The Sixth Sunday after Trinity
O GOD, who hast prepared for those who love thee such good things as pass man's understanding; Pour into our hearts such love toward thee, that we, loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promises, which exceed all that we can desire; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Collect Source: Sacrementary of Gelasius, Bishop of Rome [ca 494AD]. Inspired by 1 Corinthians ii. 9. (from Isaiah lxiv. 4)
Psalms 28, 29 | 30, 31 , Romans vi. 3 & St. Matthew v. 20
Homily of Augustine on Psalm XXX
Romans vi. 3
KNOW ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin. For he that is dead is freed from sin. Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.St. Matthew v. 20
JESUS said unto his disciples, Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: but I say unto you, that whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell-fire. Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing.The Collects of Thomas Cranmer
HOMILY
Augustine
Homily
Psalm XXX
To the end, the psalm of the canticle [678] of the dedication of the
house, of David himself.
Notes
1. To the end, a Psalm of the joy of the Resurrection, and the change,
the renewing of the body to an immortal state, and not only of the
Lord, but also of the whole Church. For in the former Psalm the
tabernacle was finished, wherein we dwell in the time of war: but now
the house is dedicated, which will abide in peace everlasting.
2. It is then whole Christ who speaketh. "I will exalt Thee, O Lord,
for Thou hast taken Me up" (ver. 1). I will praise Thy high Majesty, O
Lord, for Thou hast taken Me up. "Thou hast not made Mine enemies to
rejoice over Me." And those, who have so often endeavoured to oppress
Me with various persecutions throughout the world, Thou hast not made
to rejoice over Me.
3. "O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and Thou hast healed Me"
(ver. 2). O Lord, My God, I have cried unto Thee, and I no longer bear
about a body enfeebled and sick by mortality.
4. "O Lord, Thou hast brought back My Soul from hell, and Thou hast
saved Me from them that go down into the pit" (ver. 3). Thou hast saved
Me from the condition of profound darkness, and the lowest slough of
corruptible flesh.
5. "Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of His." The prophet seeing these
future things, rejoiceth, and saith, "Sing to the Lord, O ye saints of
His. And make confession of the remembrance of His holiness" (ver. 4).
And make confession to Him, that He hath not forgotten the
sanctification, wherewith He hath sanctified you, although all this
intermediate period belong to your desires.
6. "For in His indignation is wrath" (ver. 5). For He hath avenged
against you the first sin, for which you have paid by death. "And life
in His will." And life eternal, whereunto you could not return by any
strength of your own, hath He given, because He so would. "In the
evening weeping will tarry." Evening began, when the light of wisdom
withdrew from sinful man, when he was condemned to death: from this
evening weeping will tarry, as long as God's people are, amid labours
and temptations, awaiting the day of the Lord. "And exultation in the
morning." Even to the morning, when there will be the exultation of the
resurrection, which hath shone forth by anticipation in the morning
resurrection of the Lord.
7. "But I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved for ever" (ver.
6). But I, that people which was speaking from the first, said in mine
abundance, suffering now no more any want, "I shall not be moved for
ever."
8. "O Lord, in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty"
(ver. 7). But that this my abundance, O Lord, is not of myself, but
that in Thy will Thou hast afforded strength unto my beauty, I have
learnt from this, "Thou turnedst away Thy Face from me, and I became
troubled;" for Thou hast sometimes turned away Thy Face from the
sinner, and I became troubled, when the illumination of Thy knowledge
withdrew from me.
9. "Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and unto my God will I pray" (ver.
8). And bringing to mind that time of my trouble and misery, and as it
were established therein, I hear the voice of Thy First-Begotten, my
Head, about to die for me, and saying "Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry,
and unto My God will I pray."
10. "What profit" is there in the shedding of My blood, whilst I go
down to corruption? "Shall dust confess unto Thee?" For if I shall not
rise immediately, and My body shall become corrupt, "shall dust confess
unto Thee?" that is, the crowd of the ungodly, whom I shall justify by
My resurrection? "Or declare Thy truth?" Or for the salvation of the
rest declare Thy truth?
11. "The Lord hath heard, and had mercy on Me, the Lord hath become My
helper." Nor did "He suffer His holy One to see corruption" [679] (ver.
10).
12. "Thou hast turned My mourning into joy to Me" (ver. 11). Whom I,
the Church, having received, the First-Begotten from the dead, [680]
now in the dedication of Thine house, say, "Thou hast turned my
mourning into joy to me. Thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me
with gladness." Thou hast torn off the veil of my sins, the sadness of
my mortality; and hast girded me with the first robe, with immortal
gladness.
13. "That my glory should sing unto Thee, and I should not be pricked"
(ver. 12). That now, not my humiliation, but my glory should not
lament, but should sing unto Thee, for that now out of humiliation Thou
hast exalted me; and that I should not be pricked with the
consciousness of sin, with the fear of death, with the fear of
judgment. "O Lord, my God, I will confess unto Thee for ever." And this
is my glory, O Lord, my God, that I should confess unto Thee for ever,
that I have nothing of myself, but that all my good is of Thee, who art
"God, All in all." [681]
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
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[677] Lat. XXIX.
[678] [A shir, or "song." So Psalm xviii.=shirah, the only two
instances in the first division of the Psalter, forty-one Psalms.--C.]
[679] Ps. xvi. 10.
[680] Rev. i. 5.
[681] 1 Cor. xv. 28. [This Psalm was used at Easter and Pentecost.
Compare Cyprian, vol. v. p. 525, A.N.F.--C.]
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