Blessed Augustine. Five Easter Sermons

Contents Preface by the translator Sermon 228. On Easter Day. To the people and to the “babies” Sermon 227. On the sacraments of the holy day of Easter Sermon 229A (= Guelf. 7). On Easter Sunday Sermon 255A. About "Alleluia" Sermon 376A. On Sunday after Easter Appendix. Text of sermon 228 blj. Augustine according to the manuscripts [Saint-Mihiel] and [Montecassino] and the Moorish edition Abbreviations Sources Translations Literature / References The most important stage of catechesis in the early Church was post-baptismal mystagogy. In different local traditions the range of its topics could vary. For example, in the occult catechism of St. Cyril of Jerusalem, the first teaching is devoted to the rites of renunciation of Satan and union with Christ, the second to the sacrament of baptism, the third to the sacrament of confirmation, the fourth to the Eucharist as the sacrament of the Body and Blood of the Lord, and the fifth to the Eucharistic prayer and other parts of the liturgy of the faithful, including the Lord’s Prayer. The work of St. has a similar plan. Ambrose of Milan "On the Sacraments". In other churches, the topics of mystagogy could be distributed differently: the Lord's Prayer, as well as the sacrament of baptism and the accompanying rites were more often the subject of pre-baptismal instructions, but the sacrament of the Eucharist was always explained only to those already baptized. This plan is followed, for example, by Theodore of Mopsuestia [Gavrilyuk, 252–253; Puchkova, 32–35]. Blessed Augustine did not leave a single work that would represent his occult catechism. Instead, we are dealing with separate sermons in which the saint addresses “babies” (infantes), as well as sermons in which addresses to the faithful and to the newly baptized are interspersed. The group of sermons containing the post-baptismal catechism includes sermons 223–229, 259–260, 272, 353, 376, etc. [Fokine, 165] 1, delivered in different years during eight Easter days from Easter itself to the next Sunday, which, according to the blessed one. Augustine, “intended for the secret breeding of infants” (sacramentis infantium deputantur) 2 *. St. Augustine (apparently following the local North African tradition) prefers, like Theodore of Mopsuestia, to explain all the sacraments, except the Eucharist, before baptism. Of the four topics of his dogmatic and occult catechism (Creed, the Lord's Prayer, baptism and the Eucharist [Fokine, 162]), only the last one relates to the Easter (post-baptismal) period. The experience of participating in the Eucharist must necessarily precede any explanation of what the blj. Augustine says in almost every sermon on Eucharistic mystagogy: Now you will hear the same things that you heard yesterday, but today you are given an explanation of the words that you heard and those that you spoke in response - or perhaps you were silent when the answer was given. But now you know what you need to answer today: you learned this yesterday 3 *. Of all the previously untranslated Easter homilies, Bl. Augustine we have chosen sermons 227 and 229A ( = Guelf. 7) as two examples of the most important sermon of the Easter period - the homily during the Liturgy of the Faithful on Easter Day, which explains the sacrament of the Eucharist. A comparison of the two sermons will allow readers to see what complex of ideas and motives the saint reproduced in this sermon from year to year, and what could have changed. Sermons 228, 255A and 376A were chosen for translation as the most interesting from the point of view of the history of catechesis: the saint in them does not simply address the neophytes (for example, interpreting the lectionary reading), but speaks about them themselves, about their entry into the Church, the change in their status (aspirants > infants > faithful), the problems accompanying their spiritual “growing up.” These three sermons reveal the moral component of post-baptismal instruction. In this publication, the sermons are arranged in the order in which the Easter services follow: 228 – Easter morning: liturgy of the Word; 227 and 229A – Easter morning: Liturgy of the Faithful; 255A and 376A – Sunday after Easter. Let us briefly characterize all five sermons, their place in the post-baptismal teaching of the “infants”, the range of topics and issues discussed, as well as the publications from which our translation was made. Sermon 228. The time of utterance is the liturgy of the Word on the day of Easter [SC 116, 356], as indicated by the mention of the Easter vigil - “the work of last night”: After the labor of last night - for although the spirit is willing, yet the flesh is weak 4 * - I should not occupy your attention long with a sermon, and yet I owe you a sermon 5 *. Researchers do not see any solid basis for dating in the text of the sermon [Drobner, 735]. E. Hill, based on the “general tone,” suggests a late date – ca. 420 [Hill, 259] . The sermon is an appeal to the faithful with an exhortation to give the neophytes an example of a good life, as well as to the neophytes, whom the saint asks to imitate only those faithful whose lives correspond to this name: Look to the One who called you, who loved you, who sought you, the lost, and having found you, enlightened you, so that you do not follow the paths of the lost, who mistakenly bear the name of the faithful. For the point is not what they are called, but whether they live up to their name 6 *. The last paragraph 7 *, from the words “Sermonem ad altare dei debemus hodie infantibus de sacramento altaris...” (“Today I must preach to the infants at the altar of God a sermon about the sacrament of the altar”), H. Drobner considers an independent fragment, representing the beginning of the next sermon, delivered during the Liturgy of the Faithful (possibly on the same Easter Sunday) [Drobner, 736]. We can give a decisive argument in favor of this assumption: in a manuscript of the 10th century. from the Saint-Mihiel library [Saint-Mihiel, 54r] the last paragraph is missing, which gives us the opportunity to confidently exclude the indicated fragment from the text of sermon 228. Since a critical edition of the sermon has not yet been attempted, 8 I have tried to improve the Moorish text [Aurelius Augustinus 1683, 974–976] (reproduced by J.-P. Mines in PL) by referring to two manuscripts: the manuscript [Saint-Mihiel] of the 10th century, identified by J. Morin as the homilary of pseudo-Fulgentius [Morin], and manuscripts [Montecassino] of the 11th century. I place my reconstruction of the Latin text of the sermon based on two manuscripts and the Moorish edition, indicating all the discrepancies, in the appendix to this article. Three cases in which I preferred the Moorish readings to the readings of both manuscripts are commented on in the notes to the corresponding passages of the translation. Sermon 227. Eucharistic mystagogy. The time of recitation is the Liturgy of the Faithful on Easter Day [SC 116, 356]. Sermon 227 was part of a complete Easter cycle preserved in the homilary of Fleury Abbey (Paris, Bibliothèque nationale de France, Nouv. acq. 1598 + Nouv. acq. 1599, 7th–8th centuries). We are talking about ten sermons preached during the eight days of Easter celebration of one year. These are sermons 121 (Easter morning: Liturgy of the Word), 227 (Easter morning: Liturgy of the Faithful), 231 (Monday of Holy Week), 232 (Tuesday), 237 (Wednesday), 246 (Thursday), 250 (Friday), 253 (Saturday), 257 and 258 (Sunday after Easter). The Easter cycle from the homilary of Fleury Abbey is dated by S. Pock to the year 412 or 413 [SC 116, 129]. Rebillard joins the dating of Poc, alternative opinions were expressed by Kunzelmann (416–417), Hill (414–415), Grison and co-authors (414–415) [Drobner, 732; Dupont, 41]. Two sermons from the Easter cycle of the homilary of Fleury Abbey are available in previously published Russian translations: sermon 237 (“Discourse on the 4th day of the festivities”) was translated by S. A. Stepantsov [Blessed Augustine 2000], and the final sermon 258 of the cycle was translated by St. Maxim Kozlov [Blessed Augustine 2001]. The central place in the sermon is occupied by the exegesis of words from the 1st Epistle of St. Paul to the Corinthians: “One Bread; we, many, are one Body” 9 *, in which the bl. Augustine understands the Eucharist as a sacrament of unity. He refers to the traditional image of grains coming together to form the Eucharistic Bread. This image is present, for example, in Didache 10, as well as in sschmch. Cyprian of Carthage 11. Let us note that numerous references to the rites and sacraments associated with entry into the Church are woven into the explanation of the Eucharist. This is the rite of exorcism, and the “return” of the Symbol and the Lord’s Prayer, and, of course, baptism and confirmation: The time for baptism came - and you were, as it were, kneaded with water and took the form of bread. But without fire it is not bread yet. What does fire mean, that is, anointing with oil? The fact is that the oil that feeds the fire is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit 12 *. St. Augustine interprets the opening dialogue of the anaphora (with special attention to the exclamation “Lift up your heart!”), 13 passing over the other Eucharistic prayers in silence. The saint mentions the kiss of peace, performed not before the anaphora, but at the end of the liturgy of the faithful, after the Lord's Prayer (possible evidence in favor of the North African origin of this feature of the Western rite [Tkachenko, 331]). The published translation is based on the critical edition by S. Pock, published in 1966 in the “Sources Chrétiennes” series [SC 116, 234–243]. Sermon 229A, also known as 7th Guelferbitan 14 (Guelf. 7). Like the 227th, it was pronounced during the Liturgy of the Faithful on Easter Day and is dedicated to a mystagogical theme - an explanation of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Researchers unanimously date the sermon to 410–412. [Dupont, 42]. The sermon was discovered in 1913 by J. Morin as part of the Guelferbitan homilary - a codex of the 9th century, containing at least forty previously unknown sermons of the blessed. Augustine (Wolfenbüttel, Herzog August Bibliothek, Weiss. 12 (4096)). In its exposition of the sacrament of the Eucharist, Sermon 229A shares many features with Sermon 227: a lengthy exegesis of 1 Corinthians 10:17, milestones on the path to entry into the Church as the stage of turning grain into bread (from threshing to baking, which this time is a metaphor for temptations), commentary on the opening dialogue, but not on other Eucharistic prayers. An interesting feature of Sermon 229A is its appeal to both the neophytes and the faithful: You who have been reborn to new life (which is why you are called babes), listen! Especially you, who finally see this, listen to what it means, as I promised you. Listen, also the faithful, who are accustomed to see: a reminder is a good remedy for oblivion 15 *. The translation of Sermon 229A is based on the 1930 edition by J. Morin [MA 1, 462–464]. Sermon 255A (Wilm 18 + Mai 92). A short sermon commenting on the liturgical custom of singing "Alleluia" during Easter. Published by A. Mai in 1852, it was known as Mai 92 [Bibliotheca, 177–178], but the beginning of the sermon was absent from the codices used by Mai. In 1930, the missing fragment was published by A. Wilmart [Wilmart, 142]. The basis for dating is rather shaky; S. Pok believes that the sermon was preached no earlier than 410 [SC 116, 364]. Most researchers date the sermon to the Sunday after Easter, but A. Kunzelman dates it more broadly - one of the days of Easter celebration [Drobner, 873]. The following phrase speaks in favor of the Sunday after Easter: “A new man sings a new song.” In this phrase S. Pook sees an allusion to the call to put on the new man from Eph.4:22–24 - these apostolic words of the blessed. Augustine quotes several times in his sermons on the “8th day” when the newly baptized took off their white baptismal garments [SC, 111]. The main theme is the call to maintain the grace of baptism as a new birth. The translation is based on the 1930 edition of J. Morin: [MA 1, 719] for the fragment Wilm 18 and [MA 1, 332–333] for the second part of the sermon (Mai 92). Sermon 376A. Pronounced on the Sunday after Easter, as stated at the beginning of the sermon. For a long time, sermon 376A was not separated from sermon 376, but, as H. Drobner points out, starting at least with the work of P.-P. Verbraken's “Études critiques sur les sermons authentiques de saint Augustin” (1976), sermon 376A is considered in the literature as independent [Drobner, 1329] 16. The Moors placed sermon 376 (i.e., the current 376 and 376A) in the section “Sermones dubii” (i.e., sermons with dubious authorship), but at present there are serious doubts about the identity of both sermons. Augustine does not cause [Drobner, 1331; Rebillard, 788 ]. S. Pook dates sermon 376A (still part of the single 376th) to 410–412. [SC 116, 364]. An alternative opinion is expressed by E. Hill, who suggests on the basis of “style and tone” that the sermon could have been delivered around 425. H. Drobner believes that it is impossible to make an informed judgment regarding the date [Drobner, 1331]. Special attention to the bl. Augustine on the topic of sinners within the boundaries of the Church (a possible echo of the anti-Donatist polemic) speaks in favor of the dating proposed by S. Pock. The sermon is dedicated to the emergence of the newly baptized from the category of “babies” and their joining with all the rest of the faithful: “Behold, our babies today mingle with the faithful, as if flying out of a nest” 17 . St. Augustine refers here to very specific realities: it is known that during the eight days of Easter celebrations, the newly baptized stood at the service not far from the altar, behind a special fence (cancelli) separating the altar from the rest of the basilica [Harmless, 382]. Also interesting is the mention, unique to all early Christian literature, that until the 8th day the newly baptized had to cover their heads, but on the eighth day, together with the removal of white clothes, this stopped. In the absence of a critical edition, in the translation I used the text of the Benedictine edition reproduced by Minem in PL [Aurelius Augustinus 1683, 1469–1470; Aurelius Augustinus 1865a, 1669–1671]. Sermon 228. On Easter Day. To the people and to the “babies” [PL 38, 1101–1102; Saint-Mihiel, 53v–54r; Montecassino, 217–219] 1. After the labor of last night - for although the spirit is willing, yet the flesh is weak (Matthew 26:41) - I should not occupy your attention for long with preaching, and yet I must preach. These days, in which, after the passion of our Lord, we sing “Hallelujah” to God, are joyful and festive for us - right up to Pentecost, when the Holy Spirit was sent down from heaven. Of these days, seven or eight - those that are going on now - are intended for the secret breeding of infants. Those who a short time ago were called aspirants are now called babes. They were called striving when they pushed in their mother’s womb, striving to be born. They are called babies because, having previously been born for this world, they have now been born for Christ. In them is a new life, which must be strong in you, so that you, already faithful, give them an example leading not to destruction, but to prosperity 18. For newborns look at you, who were born a long time ago, and take note of how you live. Those born in Adam do the same: at first they are babies, then, having begun to understand the behavior of their elders, they look to what they can adopt. Where the elder leads, the younger will go. Therefore, it would be good for the eldest to follow a good path, so as not to perish together with the eldest and the younger one following him. So, to you, brothers, who, one might say, have already become parents for them - judging by the time that has passed since the new birth - I turn to you and encourage you to live in such a way that, together with those who imitate you, you rejoice and not perish. Behold, a newborn sees some faithful one indulging in drunkenness. I’m afraid he might say to himself: “Why is he faithful and drinks so much?” 19 He sees that someone is a usurer, a sullen giver, a cruel debt collector, and says to himself: “Why shouldn’t I do the same?” They tell him: “You are already faithful, do not sin! You have been baptized, born again. You now have a different hope, let your morals be different!” And he answered: “Why is this one and that one faithful?” 20 I don’t want to multiply examples; and who can list them all? Therefore, my brothers, if you, who are already faithful, live badly, you will give a bad account to God both for yourself and for them. 2. Now I turn to the babies themselves. Be on the current of 21 grains, do not follow the chaff carried by the wind, with which you may perish. Let the weight of grace make you steady so that you can reach the Kingdom of immortality. So, you, brothers, you, sons, you, new offspring of the mother of the Church, I conjure by what you have accepted: look to the One who called you, who loved you, who sought you, the lost, and having found you, enlightened you, so that you do not follow the paths of the lost, who mistakenly bear the name of the faithful. For the point is not what they are called, but whether they live up to their name. If he was reborn, where is the new life? If he is true, then where is the faith? 22 I hear a name - it would be good for me to recognize what is being named. Choose for yourself those whom you can imitate: whoever honors God, enters the Church of God with fear, diligently listens to the word of God, preserves it in memory, chews it in thought 23, and implements it in deeds. Choose such as you to emulate. Let not your heart say, “Where can we find such?” Be like that and you will find someone like that. Like goes with like. You will live dissolutely, no one will cleave to you except the dissolute. Start living with dignity, and you will see how many equally worthy people will be around you, how many brothers you will rejoice over. In short: if you don’t find anyone worthy of imitation, become someone who will be imitated and you will receive the promise 24. [3. Today, at the altar of God, I must preach a sermon to the babes about the sacrament of the altar. I told them about the mystery of the Symbol, what they should believe in; spoke about the mystery of the Lord's Prayer, who and how they should call, as well as what kind of person they should be 25; and about the sacrament of the font and baptism. They heard the explanations of all these subjects and accepted what we conveyed to them 26. They have not yet heard anything about the sacrament of the altar, which they saw today. Today they have a sermon to preach about it. This sermon should be short for our work and for their edification.] 27 Sermon 227. About the sacraments of the holy day of Easter I remember my promise: I promised you, who were baptized, to preach a sermon explaining the sacrament of the Lord’s Table - you still see it now, 28 and this night you became involved in it. You must know what you have taken, what you will take, what you should take daily 29 . That Bread that you see on the altar, consecrated by the word of God, is the Body of Christ. That Chalice, or rather, what is in the Chalice, sanctified by the word of God, is the Blood of Christ. By means of which the Lord Christ desired to entrust to us His Body and Blood, which He shed for us for the remission of sins. If you received them worthily, then you will be what you received. For the apostle says: “One Bread; we, who are many, are one Body” (1 Cor. 10:17). In this Bread you are given an example of how you should love unity. Is this Bread made from one grain? Weren't there a lot of wheat grains? But before they became bread, they were divided; then they, in a sense crushed, were united by means of water. For unless the wheat is ground and made into dough with water, it cannot acquire the form called bread. So you too were previously grounded, as it were, by the humiliation of fasting and the sacrament of exorcism. The time for baptism came - and you were, as it were, kneaded with water and took the form of bread. But without fire it is not bread yet. What does fire mean, that is, anointing with oil? The fact is that the oil that feeds the fire is the sacrament of the Holy Spirit. Listen carefully when they read from the Acts of the Apostles, for we have just begun to read this book - today the book of the Acts of the Apostles began. Anyone who wants to move forward has a means to do so: when going to church, discard empty gossip and listen to the Scriptures. We are your books. So, listen and understand how the Holy Spirit will come on the day of Pentecost. And He will come like this: revealing Himself in tongues of fire. For He breathes love into us - and we are inflamed with love for God and despise the world, and our hay is burned up (cf. 1 Cor. 3:12), and the heart is purified like gold. So, the Holy Spirit comes - fire after water - and we become the Bread, which is the Body of Christ. Therefore, in this sacrament there is a certain sign of unity. You remember the order of the sacraments. First, after prayer, I asked you to lift your heart up. This is how it becomes members of the Body of Christ. For if you have become members of the Body of Christ, where is your Head? The Body has a Head. If the Head had not preceded it, the members would not have followed Her. Where has our Head gone? What did you say when you returned Symbol 30? “On the third day he rose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and sits at the right hand of the Father.” Therefore, our Head is in heaven. Therefore, to the words: “Heart up!” - you answer: “We lift up to the Lord.” And so that you do not attribute to your strengths and merits the fact that you lift up your heart to the Lord, for lifting your heart up is God’s gift - for this, after the people answer: “We lift up our hearts up to the Lord,” then the bishop or presbyter serving the Eucharist says: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God” - for lifting up our hearts up. Let us thank the Lord, for if He had not given, our hearts would be on earth. And you testified to this, saying: “It is worthy and righteous” to thank the One who allowed us to lift our hearts upward, to our Head. Then, after the consecration of God's sacrifice (for He wanted us to be a sacrifice to Him, which was clearly shown when that first Sacrifice was offered to God and at the same time what - that is, a sign of what - we are) 31 - so, when the consecration was completed, we say the Lord's Prayer, which you accepted and returned 32 . After it it is said: “Peace be with you,” and Christians greet each other with a holy kiss (2 Cor. 13:12). This is a sign of peace: what the lips reveal, let it be in the soul, that is, just as your lips meet your brother’s lips, so let your heart not move away from his heart. So, these sacraments are great - and very great. Do you want to know under what conditions they are entrusted to us? The Apostle says: “Whoever eats the Bread and drinks the Cup of the Lord unworthily is guilty of the Body and Blood of the Lord” (1 Cor. 11:27). What does it mean to receive unworthily? Accept with negligence, accept with ridicule. Don't think it's of little value because you see it. What you see is temporary. But that invisible thing that is signified by this is not transitory, it abides forever. Behold, it is accepted, tasted, eaten. Is the Body of Christ being eaten? Is the Church of Christ being eaten up? Are the members of the Body of Christ being eaten? Let it not happen! Here they are purified, there they are crowned. So, that which is signified will endure, although that which signifies appears to be transitory. Therefore, receive the sacrament this way: paying attention to yourself, having unity in your heart, always directing your heart upward. Let your hope be not on earth, but in heaven. May your faith in God be strong, may it be pleasing to God. For what you now believe, without seeing it, you will see there, where you will rejoice endlessly. Sermon 229A (= Guelf. 7). On Easter Sunday 1. You who have been reborn to new life (which is why you are called babes), listen! Especially you, who finally see it, listen to what it means, as I promised you. Listen, also the faithful, who are accustomed to see: a reminder is a good remedy for oblivion. What you see at the Lord's Table 33, if we talk about the visible substance itself, you are used to seeing on your tables: the same appearance, but not the same dignity. For you too are the same people that you were: you did not come to us with new faces, but you are still new: old in the appearance of your body, new in the grace of holiness, just as this too is something new. Now, as you see, this is bread and wine. But they will be sanctified, and this bread will become the Body of Christ, and this wine will become the Blood of Christ. The name of Christ does this, the grace of Christ does this, that the same thing is seen that was seen, but the power is not the same as it had. For formerly it would have filled the belly of those who ate, but now it builds up the spirit of those who eat. I spoke on the Sabbath day, when you were baptized, or rather received baptism, about the sacrament of the font in which you were to wash yourself, and I told you this. that you, I hope, have not forgotten - that baptism had or has the same power as burial with Christ, according to the word of the apostle: “... for we were buried with Him by baptism into death, so that just as Christ was raised from the dead, so we too might walk in newness of life” (Rom. 6:4). So now, relying not on my opinion, not on my judgment, not on human evidence, but on the authority of the apostle, I must convey to you and put into your heart what is what you have accepted or will accept. Now, listen to the brief words of the apostle, or rather Christ, who spoke through the apostle, about the sacrament of the Lord's table: “One Bread; we, who are many, are one Body” (1 Cor. 10:17). That's all, I said it quickly - but weigh the words, don't count them. If you count words, it is small, but if you weigh it, it is large. He says: one Bread. No matter how many loaves of bread lie there, there is only one Bread. No matter how many loaves there are on the altars of Christ around the world today, there is only one Bread. But what does “one Bread” mean? He gave the shortest explanation: “we, who are many, are one Body.” This Bread is the Body of Christ, about which the Apostle speaks, addressing the Church: “You are the Body of Christ, and individually members.” What you receive is you - by the grace by which you were redeemed. By answering, “Amen,” you sign. What you see is the mystery of unity. 2. Since the apostle has already briefly told us what this is, look at it more closely and understand how it happens. How is bread made? It is ground, ground, kneaded, baked. When kneading, it is sifted and cleaned, and strengthened by baking. When were you thrashed? But it happened to you. This happened in fasting, works of piety, vigils, and exorcisms. You were ground while the rite of exorcism was performed on you. You have been baptized, for kneading dough does not happen without water. Baking is hard work, but necessary. What is baking? The fire of temptations, without which our life cannot do. But why is it needed? “The potter’s vessel is tested by the furnace, and the righteous people are tested by the temptation of suffering” (Sir.27:6) 34. And just as from individual grains, gathered together and in some way mixed with each other in dough, one bread is obtained, so the Body of Christ is created by the unanimity of love. And what grains are to the Body of Christ, so are grapes to the Blood. For wine comes out of the winepress, and what was separate in many is fused into one, and wine is obtained. Therefore, both the bread and the cup contain the sacrament of unity. 3. And I always say the words “The Lord is with you,” which you heard at the Lord’s Table, both when greeting the people from the apse 35 and every time during prayer, for it is to our benefit that the Lord is with us, because without Him we are nothing. As for the words that sounded in your ears, look what you said before the altar of God! I, one might say, ask and exhort, saying: “Lift up your heart!” Not down: the heart is rotting on earth - lift it up to heaven. But where does the heart go up? What do you say in response? Where up? “We lift up to the Lord.” For in itself, “uplifting the heart” can be good, or it can be evil. How can it be evil? Those about whom it is said: “You brought them down while they were exalted” (Ps. 72:18). The heart upward, if not to the Lord, is not righteousness, but pride. Therefore, when I said: “Heart up,” you answer: “We lift up to the Lord.” For even pride can lift up the heart. But this is an honor, not exaltation. And if this honor consists in lifting up the heart to the Lord, have we achieved this ourselves? Did we do this on our own? Was the earth that we were lifted up into the sky? No way! He Himself did it, He Himself deigned it, He Himself extended His hand, He Himself bestowed mercy, He Himself made it longer for those above. That is why, when I said: “Lift up your heart,” and you answered: “We lift up to the Lord,” then I added, so that you would not attribute to yourself the lifting of your heart up: “Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.” These are the sacraments, short but great. Our words are short, but our love is great. For you can quickly tell yourself all this - without a book, without reading, without long reasoning. Remember what you are and what you must persevere in so that you can achieve the promises of God. Sermon 255A. About "Hallelujah" [MA 1, 719] + [MA 1, 332–333] We must offer all possible praise to our Creator. For we, beloved brothers, by praising the Lord, bring some benefit to ourselves, striving to love Him. We sang: “Hallelujah!” "Alleluia" is a new song. The new man sings a new song. We sang this song, and you, infants, recently renewed by the Lord Himself, sang it too. And we sang with you, because we were redeemed at the same price. I will tell you the instruction that brotherly love requires, I will tell you as brothers and my children - brothers, for we were born by one mother - the Church; children, for I gave birth to you with the gospel (1 Cor. 4:15). Live worthy, beloved children, so that you may benefit from such a great sacrament that you have received. Let vices be corrected, morals improved, virtues acquired. Let each of you have piety, holiness, chastity, humility, sobriety, so that God rejoices in you who bear such fruits for Him, and you in Him (cf. Ps. 37:4). May we also rejoice in the success of your hope, seeing in you the fruit and gain of our hope. Love the Lord, for He loves you; visit this mother 36 who gave birth to you. See how it has benefited you! For she united creation with the Creator, made slaves sons of God, who were the property of the devil, and made brothers of Christ. You can repay her gratitude for all these great benefits if you show her due obedience by your presence. But God the Father cannot be merciful to those who neglect the mother Church. So, this holy and spiritual mother gives you spiritual food daily, in order to strengthen not only your bodies, but also your souls. She generously gives you heavenly Bread and gives you the Cup of Salvation to drink. She doesn't want any of her children to suffer such great hunger. Be diligent for your benefit, beloved, do not leave such a mother, so that you can be satisfied with the abundance of her home and so that she will give you a stream of her sweetness and hand you over to God the Father as worthy sons and, feeding you with tenderness, lead you safe and free to eternal life. Sermon 376A 37 . Sunday after Easter 2. This day is called the eighth day of the infants. Their heads should be bare today - this is a sign of freedom 38. For this spiritual birth gives the rights of the free, but birth according to the flesh gives slavery. Two births are necessary for a person: when he is born and when he is reborn. We are born for suffering, we are reborn for peace. We are born for misfortune, we are reborn for eternal happiness. Today these children celebrate the eighth day, newborn babies, feeding on milk, clinging to their mother's breast and, as you yourself see, not knowing what grace has been given to them, which is why they are called “infantes” 39 . And these elders, youths and youths are all babies. For those first, one infancy carries with it old age, and the other - renewal 40. For those whom you see as newborns are born old. Our old man is called Adam, from whom we are born. The new man is Christ, through whom we are reborn. Consequently, they are both newborns and reborn to another life. And at birth they have, so to speak, a new dilapidation. 3. Behold, our babes today mingle with the faithful as if flying out of the nest. I, who suffered in childbirth, must turn to you. After all, as you can remember, my brothers, around the chicks of swallows or sparrows, when they begin to fly out of the nest, mothers fly noisily and with gentle voices warn their children about the dangers. So, we know that many who are called faithful live badly and their morals do not correspond to the grace they have received. They praise God with their tongue, but blaspheme with their lives. But we know that among these many there are others, like grains among a huge heap of chaff. They groan as they thresh, but are consoled by the hope that they will end up in the granary. In the Church, as you know, there are these two kinds of people. We know that the Church is the current of the Lord. We hope for winnowing on the Day of Judgment, we want to see an abundance of bread in the resurrection, we want to reach the granary in eternal life. There will be no chaff there, just as there will be no grain in Gehenna 41. So, my brothers, knowing that in the Church there are these two kinds of people: pious and wicked, good and evil, fearful and heedless. – we do not know who these people who have now been baptized will join. And they themselves know what we want. Will our prayers for them be fulfilled? Human ignorance is tormented by anxiety, and sometimes confused by false suspicions. This is our school on this earth, where it is impossible to live without temptation. Therefore I ask you, holy shoots, I ask you, new seedlings in the field of the Lord, that it should not be said about you what was said about the vineyard of the house of Israel: “I looked for him to bring forth grapes, but he brought thorns” (Is. 5:2). May He who for our sake became a grape trampled in the winepress find a grape on you. Bring grapes, live with dignity. For the fruit of the Spirit, as the apostle says, is “love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, self-control, integrity” (Gal. 5:22-23). When our Farmer comes to us - the One with whom we are workers, Who gives growth from within, for we know how to plant and water from without, but, according to the words of the Apostle, “neither the one who plants, nor the one who waters, but God, who gives growth” (1 Cor. 3:7), the One Who now watches how you listen, Who now watches how you fear Him or are just beginning to fear Him - when He comes to you, let him find in you what the apostle said: “All of you who stand in the Lord are my joy and my crown” (Phil. 4:1). 4. Brothers, my dear children, my precious children, imitate the good, beware of the bad. For I know that bad people will come to you and teach you drunkenness and say to you: “Come on! Aren’t we also the most faithful?” I know, and that’s why I grieve, and that’s why I’m afraid. If you immediately say firmly: “Brother, I wouldn’t want you to do what you’re doing. But if I can’t lead you to my good way of life, then at least don’t drag me to your bad way of life,” then these people will have a headache, as often happens to them, [and not you]. Or your neighbor will tell you: there is one sorcerer here, there is one healer here, or some kind of astrologer. You answer him: “I’m a Christian, I can’t do this.” And if he says to you: “Come on, aren’t I a Christian?” - you will answer him: “But I’m faithful.” And he told you: “And I am baptized.” This is how members of the Body of Christ become messengers of the devil. The enemy himself owns him - so he tries to drag the other along with him. Let the one who prepared such temptations for you find you ready. That is why I speak, why I beg, why I cannot remain silent, why I shake off my clothes, why I am justified before the court of my God. I will say to my God: “Lord, I was not silent. Lord, I did not bury the talent that You gave me, but I put it to work.” He can tell me: “You wicked servant, if you had given, I could have received.” - “Here, Lord, I gave, receive your profit.” If you suddenly find yourself tempted by old habits, you have someone to call for help. Our helper is stronger than our enemy. That is why you say with groaning and supplication: “Lead us not into temptation.” Pay attention, my brothers, to what you say before this: “Forgive us our debts,” and act in accordance with what is said next: “just as we forgive our debtors” (Matthew 6:12). You do deeds of mercy and you receive mercy. You forgive and you will receive forgiveness. You give and it will be given to you. Hear the words of God: “Forgive and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you” (Luke 6:37–38). Remember the poor. I say to everyone: do alms, my brothers. Give alms - you will not lose this. Now, let's see if you can make the poor happy today. You are their breadbasket. May God give you what you can give from and forgive you if you sin in any way. “Put alms in the heart of the poor, and it will pray to the Lord for you” 43 (Sir.29:15), to whom be honor and glory forever and ever. Amen. Application. Text of sermon 228 blj. Augustine according to the manuscripts [Saint-Mihiel] and [Montecassino] and the Moorish edition {Text in Latin, see scanned original on the website. – Editorial of the ABC of Faith. } CCSL Corpus Christianorum, Series Latina CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum MA Miscellanea Agostiniana 1. Saint-Mihiel = Saint-Mihiel, Bibliothèque municipale, Z 20. X century. Description: [ Catalog général, 518–519; Morin]. 2. Montecassino = Cassino, Biblioteca statale del monumento nazionale di Montecassino, 17. XI century. Description: [ Catalogus, 26–28]. 1. Aug. Enarr. in Ps. = Sanctus Aurelius Augustinus (1956). Enarrationes in Psalmos, ed. E. Dekkers, J. Fraipont. Turnholti. (CCSL; v. 38–40). 2. Augustinus von Hippo = Augustinus von Hippo: Predigten zum Österlichen Triduum (Sermones 218–229/D). Einleitung, Text, Übersetzung und Anmerkungen. Hg. H. Drobner. Frankfurt am Main, 2006. 3. Aurelius Augustinus 1683 = Aurelius Augustinus (1683). Opera, t. 5. Parisiis. Aurelius Augustinus 1865 = Aurelius Augustinus (1865). “Sermo 228”, in PL, v. 38. Parisiis, col. 1101–1102. 4. Aurelius Augustinus 1865a = Aurelius Augustinus (1865). “Sermo 376”, in PL, v. 39. Parisiis, col. 1669–1671. 5. Aurelius Augustinus 1865b = Aurelius Augustinus (1865). “Contra litteras Petiliani”, in PL, v. 43. Parisiis, col. 245–388. 6. Bibliotheca = Nova patrum bibliotheca. T. 1, continents s. Augustini novos ex codicibus Vaticanis sermones. Romae, 1852. 7. Cypr. Ep. = S. Thascius Caecilius Cyprianius (1871). Epistulae. Ex recensione G. Hartelii. Vindobonae. (CSEL; v. 3, p. 2). 8. MA 1 = Sanctus Augustinus (1930). Sermones post Maurinos reperti, studio ac diligentia d. G. Morin. Romae. (Miscellanea Agostiniana I). 9 . SC 116 = Augustin d'Hippone (1966). Sermons pour la Pâque. Introduction, texte critique, traduction et notes par Suzanne Poque. Paris. (SC; v. 116). 1. Ambrose of Milan = Ambrose of Milan, St. About the sacraments // Ambrose of Milan, St. Collection of works: in Latin and Russian. T. 1. Moscow: PSTGU Publishing House, 2012. pp. 179–265 p. 2. St. Augustine 2000 = St. Aurelius Augustine. Discourse on the 4th day of festivities / Trans. S. A. Stepantsova // Theological collection of PSTBI. T. 5. Moscow: Publishing house PSTBI, 2000. P. 118–123 3. St. Augustine 2001 = St. Augustine. Word on the Lord's Day / Transl. from lat. priest M. Kozlova // Patristics. New translations. Articles. Nizhny Novgorod: Publishing house of the brotherhood in the name of St. Prince Alexander Nevsky, 2001. pp. 119–122. 4. St. Augustine 2023 = St. Augustine. Sermon “On the Creed to the Catechumens” / Transl., preface. and comment. P. S. Ozersky; edited by S. A. Stepantsova // Bulletin of the St. Philaret Institute. 2023. Issue. 47. pp. 181–206. https://doi.org/10.25803/26587599_2023_47_181. 5. St. Augustine 2024 = St. Augustine. Sermon on the Lord's Prayer / Transl., preface. and comment. P. S. Ozersky; edited by S. A. Stepantsova // Bulletin of the St. Philaret Institute. 2024. T. 16. Issue. 2 (50). pp. 223–245. https://doi.org/10.25803/ 26587599_2024_2_50_223. 6. Didache = Teaching of the Twelve Apostles. [Transl. from ancient Greek prot. V. Asmus.] // Writings of the Apostolic Men. Moscow: Publishing Council of the Russian Orthodox Church, 2008. pp. 41–66. 7. Hill = St. Augustine (1993). The works of Saint Augustine, transl. and notes by E. Hill, pt. 3, v. 6: Sermons on the liturgical seasons, 184–229Z. New York: New City Press. 1. Gavrilyuk = Gavrilyuk Pavel, deacon. History of catechesis in the ancient church. Moscow: MVPKhSh, 2001. 320 p. 2. Puchkova = Puchkova S.S. “Catechetical homilies” of Theodore of Mopsuestia: history of publication of the text and features of the content // Bulletin of PSTGU. Ser. 1: Theology. Philosophy. Religious Studies. 2016. Issue. 4 (66). pp. 24–43. https://doi.org/10.15382/sturI201666.24–43. 3. Stepantsov = Stepantsov S.A. The last verse of Psalm 120 in Augustine’s exegesis // Monumentum Gregorianum: Collection of scientific articles in memory of academician G.M. Bongard-Levin. Moscow: Granitsa, 2013. pp. 437–44 4. Tkachenko = Tkachenko A. A. Kissing the World // Orthodox Encyclopedia. T. 41. Moscow: Orthodox Encyclopedia, 2016. pp. 329–332. 5. Fokin = Fokin A.R. Catechesis program for St. Augustine // XX Annual Theological Conference of PSTGU. Moscow: PSTGU Publishing House, 2010. pp. 161–167. 6. Bouman = Bouman C. A. (1950). “Variants in the Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer.” Vigiliae Christianae, v. 4, n. 2, pp. 94–115. 7. Catalog général = Catalog général des manuscrits conservés des bibliothèques publiques des départements, t. III, Paris, 1861. 8. Catalogus = Codicum casinensium manuscriptorum catalogus. Cura et studio monachorum ordinis s. Benedicti archicoenobii Montis Casini, v. 1, pars I (codd. 1–100). Montis Casini, 1915. 9 . Drobner = Drobner H. (2024). Die Chronologie der Predigten Augustins. Eine neue Methodologie. Paderborn: Brill, Schöningh. 10. Dupont = Dupont A. (2014). Preacher of grace: a critical reappraisal of Augustines doctrine of grace in his Sermones ad populum on liturgical feasts and during the Donatist controversy. Leiden, Boston: Brill. 11. Gryson = Gryson R., Fischer B., Frede H. J. (2007). Répertoire général des auteurs ecclésiastiques Latins de l'Antiquité et du Haut moyen âge. 5e edition mise à jour du Verzeichnis der Sigel für Kirchenschriftsteller. Freiburg im Breisgau: Herder. 12. Harmless = Harmless W. (2014). Augustine and the Catechumenate. Collegeville: Liturgical Press. 13. Morin = Morin G. (1909). “Notes sur un manuscrit des homélies du Pseudo-Fulgence.” Revue Bénédictine, v. 26, 1–4, pp. 223–228. 14. OLD = Glare G. W. (ed.) (1982). Oxford Latin Dictionary. Oxford: Clarendon Press. 15. Rebillard = Rebillard É. (1999). “Sermones”, in Augustine through the Ages. An Encyclopedia, ed. by A. D. Fitzgerald. Grand Rapids/Cambridge: Eerdmans Publ., pp. 773–792. 16. Savon = Savon H. (2008). "Hubertus R. Drobner, Augustinus von Hippo. Predigten zum Österlichen Triduum (Sermones 218–229/D). Einleitung, Text, Übersetzung und Anmerkungen, 2006." L'Antiquité Classique, v. 77, pp. 489–490. 17. Wilmart = Wilmart A. (1930). “Allocutions de Saint Augustin pour la vigile pascale et compléments des sermons sur l’Alleluia.” Revue benédictine, v. 42, pp. 136–142. P. S. Ozersky, senior lecturer, School of Philological Sciences, National Research University Higher School of Economics. S. A. Stepantsov, Ph.D. Philol. Sciences, senior researcher at the Department of Ancient Literature, IMLI RAS. See a more detailed list in the book: [Harmless, 396–402]. H. Drobner's 2008 edition [Augustinus von Hippo] was unfortunately not available to me, but it also reproduces text from the 1683 Benedictine edition [Savon]. “As this [Bread] broken was scattered over the mountains and, gathered, became one, so may Thy Church be gathered from the ends of the earth into Thy Kingdom” (translated by priest Valentin Asmus) [Didache, 52–53]. “It is this sacrament that reveals the unity of our people, so that we know that, just as many grains, gathered together, ground and mixed, form one bread, so in Christ, who is the heavenly Bread, there is one Body, with which may all our multitude be united and united” (Cypr. Ep. 63). (The translation here and below is mine unless otherwise noted.) “Sursum cor” (“Heart up”) is a form of liturgical exclamation often found among the blessed. Augustine. Apparently, the deviation from the traditional formula “Sursum corda” (“Upward the heart”) should be seen not as evidence of liturgical practice, but as a simple rhetorical transformation within the framework of the sermon. The formula “Sursum corda” (“Upward the heart”) was first recorded in the anaphora of the so-called “Apostolic Tradition” (a monument of the 3rd century, most likely of Egyptian origin). An edition of the exclamation ἄνω σχῶμεν τὰς καρδίας (grief and hearts), resulting from the addition of a verb to the more ancient Greek version ἄνω τὰς καρδίας and included in Byzantine anaphoras, it was first recorded by Cyril of Scythopolis in the 6th century. For more details, see the article: [Bouman]. According to the Latinized version of the name of the city Wolfenbüttel (Germany). I follow the manuscript reading: "In illis est nova vita, quae in vobis debet esse firma, ut, qui iam fideles estis, non eis exempla, quibus pereant, sed quibus proficiant praebeatis" [Saint-Mihiel, 53v]. In the Benedictine edition the text looks different: “In illis est novata, quae in vobis debet esse firmata, et qui iam fideles estis, non eis exempla, quibus pereant, sed quibus proficiant praebeatis” (“In them the one that should be strengthened in you is renewed. And you, already faithful, give them an example leading not to destruction, but to prosperity"). Wed. Min's note to this place: “The meaning of the phrase is lame. It seems that the text is missing something or, on the contrary, there is something superfluous" [Aurelius Augustinus 1865, 1101] At this point I follow the Moorish reading: “Quare ille fidelis est, et tantum bibit?” In the manuscripts [Saint-Mihiel] and [Montecassino] there is a negative particle non: “Quare ille non fidelis est et tantum bibit?” (“Why is he unfaithful and drinks so much?”). In my opinion, the Moorish reading fits the context better. In the sermon there are 228 blj. Augustine plays with the paradox that embodies the very possibility of the existence of “nominally faithful”: the name of the faithful is separated from the concept of fidelity. Probably, the insertion of the particle “non” could seem logical to the medieval scribe, since the opposition between the faithful and all other members of society in the Middle Ages lost its relevance and the terminological meaning of the word fidelis in the mind of the scribe could give way to the literal one. Also reading the Moors, the manuscripts contain the negative particle "non". See approx. 9. “In area” (“on the current”) – Moorish reading. The reading of the manuscript [Saint-Mihiel] “in horrea” (“in the granary”) does not correspond either to the norms of grammar (the correct form would be “horreo”), or to the usual for the blessed. Augustine’s understanding of the biblical image of winnowing (the saint most often calls the Kingdom of Heaven a granary, and the Church a current). The manuscript [Montecassino] contains the reading "integra", i.e., apparently, "immaculate" or "whole" (grains), which is generally acceptable, but could have arisen from the sequence of letters "inarea" in the Beneventan script in which the manuscript is written, since in it the letter "t" has a shape reminiscent of "a". In my opinion, the decisive argument is the presence of the word area in similar passages from the works of the blj. Augustine (e.g. Serm. 376A. 3: “We know that the Church is the Lord’s area. We hope for winnowing on the day of Judgment, we want to see an abundance of bread in the resurrection, we want to reach the granary (horreum) in eternal life”). “Si natus est... si fidelis est” (“if he was born... if he is faithful”) - reading the manuscript [Montecassino] and the Moors [Aurelius Augustinus 1683]. In the manuscript [Saint-Mihiel, 54r] the verb is in the 2nd person: “Si renatus es... si fidelis es” (“if you are reborn... if you are faithful”). Cogitatione ruminantes. The verb ruminare literally means “to chew the cud” (about ruminant animals), in metaphorical use it means “to rotate in the mind, to think about.” This metaphorical meaning is also recorded in pagan authors (see: [OLD, s.v. rumino]), but in the Christian tradition the verb ruminare is associated with the exegesis of Lev.11:3, Deut.14:6 and similar places where ruminants are declared clean. Wed. in the Commentary on Psalm 141. Augustine: “I remind you, beloved, that, having heard the word and hidden it, as it were, in the stomach of your memory, you return to it again, ponder it and, so to speak, chew it. "A coveted treasure rests in the mouth of a wise man, but a foolish man swallows it up" (Proverbs 21:20). In short, a wise man ruminant, a fool does not. How to express this in clear Latin? A wise man ponders what he hears, but a fool forgets what he hears. This is the only reason why in the Law animals that chew the cud are called clean, unclean - who do not chew. For all of God's creation is pure. For God the Creator, a pig is as clean as a lamb. Therefore, although both are pure by nature, the lamb denotes something pure, and the pig - unclean. The lamb is a sign of the wisdom of the one who chews, and the pig is a sign of the stupidity of the one who forgets.” “Et accipies, quod promittitur” (“and you will receive the promised”) reading of the manuscript [Saint-Mihiel], in [Montecassino] and the Moorish text these words are absent. “Quem, quomodo et quales debeant invocare” – reading the manuscript [Montecassino]. In the Moorish text: “quomodo petant” (“how they should ask”). “Tradita perceperunt” (literally “received what was transmitted”) - reading of the Moors. In the manuscript [Montecassino]: "tractata perceperunt" "perceived what we discussed." Apparently, the damage to this place was caused by the fact that the scribes may not have known about the rituals of transmitting the Symbol and the Lord’s Prayer (see: [Blessed Augustine 2023; Blessed Augustine 2024]). The paragraph taken in brackets is a fragment of another sermon delivered at the Liturgy of the Faithful and dedicated to the sacrament of the Eucharist. About 228.1–2 and 228.3 as two different sermons, of one of which only the beginning has been preserved, H. Drobner writes: “Perhaps (möglicherweise), s. 228.1–2 and 228.3 are two consecutive sermons preached on the same Easter Sunday and merged in the manuscript tradition, while the end of the second sermon was lost” [Augustinus von Hippo, 431], op. from: [Drobner, 736]. This paragraph is missing from the [Saint-Mihiel] manuscript, so we can confirm Drobner's assumptions. "Mensae dominicae sacramentum, quod modo etiam videtis et cuius nocte praeterita participes facti estis." H. Drobner cites the opinion of A. Zwingi that the ambiguity of the adverb modo (“just now” / “now (about the near future)”) in combination with the present tense videtis (which here can be used in a somewhat broader sense) allows the phrase to be interpreted in two ways: 1. “you just saw it...”, 2. “you will see it now...”. Thus, according to Zwingi, a different position of the sermon within the liturgy of the faithful is possible: before or after the Eucharistic prayers [Drobner, 733]. From my point of view, modo should be translated as “right now (about the present)” [OLD, s.v. modo], understanding sacramentum also as the Eucharistic bread itself. In ancient times in the West, the practice of daily communion was widespread, references to which are found both in the blzh. Augustine, and other Western fathers. Wed. at St. Ambrose of Milan, De sacramentis, V, 24–25: “the bread is called cottidianus, i.e. "everyday". <…> If this is everyday bread, then why do you take it once a year, as the Greeks in the East are in the habit of doing? Take something every day that benefits you every day! Live in such a way that you are worthy to receive it every day! He who is not worthy to take it every day is not worthy to take it once a year!” (translated by Archpriest L. Grin [Ambrose of Milan, 245]). The rituals of “transferring” and “returning” the Creed and the Lord’s Prayer were an important part of the preparation for baptism. These texts, considered sacraments (sacramenta), were supposed to be hidden not only from outsiders, but even from “listeners” (catechumens who had not begun preparations for baptism) and communicated to “aspirants” shortly before baptism. During Lent, the bishop “transmitted,” that is, communicated the exact formulation of the Symbol to “the aspirants,” commenting on each of its members in a special sermon; after a week they “returned” the Symbol, that is, they read it by heart. The same thing happened with the Lord’s Prayer (for more information about these rituals, as well as examples of sermons on the Symbol and on the Lord’s Prayer, see: [Blessed Augustine 2023; Blessed Augustine 2024]). In other words: when that first Sacrifice was offered - the Body of Christ, which - that is, the sign of which - we are. That is, they read it by heart during the ritual of “returning” the Lord’s Prayer. See note. 26 and 30. Mensa domini, the Lord's table - the Eucharistic throne. The verse is quoted from the Old Latin translation, which was included almost unchanged in the Vulgate (Blessed Jerome did not translate the book of Sirach. On the importance of the verse Sir.27:6 for Blessed Augustine, see: [Stepantsov, 439–441]). "De abside." Apparently this means “from the throne” (during the Eucharist). Another understanding: “from the episcopal throne.” In early Christian basilicas, there were seats for the presbyters in the apse, and the bishop's throne in the center. This arrangement of the apse has been preserved, for example, in the Basilica of San Vitale in Ravenna. In the PL, sermons 376 and 376A are not separated, however, even in a note to the Benedictine edition of 1683, the idea is expressed that 376.1 is an excerpt from another sermon, and part 376.2–4 should be considered as an independent sermon [Aurelius Augustinus 1683, 1468]. I am maintaining the PL chapter numbering, so the sermon begins with chapter two. From this place, researchers conclude that for eight days the newly baptized were required to cover their heads (at least during worship) [Harmless, 365]. This custom is not mentioned anywhere else. “Una quippe illorum infantia pertinet ad vetustatem, altera ad novitatem.” The entire passage must be understood in the sense that among those who were baptized on Easter there were both adults and infants. St. Augustine believes that infant baptism is necessary because their physical birth already “carries old age,” that is, their human nature is damaged by original sin. Similar allusions to Matthew 3:12 and Luke 3:17 are characteristic of the anti-Donatist writings of the blessed one. Augustine, in which he proves that within the boundaries of the earthly Church there cannot but be sinners: “You have nothing to say in reproach to the wheat of the Lord, which endures its chaff until the last winnowing. You yourself would not have escaped from this wheat if you had not been lighter than chaff and the wind of temptation had not carried you away before the coming of the Winnower” (Aug. Contra litt. Petil.1.18) [Aurelius Augustinus 1865b, 254]. Wed. interpretation of the blj., rich in Eucharistic imagery. Augustine on Ps. 55:2 “Have mercy on me, O God, for man has trampled me”: “The first grape crushed in the winepress was Christ. When this Grape was squeezed out by the Passion, that was poured out, because of which it is said: “The intoxicating cup—how ​​glorious it is!” (Ps. 23:5)” (Aug. Enarr. in Ps. 55:2). The text corresponds to the Old Latin translation of the book of Sirach, which was later included almost unchanged in the Vulgate. The version of the Septuagint, reflected in the Synodal translation, is somewhat different: “Place alms in your storerooms, and it will deliver you from all misfortune.”