E03632: Augustine of Hippo delivers a Latin sermon on Easter Monday, promising that a written account (libellus) of a man healed by the agency of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030) will be read next day. Sermon 321, preached c. 425 in Hippo Regius (North Africa).

Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 321

[Feria tertia paschae

'On Easter Monday']


Diximus quidem hesterno die, sicut meminit charitas uestra: huius libellus, aspectus est. Tamen quia nonnulla nobis indicauit, quae nosse debetis, ad maiorem admirationem et Domini nostri gloriam, de suorum sanctorum memoriis, de quibus dictum est, pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius; etiam libellum dare decet, qui habet omnia quae ex eius ore cognouimus. Sed si dominus uoluerit, hodie parabitur, et uobis die crastino recitabitur. Hesterno die libellum promisimus charitati uestrae, ubi de illo sanato audire etiam possitis, quae uidere non potuistis.

'I did indeed say yesterday, as your graces will remember, that this man's written account is the very sight of him. And yet, he has told me a number of things you ought to know, to the greater admiration and glory of our Lord, about the memorial shrines of his saints, about whom it is said, "Precious in the eyes of the Lord is the death of his saints" (Ps 116:15). So it will be only right to produce a written account which will contain everything I learned from his lips. But, if the Lord so wishes, it will be compiled today, and read out to you tomorrow.'

Text: Patrologia Latina 38, 1442. Translation: Hill 1994, 157.