Tuesday, April 21, 2020

St. George, Martyr: Homily by S. Augustine, Bishop: On the Catechizing of the Unlearned


St. George, Martyr: Homily by S. Augustine, Bishop:  On the Catechizing of the Unlearned

THAT vine which was spreading abroad her fruitful branches throughout the whole world, as had been prophesied of her, and as the Lord himself had foretold, made larger shoots, the more richly she was watered with the blood of the martyrs. And as throughout all lands countless numbers died for the truth of the faith, the very persecuting kingdoms gave way, and bowed the neck of pride, and turned themselves to know and worship Christ. But it was fitting that this same vine, as had been often foretold by the Lord, should be pruned, and the unfruitful branches cut off from it, by which heresies and schisms in different places were caused under the name of Christ, by men who sought not his glory, but their own, by whose differences the Church might be more and more exercised and its doctrine and patience be made proved and made clear.

 ALL these things, therefore, as we read of them foretold so long before, so also do we see them accomplished; and as the first Christians, in that they as yet saw not the coming to pass of these things, were by miracles moved to believe; so we, in that all these things have been so fulfilled, as we read them in the Books which were written long before these things were fulfilled, wherein all things were spoken of as future and are now seen as present, are built up into faith, to believe, enduring and abiding in the Lord, that those things also which remain will without any doubt come to pass.

WE still read of future tribulations in the same Scriptures, and of that last day, the Day of Judgment, wherein all the citizens of both these cities will receive again their bodies and arise, and give an account of their life before the Judgment-seat of Christ the Judge. For he will come in the brightness of his Power, who before deigned to come in the humiliation of his Humanity, and will separate all the godly from the ungodly, not only from them who altogether would not believe in him, but from them also who believed in him in vain and without fruit; about to give to the one an eternal kingdom with himself, to the others eternal punishment with the devil.

THE devil tempts not only through lusts, but also through terrors of insults, and of pains, and of death itself. But whatever man shall have suffered for the Name of Christ, and for the hope of eternal life, and shall have endured continuing firm, the greater reward shall be given him; but if he shall yield to the devil, he shall be condemned with him. But works of mercy, together with godly humility, obtain from the Lord, that he suffered not his servants to be tempted more than they are able to bear.

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