E02613: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the feast of the Apostles *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008), expressing his disappointment that it is less well attended by the faithful that those of other martyrs. Sermon 298, preached in Hippo Regius (North Africa), c. 426-430.
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posted on 2017-03-25, 00:00authored byrobert
Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 298
1. Debuimus quidem tantorum martyrum diem, hoc est, sanctorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli, maiore frequentia celebrare. Si enim celebramus frequentissime natalitia agnorum, quanto magis debemus arietum?
'Really, we should have been celebrating the feast of such great martyrs, that is of the holy apostles Peter and Paul, with a much bigger crowd than this. After all, if we flock in big crowds to the celebration of the birthday of lambs, how much more should we do for those of the rams?'
In what follows, Augustine expresses once again his disappointment at the fact that so few of the faithful attended the feast.
Text: Morin 1930, 516. Translation: Hill 1994, 224. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.
History
Evidence ID
E02613
Saint Name
Peter the Apostle : S00036
Paul, the Apostle : S00008
Martyrs, unnamed or name lost : S00060
Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives
Ecclesiastics - bishops
Crowds
Source
The sermon is dated to the years 426-430 on the basis of intertextual references and its place in the collection of Augustine's sermons. Augustine's obvious disappointment at the smallness of his congregation shows that it was preached at Hippo.
Discussion
Augustine suggests that the feast of the apostles (rams) attracted less people that those of other, most probably local martyrs (lambs).
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 9, 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.