appendix to Augustine's Sermones: Sermones supposititii, Sermones 241-257

wish to receive at the end of their life, and we see scarcely a few deserve to obtain it in the way they desire, why do we not do penance daily, so that, holding on to a certain thing, we may be freed from uncertain and doubtful things? For how many who believed that they would receive penance at the end of their life have either been crushed by a sudden collapse, or perhaps drowned by shipwreck, or killed by lightning, or so struck by a stroke of the blood or by that infirmity which is called apoplexy, that they were utterly unable not only to ask for penance, but even to sign themselves or to say the Lord's Prayer? For since human frailty is subject to such great mishaps, it is an exceedingly dangerous presumption that we should reserve ourselves to long stretches of time for doing penance, we who cannot have the life of a single day in our power. And therefore let us hear with fear and trembling the Lord speaking through the prophet and admonishing us with a loving exhortation: Do not delay to be converted to the Lord, and do not put it off from day to day (Sir. 5:8). For He Who said, On whatever day you groan, you will be saved (Ezek. 33:12), He Himself said, Do not delay to be converted to the Lord. And this we can obtain with God's help, if we continually entreat that the loving Lord may deign to inspire us to flee all evils swiftly, and to practise tirelessly the things that are good, not to covet the property of others, not to commit capital crimes, to redeem unceasingly the small sins, without which we cannot be, by forgiveness of enemies and almsgiving to the poor, to apply ourselves frequently, according to our strength, to fasts, vigils and prayers with perfect charity, to visit the sick, to seek out those placed in prison, to receive strangers, and not only to wash their feet humbly but also, in so far as our means suffice, to bestow on them what they need, not only to keep peace ourselves with all, but also to call back to concord those who are at discord. If the day of our passing finds us faithfully occupied in such holy works, then, as I have already said, even if we do not receive penance in the hour of our death, we shall depart from this light secure; and by the Lord's gift we shall be able not only to escape punishment, but also to arrive happily at eternal life. Amen.

Sermon 257. An admonition that for capital crimes recourse should be had, without any dissembling, to the remedy of penance.

1. On pardon: presumption and despair. Penance is not to be put off, nor to be blushed at. Whenever it happens, dearest brethren, that someone falls into any grave sin or even crime, as human frailty is wont, he ought neither to despair because God is just, nor to trust with excessive security because He is merciful; but let him so fear justice that he seeks mercy, and so trust in mercy that he nevertheless trembles at justice: because the longer God waits for us to be corrected, the more heavily He punishes if we think of conversion too late. For a poultice or a clasp is best applied to wounds while they are still warm, and a wound is quickly brought back to health which is not allowed to fester through long misuse. But someone says: When I come to old age, then I will take refuge in the medicines of penance. Why should human frailty presume this of itself, when it does not have a single day of its life in its own power? How many believed that they would live a long time, and sudden death so carried them off that they could not arrive even at that momentary penance? We are ashamed to do penance now for a short time, and we do not fear to endure eternal torments without any end. O unhappy man, at the very wound itself you do not

blush; and you blush at the binding of the wound! For sin is a wound, penance is the binding of the wound: you who do not wish to do penance, without doubt you neglect to apply remedies to your wounds; and you do not recognize that a wound left uncovered is more foul, and produces greater horror, than if it were wrapped up with remedies applied to it.

2. Penance is necessary for all. An enumeration of small sins. They can be redeemed by the mercy of God alone. And consider this, brethren, that even if capital crimes did not steal upon you, the small sins themselves, which (what is worse) we either do not notice or certainly count as nothing, if they were all gathered together, I do not know what abundance of good works would suffice to outweigh them. Let us consider, from the time when we began to have understanding, what for oaths, what for perjuries, what for curses, what for detractions, what for idle words, what for hatred, what for anger, what for envy, what for evil desire, what for gluttony, what for sleepiness, what for filthy thoughts, what for the concupiscence of the eyes, what for the voluptuous delight of the ears, what for the provoking of the poor, what for the fact that we have visited Christ in prison either late or reluctantly, that we have received strangers negligently, that, according to our promise in Baptism, we have neglected to wash the feet of guests, that we have visited the sick later than we ought, that we have not called back the quarrelsome to concord with a whole and undivided mind, that we have wished to dine while the Church was fasting, that standing in the church itself, while the holy lessons were being read, we have been occupied with idle tales, that while singing psalms or praying we have sometimes thought of something other than we ought, that at banquets we have not always spoken what is holy, but sometimes what is wanton. These things, then, and things like them, which can scarcely be known or counted, if they are gathered into one heap from the time when we began to have understanding, even if capital crimes are not added, by how great and what kind of abundance of good works will they be able to be redeemed, unless, with divine mercy outweighing them, the severity or justice of God has been mitigated through humble and contrite penance, with more generous alms added according to our strength? Since, then, even these things that I have mentioned, without which no human being can exist, weigh upon us exceedingly, and perhaps capital crimes and sins too steal upon us, with I know not what conscience we induce in ourselves a dangerous security, and with deadly pretence neglect to seek the remedy of penance: and while we are wearied by countless waves on the sea of this world, we put off seeking the harbour of penance until after long spans of time, not understanding that from a multitude of sins despair is born, and from despair the reins of sins are loosened without any reverence; and that which is written is fulfilled: The ungodly man, when he has come into the depth of evils, will despise (Prov. 18:3).

3. For whom late penance is of profit. How unjustly it is waited for, how dangerously. But someone says: When I come to old age, or have been given up as hopeless through some excessive illness, then I will ask for penance. We do not indeed say that that penance cannot be of profit: it is certain that it profits, if each one receives it with great and generous almsgiving, and grants pardon to all his enemies, and asks forgiveness of whomever he has wronged; and so resolves with his whole heart that, if he escapes, as long as he lives he will carry it out with all his strength, with roaring and groaning and with many alms, humbly and faithfully. And yet you, wise man, consider amid all these things whether it is just that through your whole life you should serve vices and sins, and only rise up to acquire life when already half-dead. Do you wish this to be done to you by your servant, that as long as he was strong and young he should serve your enemies, and when he came to old age, then at last should wish to return to your service? What therefore you do not wish to suffer from your servant, it is not just that you should do to your Lord. Since, however, we have known many who, while they were healthy, often said that they desired penance with their whole heart;

but nevertheless, because they were unwilling to do it at once, they departed from this world without its remedy. For the sinner is struck with this punishment as well: that in dying he forgets himself, who while living forgot God. For whoever was unwilling to seek the remedy for his soul when he could, it is doubtful whether he deserves to receive it afterwards, even if he wishes to.

4. Let both small and grave sins be redeemed continually. Bad hope and bad despair. And therefore, dearest brothers, let us think wisely and profitably on the time of judgement and the day of rendering account, and let us mourn our crimes or greater sins with groans and sighs as long as we live; and let us redeem those small faults, both those we committed before and those we commit unceasingly, with constant prayers and more generous alms. And just as the daily wounds of sins are never lacking, so let the remedies of alms and prayers never be lacking. For if we restrain ourselves with our own severity, we forestall the sentence of the Judge to come. For whoever does not spare himself for his sins, to him God swiftly grants pardon in return; and whoever now suspends himself from communion on account of his guilt will not be able to be removed from that altar which is in heaven; according to that saying, Tell your iniquities first, that you may be justified (Prov. 18:17). If you acknowledge your iniquity, God pardons it. Let no one, then, despair; but let no one hope wrongly. He despairs wrongly who believes that, even if he does penance for his sins, the divine mercy will not pardon him. And he hopes wrongly who reserves himself for the medicines of penance until after a long time. For just as it is said to those who despair wrongly, In whatever day the sinner is converted, all his iniquities shall be given over to oblivion (Ezek. 18:21–22), so it is said to those who hope wrongly, Do not delay to be converted to the Lord (Sir. 5:8). Let us therefore, dearest brothers, men as well as women, religious as well as lay, old as well as young, boys as well as girls, consider these things more attentively; and, spurning without any pretence the deadly sense of security, let us be eager to apply the medicines of penance to our sins every day, fearing that which was said, Remember that death does not delay (Sir. 14:12). For if we do these things faithfully, we shall come happily before the tribunal of the eternal Judge, not to receive the sentence of damnation, but to be rewarded with eternal prizes, with joy and exultation: with the help of our Lord Jesus Christ, Who lives and reigns for ages of ages. Amen.