E02340: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the eve of the feast of *John the Baptist (S00020), referring also to the forthcoming feast of the Apostles *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008). Sermon 279, preached in 401 in Carthage (North Africa).
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posted on 2017-02-06, 00:00authored byrobert
Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 279
13. Augustine acknowledges that the same day is a festival also for pagans. Christians, however, should celebrate it differently.
Sancti Iohannis diem celebraturi sumus, Iohannis Baptistae, praecursoris Domini, amici sponsi, cum tota castitate, cum tota sobrietate.
'We are going to celebrate St John's day, John the Baptist, the Lord's forerunner, the friend of the bridegroom, with complete chastity, with total sobriety.'
[...]
Itaque, fratres, crastinum diem celebrabimus, sicut dixi, in nomine Domini, sancti Iohannis Baptistae. Post septem dies, id est die sabbato, celebrabimus etiam natalicium martyrum sanctorum Petri et Pauli.
'And so, brothers, as I said, we shall be celebrating tomorrow, in the Lord's name, the feast of Saint John the Baptist. In seven days' time, that is on Saturday, we shall also be celebrating the birthday of the holy martyrs Peter and Paul.'
Text: Morin 1930, 592. Translation: Hill 1994, 68-69. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.
History
Evidence ID
E02340
Saint Name
Peter the Apostle : S00036
John the Baptist : S00020
Paul, the Apostle : S00008
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Source
The sermon is tentatively dated either to AD 401 on the basis of intertextual references and its place in the collection of Augustine's sermons. We know that Augustine was then in Carthage.
Bibliography
Text:
Morin, G., Sancti Augustini Sermones post Maurinos reperti (Miscellanea Agostiniana, vol. 1; Rome: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1930).
Translation:
Hill, E., The Works of Saint Augustine. A Translation for the 21st Century, vol. III 8, Sermons 273-305A on the Saints (New York: New City Press, 1994).
Dating:
Kunzelmann, A., "Die Chronologie der sermones des hl. Augustinus," Miscellanea Agostiniana, vol. 2 (Rome: Tipografia Poliglotta Vaticana, 1931), 417-452.