The First Sunday after the Epiphany
Augustine on Psalm XLVII
Sunday after Epiphany Home
O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O GOD, who by the leading of a star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; Mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.Source Sacramentary of Bishop Gregory of Rome [600 AD]. It is based on James 4:17, John 13:17, and Luke 12:47 -[Barbee and Zahl]
Collect of Epiphany - said in the Octave of Epiphany
Isaiah lx. 1, Psalm 47, 48 | 66, 67;
Romans xii. 1 & St. Luke ii. 41
Homilies
Paul
Isaiah lx. 1 Romans xii. 1 St. Luke ii. 41
HOMILY
Augustine
1. The title of the Psalm goeth thus. "To the end: for the sons of
Korah: a Psalm of David himself." These sons of Korah have the title
also of some other Psalms, and indicate a sweet mystery, insinuate a
great Sacrament: wherein let us willingly understand ourselves, and let
us acknowledge in the title us who hear, and read, and as in a glass
set before us behold who we are. The sons of Korah, who are they?
[1513] ...Haply the sons of the Bridegroom. For the Bridegroom was
crucified in the place of Calvary. Recollect the Gospel, [1514] where
they crucified the Lord, and ye will find Him crucified in the place of
Calvary. Furthermore, they who deride His Cross, by devils, as by
beasts, are devoured. For this also a certain Scripture signified. When
God's Prophet Elisha was going up, children called after him mocking,
"Go up thou bald head, Go up thou bald head:" but he, not so much in
cruelty as in mystery, made those children to be devoured by bears out
of the wood. [1515] If those children had not been devoured, would they
have lived even till now? Or could they not, being born mortal, have
been taken off by a fever? But so in them had no mystery been shown,
whereby posterity might be put in fear. Let none then mock the Cross of
Christ. The Jews were possessed by devils, and devoured; for in the
place of Calvary, crucifying Christ, and lifting on the Cross, they
said as it were with childish sense, not understanding what they said,
"Go up, thou bald head." For what is, "Go up"? "Crucify Him, Crucify
Him." [1516] For childhood is set before us to imitate humility, and
childhood is set before us to beware of foolishness. To imitate
humility, childhood was set before us by the Lord, when He called
children to Him, [1517] and because they were kept from Him, He said,
"Suffer them to come unto Me, for of such is the Kingdom of Heaven."
[1518] The example of childhood is set before us to beware of
foolishness by the Apostle, "Brethren, be not children in
understanding:" and again he proposeth it to imitate, "Howbeit in
malice be ye children, that in understanding ye may be men." [1519]
"For the sons of Korah" the Psalm is sung; for Christians then is it
sung. Let us hear it as sons of the Bridegroom, whom senseless children
crucified in the place of Calvary. For they earned to be devoured by
beasts; we to be crowned by Angels. For we acknowledge the humility of
our Lord, and of it are not ashamed. We are not ashamed of Him called
in mystery "the bald" (Calvus), from the place of Calvary. For on the
very Cross whereon He was insulted, He permitted not our forehead to be
bald; for with His own Cross He marked it. Finally, that ye may know
that these things are said to us, see what is said.
2. "O clap your hands, all ye nations" (ver. 1). Were the people of the
Jews all the nations? No, but blindness in part is happened to Israel,
that senseless children might cry, "Calve," "Calve;" and so the Lord
might be crucified in the place of Calvary, that by His Blood shed He
might redeem the Gentiles, and that might be fulfilled which saith the
Apostle, "Blindness in part is happened unto Israel, until the fulness
of the Gentiles be come in." [1520] Let them insult, then, the vain,
and foolish, and senseless, and say, "Calve," "Calve;" but ye redeemed
by His Blood which was shed in the place of Calvary, say, "O clap your
hands, all ye nations;" because to you hath come down the Grace of God.
"O clap your hands." What is "O clap"? Rejoice. But wherefore with the
hands? Because with good works. Do not rejoice with the mouth while
idle with the hands. If ye rejoice, "clap your hands." The hands of the
nations let Him see, who joys hath deigned to give them. What is, the
hands of the nations? The acts of them doing good works. "O clap your
hands, all ye nations: shout unto God with the voice of triumph." Both
with voice and with hands. If with the voice only it is not well,
because the hands are slow; if only with the hands it is not well,
because the tongue is mute. Agree together must the hands and tongue.
Let this confess, these work. "Shout unto God with the voice of
triumph."
3. "For the Lord Most High is terrible" (ver. 2). The Most High in
descending made like one ludicrous, by ascending into Heaven is made
terrible. "A great King over all the earth." Not only over the Jews;
for over them also He is King. For of them also the Apostles believed
and of them many thousands of men sold their goods, and laid the price
at the Apostles' feet, [1521] and in them was fulfilled what in the
title of the Cross was written, "The King of the Jews." [1522] For He
is King also of the Jews. But "of the Jews" is little. [1523] "O clap
your hands, all ye nations: for God is the King of all the earth." For
it sufficeth not Him to have under Him one nation: therefore such great
price gave He out of His side, as to buy the whole world.
4. "He hath subdued the people under us, and the nations under our
feet" (ver. 3). Which subdued, and to whom? Who are they that speak?
Haply Jews? Surely, if Apostles; surely, if Saints. For under these God
hath subdued the people and the nations, that to-day are they honoured
among the nations, who by their own citizens earned to be slain: as
their Lord was slain by His citizens, and is honoured among the
nations; was crucified by His own, is adored by aliens, but those by a
price made His own. For therefore bought He us, that aliens from Him we
might not be. Thinkest thou then these are the words of Apostles, "He
hath subdued the people under us, and the nations under our feet"? I
know not. Strange that Apostles should speak so proudly, as to rejoice
that the nations were put under their feet, that is, Christians under
the feet of Apostles. For they rejoice that we are with them under the
feet of Him who died for us. For under Paul's feet ran they, who would
be of Paul, to whom He said, "Was Paul crucified for you?" [1524] What
then here, what are we to understand? "He hath subdued the people under
us, and the nations under our feet." All pertaining to Christ's
inheritance are among "all the nations," and all not pertaining to
Christ's inheritance are among "all the nations:" and ye see so exalted
in Christ's Name is Christ's Church, that all not yet believing in
Christ lie under the feet of Christians. For what numbers now run to
the Church; not yet being Christians, they ask aid of the Church;
[1525] to be succoured by us temporally they are willing, though
eternally to reign with us as yet they are unwilling. When all seek aid
of the Church, even they who are not yet in the Church, hath He not
"subdued the people under us, and the nations under our feet"?
5. "He hath chosen an inheritance for us, the excellency [1526] of
Jacob, whom He loved" (ver. 4). A certain beauty of Jacob He hath
chosen for our inheritance. Esau and Jacob were two brothers; in their
mother's womb both struggled, and by this struggle their mother's
bowels were shaken; and while they two were yet therein, the younger
was elected and preferred to the elder, and it was said, "Two peoples
are in thy womb, and the elder shall serve the younger." [1527] Among
all nations is the elder, among all nations the younger; but the
younger is in good Christians, elect, godly, faithful; the elder in the
proud, unworthy, sinful, stubborn, defending rather than confessing
their sins: as was also the very people of the Jews, "being ignorant of
God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own
righteousness." [1528] But for that it is said, "The elder shall serve
the younger;" it is manifest that under the godly are subdued the
ungodly, under the humble are subdued the proud. Esau was born first,
and Jacob was born last; but he who was last born, was preferred to the
first-born, who through gluttony lost his birthright. So thou hast it
written, [1529] He longed for the pottage, and his brother said to him,
If thou wilt that I give it thee, give me thy birthright. He loved more
that which carnally he desired, than that which spiritually by being
born first he had earned: [1530] and he laid aside his birthright, that
he might eat lentils. But lentils we find to be the food of the
Egyptians, for there it abounds in Egypt. Whence is so magnified the
lentil of Alexandria, that it comes even to our country, as if here
grew no lentil. Therefore by desiring Egyptian food he lost his
birthright. So also the people of the Jews, of whom it is said, "in
their hearts they turned back again into Egypt." [1531] They desired in
a manner the lentil, and lost their birthright.
6. "God is gone up with jubilation" (ver. 5). Even He our God, the Lord
Christ, is gone up with jubilation; "the Lord with the sound of a
trumpet." "Is gone up:" whither, save where we know? Whither the Jews
followed Him not, even with their eyes. For exalted on the Cross they
mocked Him, ascending into Heaven they did not see Him. "God hath gone
up with jubilation." What is jubilation, but admiration of joy which
cannot be expressed in words? As the disciples in joy admired, seeing
Him go into Heaven, whom they had mourned dead; truly for the joy,
words sufficed not: remained to jubilate what none could express. There
was also the voice of the trumpet, the voice of Angels. For it is said,
"Lift up thy voice like a trumpet." Angels preached the ascension of
the Lord: they saw the Disciples, their Lord ascending, tarrying,
admiring, confounded, nothing speaking, but in heart jubilant: and now
was the sound of the trumpet in the clear voice of the Angels, "Ye men
of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? this is Jesus." [1532]
As if they knew not that it was the same Jesus. Had they not just
before seen Him before them? Had they not heard Him speaking with them?
Nay, they not only saw the figure of Him present, but handled also His
limbs. Of themselves then knew they not, that it was the same Jesus?
But they being by very admiration, from joy of jubilation, as it were
transported in mind, the Angels said, "that same is Jesus." As though
they said, If ye believe Him, this is that same Jesus, whom crucified,
your feet stumbled, whom dead and buried, ye thought your hope lost.
Lo, this is the same Jesus. He hath gone up before you, "He shall so
come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven." His Body is
removed indeed from your eyes, but God is not separated from your
hearts: see Him going up, believe on Him absent, hope for Him coming;
but yet through His secret Mercy, feel Him present. For He who ascended
into Heaven that He might be removed from your eyes, promised unto you,
saying, "Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world."
[1533] Justly then the Apostle so addressed us, "The Lord is at hand;
be careful for nothing." [1534] Christ sitteth above the Heavens; the
Heavens are far off, He who there sitteth is near....
7. "Sing praises to our God, sing praises" (ver. 6). Whom as Man mocked
they, who from God were alienated. "Sing praises to our God." For He is
not Man only, but God. Man of the seed of David, [1535] God the Lord of
David, of the Jews having flesh. "Whose" (saith the Apostle) "are the
fathers, of whom as concerning the flesh Christ came." [1536] Of the
Jews then is Christ, but according to the flesh. But who is this Christ
who is of the Jews according to the flesh? "Who is over all, God
blessed for ever." God before the flesh, God in the flesh, God with the
flesh. Nor only God before the flesh, but God before the earth whence
flesh was made; nor only God before the earth whereof flesh was made,
but even God before the Heaven which was first made; God before the day
which was first made; God before Angels; the same Christ is God: for
"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word
was God." [1537]
8. "For God is the King of all the earth" (ver. 7). What? And before
was He not God of all the earth? Is He not God of both heaven and
earth, since by Him surely were all things made? Who can say that He is
not his God? But not all men acknowledged Him their God; and where He
was acknowledged, there only, so to say, He was God. "In Judah is God
known." [1538] Not yet was it said to the sons of Korah, "O clap your
hands, all ye nations." For that God known in Judah, is King of all the
earth: now by all He is acknowledged, for that is fulfilled which
Isaiah saith, "He is thy God who hath delivered thee, the God of the
whole earth shall He be called." [1539] "Sing ye praises with
understanding." He teacheth us and warneth us to sing praises with
understanding, not to seek the sound of the ear, but the light of the
heart. The Gentiles, whence ye were called that ye might be Christians,
adored gods made with hands, and sang praises to them, but not with
understanding. If they had sung with understanding, they had not adored
stones. When a man sensible sang to a stone insensible, did he sing
with understanding? But now, brethren, we see not with our eyes Whom we
adore, and yet correctly [1540] we adore. [1541] Much more is God
commended to us, that with our eyes we see Him not. If with our eyes we
saw Him, haply we might despise. For even Christ seen, the Jews
despised; unseen, the Gentiles adored.
9. "God shall reign over all nations" (ver. 8). Who reigned over one
nation, "shall reign" (saith He) "over all nations." When this was
said, God reigned over one nation. It was a prophecy, the thing was not
yet shown. Thanks be to God, we now see fulfilled what before was
prophesied. A written promise God sent unto us before the time, the
time fulfilled He hath repaid us. "God shall reign over all nations,"
is a promise. "God sitteth upon His Holy Seat." What then was promised
to come, now being fulfilled, is acknowledged and held. "God sitteth
upon His Holy Seat." What is His Holy Seat? Haply saith one, The
Heavens, and he understandeth well. For Christ hath gone up, [1542] as
we know, with the Body, wherein He was crucified, and sitteth at the
right hand of the Father; thence we expect Him to come to judge the
quick and the dead. [1543] "God sitteth upon His Holy Seat." The
Heavens are His Holy Seat. Wilt thou also be His Seat? think not that
thou canst not be; prepare for Him a place in thy heart. He cometh, and
willingly sitteth. The same Christ is surely "the Power of God, and the
Wisdom of God:" [1544] and what saith the Scripture of Wisdom Herself?
The soul of the righteous is the seat of Wisdom. [1545] If then the
soul of the righteous is the seat of Wisdom, be thy soul righteous, and
thou shalt be a royal seat of Wisdom. And truly, brethren, all men who
live well, who act well, converse in godly charity, doth not God sit in
them, and Himself command? Thy soul obeyeth God sitting in it, and
itself commandeth the members. For thy soul commandeth thy members,
that so may move the foot, the hand, the eye, the ear, and itself
commandeth the members as its servants, but yet itself serveth its Lord
sitting within. It cannot well rule its inferior, unless its superior
it have not disdained to serve.
10. "The princes of the peoples are gathered together unto the God of
Abraham" (ver. 9). The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the
God of Jacob. [1546] True it is, God said this, and thereupon the Jews
prided themselves, and said, "We are Abraham's children;" [1547]
priding themselves in their father's name, carrying his flesh, not
holding his faith; by seed cleaving to Him, in manners degenerating.
But the Lord, what said He to them so priding themselves? "If ye are
Abraham's children, do the works of Abraham." [1548] Again..."The
princes of the peoples:" the princes of the nations: not the princes of
one people, but the princes of all people have "gathered together unto
the God of Abraham." Of these princes was that Centurion too, of whom
but now when the Gospel was read ye heard. For he was a Centurion
having honour and power among men, he was a prince among the princes of
the peoples. Christ coming to him, he sent his friends to meet Him, nay
unto Christ truly passing over to him he sent his friends, and asked
that He would heal his servant who was dangerously sick. And when the
Lord would come, he sent to Him this message: "I am not worthy that
Thou shouldest enter under my roof, but say in a word only, and my
servant shall be healed." "For I also am a man set under authority,
having under me soldiers." [1549] See how he kept his rank! first he
mentioned that he was under another, and afterwards that another was
under him. I am under authority, and I am in authority; both under some
I am, and over some I am....As though he said, If I being set under
authority command those who are under me, Thou who art set under no
man's authority, canst not Thou command Thy creature, since all things
were made by Thee, and without Thee was nothing made. "Say," then, said
he, "in a word, and my servant shall be healed. For I am not worthy
that Thou shouldest enter under my roof."...Admiring at his faith,
Jesus reprobates the Jews' misbelief. For sound to themselves they
seemed, whereas they were dangerously sick, when their Physician not
knowing they slew. Therefore when He reprobated, and repudiated their
pride what said he? "I say unto you, that many shall come from the east
and west," not belonging to the kindred of Israel: many shall come to
whom He said, "O clap your hands, all ye nations;" "and shall sit down
with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven." Abraham
begat them not of his own flesh; yet shall they come and sit down with
him in the kingdom of heaven, and be his sons. Whereby his sons? Not as
born of his flesh, but by following his faith. "But the children of the
kingdom," that is, the Jews, "shall be cast into outer darkness, there
shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth." [1550] They shall be condemned
to outer darkness who are born of the flesh of Abraham, and they shall
sit down with him in the kingdom of heaven, who have imitated Abraham's
faith.
11. And what they who belonged to the God of Abraham? "For the mighty
gods of the earth are greatly lifted up." They who were gods, the
people of God, the vineyard of God, whereof it is said, "Judge betwixt
Me and My vineyard," [1551] shall go into outer darkness, shall not sit
down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, are not gathered unto the God
of Abraham. Wherefore? "For the mighty gods of the earth;" they who
were mighty gods of the earth, presuming upon earth. What earth?
Themselves; for every man is earth. For to man was it said, "Dust thou
art, and unto dust shalt thou return." [1552] But man ought to presume
upon God, and thence to hope for help, not from himself. For the earth
raineth not upon itself, nor shineth for itself; but as the earth from
heaven expecteth rain and light, so man from God ought to expect mercy
and truth. They then, "the mighty gods of the earth, were greatly
lifted up," that is, greatly prided themselves: they thought no
physician necessary for themselves, and therefore remained in their
sickness, and by their sickness were brought down even to death. The
natural branches were broken off that the humble wild olive tree might
be grafted in. [1553] Hold we fast then, brethren, humility, charity,
godliness: since we are called, on their proving reprobate, even by
their example let us fear to pride ourselves.
Let us pray in the words of Augustine.
Turn we to the Lord God, the Father Almighty, and with pure hearts offer to him, so far as our
meanness can, great and true thanks, with all our hearts praying his exceeding kindness, that of
his good pleasure he would deign to hear our prayers, that by his Power he would drive out the
enemy from our deeds and thoughts, that he would increase our faith, guide our understandings,
give us spiritual thoughts, and lead us to his bliss, through Jesus Christ his Son our Lord, who
liveth and reigneth with him, in the Unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
[A prayer which he was wont to use after his Sermons and Lectures.]
NPNF (V1-08) St. Augustine
Notes:
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[1513] Numb. xvi. 1. [See p. 155, note 8, supra.--C.]
[1514] Matt. xxvii. 33.
[1515] 2 Kings ii. 23, 24.
[1516] Luke xxiii. 21.
[1517] Matt. xviii. 2.
[1518] Matt. xix. 14.
[1519] 1 Cor. xiv. 20.
[1520] Rom. xi. 25.
[1521] Acts iv. 34.
[1522] Matt. xxvii. 37.
[1523] [Isa. xlix. 6.--C.]
[1524] 1 Cor. i. 13.
[1525] [See (A.N.F. vol. v. p. 563) the noble charities of early
Christians.--C.]
[1526] Speciem.
[1527] Gen. xxv. 23.
[1528] Rom. x. 3.
[1529] Gen. xxv. 30-34.
[1530] Meruerat.
[1531] Acts vii. 39.
[1532] Acts i. 11.
[1533] Matt. xxviii. 20.
[1534] Phil. iv. 5, 6.
[1535] Rom. i. 3.
[1536] Rom. ix. 5.
[1537] John i. 1.
[1538] Ps. lxxvi. 1.
[1539] Isa. liv. 5.
[1540] Correcti. ms. Vat. ap. Ben. corde recti, "right in heart."
[1541] [The adoration of the Host was unknown to the ancient
Church.--C.]
[1542] Acts i. 2.
[1543] 2 Tim. iv. 1.
[1544] 1 Cor. i. 24.
[1545] Wisd. vii. 27.
[1546] Exod. iii. 6.
[1547] John viii. 33.
[1548] John viii. 39.
[1549] Luke vii. 6, 7.
[1550] Matt. viii. 12.
[1551] Isa. v. 3.
[1552] Gen. iii. 19.
[1553] Rom. xi. 17.
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