E01771: Augustine of Hippo preaches a sermon at the feast of *Crispina, (martyr of Theveste, S00905), possibly at Theveste (North Africa). Exposition on Psalm 120, written in Latin in North Africa, 392/417.

Augustine of Hippo, Exposition on Psalm 120, ch. 13

Et saeuiebant persecutores in Crispinam, cuius hodie natalitia celebramus; saeuiebant in feminam diuitem et delicatam; sed fortis erat, quia dominus tegumentum eius super manum dexterae eius, ille qui eam custodiebat.

'The persecutors raged against Crispina whose annual feast (natalitia) we are celebrating today; they raged against a rich and delicate woman: but she was strong, for the Lord defended her and was her covering upon her right hand.'


There follows a short description of Crispina's martyrdom.

Putate, fratres, quia per natalem beatae Crispinae inuitaui uos, et immoderatior fui in conuiuio producendo. Nonne posset hoc uobis fieri, si quis uos militaris inuitaret, et ad mensam sine mensura bibere cogeret? Liceat nobis hoc facere in diuino sermone, ut inebriemini et satiemini, quemadmodum et dominus pluuia sua temporali dignatus est terram irrigare, ut cum maiore gaudio nos sineret ire ad locum martyrum, sicut hesterno die promiseramus. Illi enim martyres sine labore hic sunt nobiscum.

'You think, brothers, that I invited you for the annual feast (natalitia) and was immoderate in preparation of the banquet. It could happen, if some military man invited you and forced you at the table to drink without measure. It is proper for us to do the same with the holy sermon which would make you drunk and satiated, as the Lord at times deigns to water the earth by rain. All this will let us go with a greater joy to the place of martyrs (locum martyrum), as we promised yesterday. For those martyrs are here with us, without any toil.'


Text: Dekkers and Fraipont 1956. Translation and summary: Robert Wiśniewski.