Sermon 324

SERMO 324

Where Augustine completes the part of the sermon immediately preceding.
THE MIRACLE INTERRUPTED

A miracle occurred at Uzali. A child, having died before baptism, was restored to life so that he could receive the sacraments.

The discourse from yesterday must be completed, which was interrupted by greater joy. For I had intended and begun to speak to your Charity about why these brothers seem to me to have been guided by divine authority to this city, so that the long-desired and awaited healing might be fulfilled here in them. And desiring to say this, I had begun first to commend to your Charity the holy places where they were not healed, and from there they were directed to us. And I mentioned the city of Ancona in Italy: I had begun to speak about the city of Uzalis, which is in Africa (it has a bishop, my brother, whom you know, Evodius); because the fame of that same martyr and his works had compelled them to come to that city too. What could have been given there was not given, so that it might be given here where it ought to be given. But when I wished briefly to commemorate the divine works through the holy Martyr, omitting the rest, I intended to recount one: as I was saying this, after the health returned to that girl, a sudden tumult of joy arose, and compelled us to end the discourse differently. Therefore, we know that such a miracle happened there among many others, which certainly cannot all be commemorated. A certain woman lost her sick infant son, a catechumen, in her lap. When she saw him lost and irreparably ruined, she began to weep for him more faithfully than as a mother. For she did not desire the life of her son except in the future world, and she lamented that this was taken from her and perished. Filled with the affection of confidence, she took the dead boy, and ran to the memory of the blessed martyr Stephen, and began to demand from him her son, saying: 'Holy martyr, you see that no solace remains for me. For I cannot say that my son has gone ahead, whom you know has perished: for you see why I weep. Return my son to me, so that I may have him before the sight of your crowner.' While she prayed these and similar things, in a way that did not ask with tears, but as I said, demanded, her son revived. And because she had said, 'You know why I seek him': God wanted to show the true spirit of her as well. Immediately she took him to the priests, he was baptized, he was sanctified, he was anointed, a hand was laid upon him, and all the sacraments being completed, he was taken up. She, with such a countenance, led him, as if she did not lead him to the peace of a tomb, but to the bosom of the martyr Stephen. The faithful heart of the woman was proven. Therefore, where God performed such a miracle through His Martyr, was He not able to cure these men there? And yet they were directed to us here. Turned toward the Lord, etc.