Sermon 260

SERMO 260

HELD ON THE SAME DAY IN THE LEONTIAN CHURCH
OF THE WARNINGS FOR THE BAPTIZED

What has been reborn in you, do not suffocate by living badly.

Let us not delay, as we are about to do many things, to those regenerated in Baptism, who today are to be mingled with the people, a brief but serious talk must be given. You who have been baptized, and today complete the sacrament of your octave, briefly understand and grasp that the figure of circumcision of the flesh was translated to the circumcision of the heart. On the eighth day, they are circumcised in the flesh according to the old Law: and this is because of the Lord Christ, who, after the seventh day of the Sabbaths, rose on the eighth, the Lord’s Day. It was ordered to circumcise with stone knives: the Rock was Christ. You are called infants, because you have been reborn, and have entered a new life, and have been reborn to eternal life, if you do not suffocate what has been reborn in you by living badly. You have been rendered to the peoples, you have been mingled with the people of the faithful: beware lest you imitate the bad faithful, indeed the false faithful; as if professing to be faithful, but living badly and unfaithfully. See, because I testify to you before God and His Angels: keep chastity, whether marital, or of complete continence. Each should render what he has vowed. You who do not have wives, it is permitted for you to take wives, but of those whose husbands do not live. Women who do not have husbands, it is permitted for them to marry, but to those men whose wives do not live. You who have wives, do nothing evil except with your wives. Render what you demand. Faith is owed to you, you owe faith. The husband owes faith to the wife, the wife to the husband; both owe it to God. Whoever has vowed continence, render what you have vowed: because it would not be required if you had not vowed. What was once permissible, is not permitted: not because marriages are condemned, but because he who looks back is condemned. Beware of fraud in your business. Beware of lies and perjury. Beware of verbosity and luxury. Whatever you do not want to be done to you, do not do to others, both to people and to God. Why should I burden you? Do these things, and the God of peace will be with you.