E04547: Augustine of Hippo preaches in Latin a sermon on the feast of the Apostles *Peter (S00036) and *Paul (S00008), explaining that they died on the same day, but not in the same year. Sermon 381, if authentic preached in an unknown place in North Africa between 391 and 430.

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 381

1. Petri et Pauli apostolorum dies, in quo triumphalem coronam, deuicto diabolo, meruerunt, quantum fides romana testatatur, hodiernus est. Quibus solemnis festiuitas exhibetur, solemnis etiam sermo reddatur. Laudes audiant a nobis, preces fundant pro nobis. Sicut traditione patrum cognitum memoria retinetur, non uno die passi sunt per coeli spatia decurrente. Natalitio ergo Petri passus est Paulus, non quo ex utero matris in numerum fusus est hominum, sed quo ex uinculo carnis in lucem natus est angelorum; ac per hoc ita singuli dies dati sunt duobus, ut nunc unus celebretur ambobus.

'As the belief of the Romans assures us, today is the day of the apostles Peter and Paul, on which, having roundly defeated the devil, they earned the victor's crown. Since a solemn feast (solemnis festiuitas) is held in their honour, let our respects also be paid to them with a formal sermon, may they hear our praises, may they pour out prayers on our behalf. The common memory, basing itself on the tradition of the fathers, knows that they did not actually suffer in the course of the same day between sunrise and sunset. So Paul suffered on Peter's birthday (natalitium), not the day he emerged from his mother's womb to join the ranks of mankind, but the one on which he was released from the bonds of the flesh and born into the light of the angels. And so it is, while each was given his own day of martyrdom, they are now both celebrated on the same day.'

In what follows Augustine reflects upon the role of Peter and Paul in the beginning of the Church.

Text: Patrologia Latina 39, 1683. Translation: Hill 1995, 372. Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.