Augustine of Hippo preaches a sermon at the feast of *Stephen (the First Martyr, S00030), referring to miracles which occur at his relics and asking both Stephen and *Paul (the Apostle S00008) for intercession. Sermon 316, delivered in Latin, probably in Hippo Regius (Numidia, central North Africa), 425/430.
E03597
Literary - Sermons/Homilies
Augustine of Hippo
Augustine of Hippo, Sermon 316
[In solemnitate Stephani martyris
'On the feast of the martyr Stephen']
1. Beatissimus et in Christo gloriosissimus martyr Stephanus iam sermone suo saginauit nos: sed post illam saginam appono uobis de sermone ministerii mei quasi secundam mensam.
'The most blessed and glorious martyr in Christ, Stephen, has now given us our fill with his sermon; but after that satisfying meal, I am setting before you, with the sermon my ministry requires of me, a kind of dessert.'
Augustine recalls and comments upon Stephen's story and refers to the miracles that he performed, emphasising that they were performed by Christ's power:
Numquid enim legimus, aut in doctrina sana alicubi legere possumus, quia faciebat aut facit signa iesus per nomen Stephani? Fecit Stephanus, sed per nomen Christi. Hoc facit et modo: quidquid uidetis quia fit per memoriam Stephani, in nomine Christi fit; ut Christus commendetur, Christus adoretur, Christus exspectetur iudex uiuorum et mortuorum, et ab eis qui illum diligunt ad dexteram stetur.
'Have we ever read, after all, or can we possibly read anywhere in sound teaching, that Jesus ever performed, or still performs, signs by the name of Stephen? Stephen performed them, but by the name of Christ. That is what he is doing even now; whatever you see done by the relics of Stephen (per memoriam Stephani), is done in the name of Christ; so that Christ may be drawn to the world's attention, Christ may be worshipped, Christ expected as judge of the living and the dead, and a stand be taken on the right by those who love him.'
5. At the end of the sermon, Augustine addresses *Paul, the Apostle, who, as Saul, had witnessed the stoning of Stephen, and then addresses both saints:
Cum eo quem lapidasti, cum Christo regnas. Ambo ibi uos uidetis; ambo modo sermonem nostrum auditis; ambo pro nobis orate.
'You [Paul] are reigning with the one you stoned [Stephen], reigning with Christ. There you can both see each other, can both now hear my sermon; both of you pray for us.'
Text: Patrologia Latina 38, 1431-1432 and 1434.
Translation: Hill 1994, 137-138 and 140, lightly modified.
Summary: Robert Wiśniewski.
Sermon/homily
Service for the saint
FestivalsSaint’s feast
Non Liturgical ActivityPrayer/supplication/invocation
MiraclesMiracle after death
Unspecified miracle
RelicsUnspecified relic
Protagonists in Cult and NarrativesEcclesiastics - bishops
Source
Augustine of Hippo was born in 354 in the north African city of Thagaste. He received an education in rhetoric at Carthage, and after a period teaching there moved to Rome, and then in 384 to a public professorship of rhetoric in Milan. In these early years of adulthood Augustine was a Manichaean, but then got disillusioned with this religion, and in Milan in 386, largely under the influence of Ambrose, bishop of the city, he converted to Christianity, and was baptised by Ambrose in 387. Returning to Africa in 388, he was ordained a priest in 391 at Hippo Regius (in the province of Numidia), and rapidly acquired a reputation as a preacher. In 395 he became bishop of Hippo, which he remained until his death in 430. Details of his early life were recorded by Augustine himself in his Confessions, and shortly after his death a pupil and long-time friend, Possidius, wrote his Life, focused on Augustine as an effective Christian writer, polemicist and bishop (E00073).Amongst his many writings, the most informative on the cult of saints are his numerous Sermons, the City of God, and a treatise On the Care of the Dead. The Sermons tell us which saints (primarily African, but with some from abroad) received attention in Hippo, Carthage and elsewhere, and provide occasional details of miracles and cult practices. The City of God records the distribution, and subsequent miracles, of the relics of saint Stephen, after they arrived in Africa from Palestine in around 420. On the Care of the Dead, discusses the possible advantages of burial ad sanctos (in other words, close to a saint), and theorises on the link between the saints who dwell in heaven and their corporeal remains buried in their graves. In these works, and others, Augustine reveals his own particular beliefs about the saints, their relics and their miracles.
This sermon was preached probably after 425, when relics of St Stephen were brought to Hippo.
Discussion
The term memoria (literally 'memory' or 'memorial') is also used by Augustine both for the shrines of martyrs and, more narrowly, for their relics. Since it is evident that, for Augustine, the memorial shrine (memoria) of a saint contained relics of that saint, there is often (as here) no substantive difference in the ways he uses the word. In this passage he is evidently referring to relics which were brought to Africa probably by Orosius, and deposited in several cities, including Hippo, Calama, and Uzalis.[We are grateful to Soloman Northrop for drawing our attention to the very interesting passage where Augustine seeks the joint prayers of Stephen and Paul.]
Bibliography
Edition:Migne, J.P., Patrologia Latina 38 (Paris, 1865).
Translation:
Hill, E., The Works of Saint Augustine: A Translation for the 21st Century, vol. III 9. Sermons 306-340A for 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.
Robert Wiśniewski
23/08/2017
| ID | Name | Name in Source | Identity | S00008 | Paul, the Apostle | Certain | S00030 | Stephen, the First Martyr | Stephanus | Certain |
|---|
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