E04542: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the feast of *John the Baptist (00020). Sermon 379, delivered sometime between 391 and 430, possibly in Hippo Regius (North Africa).

online resource

posted on 2017-12-30, 00:00 authored by robert

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 379

1. Sanctus Iohannes Baptista, cuius natiuitatis dies hodie celebratur, tam magnus exstitit inter homines ut Dominus Christus ei tale testimonium perhiberet dicens: in natis mulierum nemo surrexit maior Iohanne Baptista.

'The blessed John, whose birthday in being celebrated today, stood out as so great a man among men, that the Lord Christ bore this kind of witness to him, saying, "Among those born of women none has arisen greater than John the Baptist" (Mt 11:11).'

In what follows Augustine reflects upon the story of John the Baptist and presents his role as that of a witness of Christ who directs people to him.

Text: Lambot 1949, 62. Translation: Hill 1995, 355. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.

History

Evidence ID

E04542

Saint Name

John the Baptist : S00020

Saint Name in Source

Iohannes Baptista

Related Saint Records

https://oxford.figshare.com/articles/John_the_Baptist/13729156

Type of Evidence

Literary - Sermons/Homilies

Language

Latin

Evidence not before

391

Evidence not after

430

Activity not before

391

Activity not after

430

Place of Evidence - Region

Latin North Africa

Place of Evidence - City, village, etc

Hippo Regius

Place of evidence - City name in other Language(s)

Hippo Regius Carthage Carthago Karthago قرطاج‎ Qarṭāj Mçidfa Carthage

Major author/Major anonymous work

Augustine of Hippo

Cult activities - Liturgical Activity

Sermon/homily

Cult activities - Festivals

Saint’s feast

Cult Activities - Protagonists in Cult and Narratives

Ecclesiastics - bishops

Source

It is impossible to determine the date on which this sermon was preached. Hippo, Augustine's episcopal see, is just a default location.

Bibliography

Text: Lambot, C., "Sermons inédits de s. Augustin pour des fêtes de saints," Revue Bénédictine 59 (1949), 55-81. Translation: Hill, E., The Works of Saint Augustine. A Translation for the 21st Century, vol. III 9, Sermons 306-340A 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.