This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com SERMONS A UGUSTINIAN HERITAGE INSTITUTE Board of Advisors: Gerald Bonner, Maria Boulding, O.S.B. Gervase Corcoran, O.S.A., Robert Dodaro, O.S.A. Allan D. Fitzgerald, O.S.A., Edmund Hill, O.P. John Page, Joseph McGowan John Oldfield, O.A.R., Boniface Ramsey, O.P., Director: John E. Rotelle, O.S.A. THE WORKS OF SAINT A UGUSTINE A Translation for the 21st Century Part III — Sermons Volume 7: Sermons 230-272B The English translation of the works of Saint Augustine has been made possible with contributions from the following: Order of Saint Augustine Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova (East) Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel (Midwest) Province of Saint Augustine (California) Province of Saint Joseph (Canada) Vice Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel (Ireland) Province of Saint John Stone (England and Scotland) Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel (Australia) The Augustinians of the Assumption (North America) The Sisters of Saint Thomas of Villanova Order of Augustinian Recollects Province of Saint Augustine Mr. and Mrs. James C. Crouse Mr. and Mrs. Paul Henkels Mr. and Mrs. Francis E. McGill, Jr. Mr. and Mrs. Mariano J. Rotelle THE WORKS OF SAINT AUGUSTINE A Translation for the 21st Century SERMONS III/7 (230-272B) on the Liturgical Seasons translation and notes Edmund Hill, O.P. editor John E. Rotelle, O.S.A. New City Press New Rochelle, New York BR Published in the United States by New City Press 86 Mayflower Avenue, New Rochelle, New York 10801 ©1993 Augustinian Heritage Institute W<fo V-7 Cover design by Ben D'Angio Library of Congress Cataloging in-Publication Data: Augustine, Saint, Bishop of Hippo. The works of Saint Augustine. "Augustinian Heritage Institute" Includes bibliographical references and indexes. Contents: — pt. 3., v. 1. Sermons on the Old Testament, 1-19. — pt. 3, v. 2. Sermons on the Old Testament, 20-50 — pt. 3, v. 3. Sermons on the New Testament, 51-94 [etc.] — pt. 3, v. 7 Sermons on the liturgical seasons, 230-272B. 1 . Theology — Early church, ca. 30-600. I. Hill, Edmund. II. Rotelle, John E. III. Augustinian Heritage Institute. IV. Title. BR65.A5E53 1990 270.2 89-28878 ISBN 1-56548-055-4 (series) ISBN 1-56548-059-7 (pt. 3, v. 7) Nihil Obstat: John E. Rotelle, O.S.A., S.T.L. Censor Deputatus Imprimatur: + Patrick Sheridan, D.D. Vicar General Archdiocese of New York, August 31, 1993 The Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur are official declarations that a book or pamphlet is free of doctrinal or moral error. No implication is contained therein that those who have granted the Nihil Obstat and Imprimatur agree with the contents, opinions or statements expressed. Printed in the United States Y CONTENTS Sermon 230 — Preached during the Easter octave 17 If you want to be "the day which the Lord has made," live good lives — 17 Sermon 231 — Preached during the Easter octave 19 We believe their words, they didn't even believe their own eyes — 19; Christ's resurrection is our renewal — 1 9; If we live good lives, we have both died and risen again — 20; Living a good life means not loving futility and seeking after lies — 21; I'm inviting you to my life; as a pledge, keep hold of my death — 22 Sermon 232 — Preached during the Easter octave 24 The Lord's resurrection recounted from all the gospels, his passion only from Matthew — 24; The women telling the truth about Christ's resurrection are not believed, while Eve passing on the devil's lies had been believed — 24; The two disciples going to Emmaus thought of Christ only as a prophet, forgetting Peter's confession of him as the Christ, the Son of God — 25; How Peter was both blessed and Satan — 26; How we brought death to the Word, and he brought life to us — 26; Where the good thief found hope, the disciples lost it — 27; It is worth much more having Christ in one's heart than in one's house — 28; My riches are nothing else than your hope in Christ — 28 Sermon 233 — Preached during the Easter octave 32 Now is the time for the work; then will be the time for the reward — 32; The salvation or health promised us is very different from temporal health or safety — 32; The difference between " men" and " sons of men" is the difference between Adam and Christ — 33; Christ, "in the likeness of the flesh of sin," knows death because he's in the likeness, but does not know sin, because he is not "in the flesh of sin" — 33; Death will eventually be swallowed up in victory — 34 Sermon 234 — Preached during the Easter octave 36 The evangelists tell different stories about the appearances of Christ after his resurrection — 36; The good thief confessing Christ could have taught a lesson to the disciples whose faith wavered — 36; Faith in the resurrection distinguishes us from pagans and Jews; faith working through love must distinguish us from the demons — 37 Sermon 235 — Preached during the Easter octave 40 Do not worry about some evangelists leaving out what others mention; it is one and the same Spirit speaking the truth through each and every one of them — 40; The disciples were so shattered by the crucifixion that they forgot all Christ's teaching and promises — 40; We break bread, and we recognize the Lord — 41; Faith is built up by the Lord's absence; sight when he comes again will be the reward of faith now — 42 Sermon 236 — Preached during the Easter octave 44 Christ died for our sins, rose again for our justification — 44; The disciples had lost faith and hope; we as believers are better than they were then — 44; When one Christian shows hospitality to another who is a stranger, it is Christ himself who is being made welcome — 45 Sermon 236A — Preached during the Easter octave 47 The resurrection accounts of all the evangelists read during Easter week are true — 47; The disciples, not yet being believers, were even inferior to us, who do believe — 47; They think of Christ only as a prophet, forgetting how Peter had confessed him to be the Son of God — 48; The good thief was invited to teach the disciples a lesson in faith — 49 Sermon 237 — Sermon preached on the Wednesday of Easter week . ... 51 The disciples, thinking the risen Christ was a spirit, shared the pernicious error of the Manichees — 51; If the risen Christ had just been a spirit, he would have allowed his disciples to remain in that belief, instead of correcting them — 51; A spirit doesn't have flesh and bones, as you can see that I have — 52; The power of human words is almost impossible to explain; how much more so with the divine Word — 53 Sermon 238 — Preached during the Easter octave 56 The false ideas of the Manichees and Priscillianists about Christ are disproved by his showing that he had flesh and bones — 56; Hold on to the head; now hear about the body, which is also the bride — 57 Sermon 239 — Preached during the Easter octave 59 Mark and Luke were chosen to be evangelists, though they were not apostles, to signify that the task of evangelization continues in the Church to the end — 59; At the breaking of bread the eyes of the disciples were opened, not to see, but to know Christ — 59; Elijah is supported by the widow woman, for her good rather than for his — 60; The one welcomed is often better than the one who welcomes; the one receiving richer than the one handing out — 61; Lend at extortionate rates of interest to God, not to another human being — 61; God made his own Son poor for our sake — 62; Christ is in need in his members — 62 Sermon 240 — During the Easter season on the resurrection of the body, against the pagans 65 The gospel accounts of the resurrection do not contradict each other — 65; God Almighty raises the dead — 66; The flesh that is now an embarrassment will at the resurrection be an embellishment — 66; The opinions of the philosophers about the future state of souls after death — 67; The wisdom of the world is folly in God's eyes — 67 Sermon 241 — During the Easter season on the resurrection of the body, against the pagans 70 Belief in the resurrection is peculiar to Christians — 70; The beauty of the unchangeable creator is to be inferred from the beauty of the changeable creation — 71; What falls from a height sinks all the deeper — 72; Let nothing remain which can call you back — 72; May Truth set us free — 73; Hopes of a blessed life — 74; Porphyry's view that every sort of body is to be shunned — 74; Plato's doctrine of God as the creator of the celestial gods is contrary to Porphyry's axiom — 75 Sermon 242 — During the Easter season on the resurrection of the body, against the pagans 78 Christ really did rise from the dead in the flesh — 78; Why did the Lord eat after his resurrection? — 79; Why did the Lord rise again with the scars of his wounds? — 79; What about the resurrection of babies? — 79; How will an earthy body exist in heaven? — 80; Reflections on the ascension of Christ into heaven — 80; God is able, if God so wishes, to suspend the laws of nature — 81; Wood, though made of earth, floats on water — 81; Vessels of lead that float — 81; Some heavy bodies are swifter than light ones — 82; What it means to call bodies spiritual after the resurrection — 82; We can be absolutely certain that what God has promised will come about — 83 Sermon 242A — During the Easter season, on the resurrection of the body 85 Having raised up his own flesh, God will also raise up yours — 85; Bringing you alive from the tomb — 86; What you