SAINT AUGUSTINE

SERMONS ON THE LITURGICAL SEASONS

Translated by

SISTER MARY SARAH MULDOWNEY, R. S. M.

the catholic university of america press

washington, dc

Copyright © 1959 by

THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA PRESS, INC.

Reprinted 1984

All rights reserved

First paperback reprint 2008

Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 65-18318

ISBN No. 0-8132-0038-5

ISBN-13: 978-0-8132-1565-5 (pbk)

THE FATHERS OF THE CHURCH

A NEW TRANSLATION

EDITORIAL BOARD

Hermigild Dressler, O.F.M.

The Catholic University of America Press

Editorial Director

FORMER EDITORIAL DIRECTORS

Ludwig Schopp, Roy J. Deferrari, Bernard M. Peebles

Richard Talaska

Editorial Assistant

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

FOR THE FEAST OF THE NATIVITY (Sermons 184–196)

FOR NEW YEAR’S DAY (Sermons 197–198)

FOR THE EPIPHANY (Sermons 199–204)

FOR THE LENTEN SEASON (Sermons 205–211)

FOR THE RECENT CONVERTS (Sermons 212–218)

FOR THE VIGIL OF EASTER (Sermons 219–223)

FOR EASTER SUNDAY (Sermons 224–228)

FOR THE EASTER SEASON (Sermons 229–260)

FOR THE FEAST OF THE ASCENSION (Sermons 261–265)

INDEX

INTRODUCTION

The Sermons of St. Augustine which, as a group, are here published in English translation for the first time in this country were delivered on the various feasts and seasons of the liturgical year. They include twelve discourses for the feast of Christmas, two for New Year’s Day, six for the Epiphany, fourteen for Lent, five for the Vigil of Easter, five for Easter Sunday, thirty for the Easter season, and five for Ascension Thursday. In the translation an attempt has been made to adhere, as closely as seemed feasible, to the style of St. Augustine, repetitious though it is, since to do otherwise would inevitably detract from the simplicity and directness which constitute the singular charm of his discourse.

These Sermones de tempore constitute one part of the monumental collection of the preaching of St. Augustine as published by the Benedictines of St. Maur in 1683 and as subsequently compiled by P. Migne in the Patrologia Latina. There we find a corpus of about 400 sermons, including 83 on various passages of the Old Testament, 88 on the great liturgical feasts of the year, 69 on the festivals of the saints, 23 on a variety of subjects and 31 of doubtful authenticity. To this number may be added the sermons in explanation of the psalms and of the Gospel and Epistles of St. John which are often designated as tracts, as well as a small number of others distributed through the corpus. In addition, 313 sermons are classified as spurious.1 Nevertheless, though grounded on the first printed edition compiled by Augustinus Dodo in 1495 and enlarged by supplementary material furnished by Vlimmerius (1564), J. Sirmondus (1631), J. Vignier (1654), and though revised with great discrimination by the monks of St. Maur, this Benedictine ...