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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, 00:00 authored by robert
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

Saint Name in Source

Petrus Paulus

Type of Evidence

Literary - Sermons/Homilies

Language

  • Latin

Evidence not before

397

Evidence not after

430

Activity not before

397

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 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.

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    Evidence -  The Cult of Saints in Late Antiquity

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