Sermon 362A

(Erfurt 5Sermon 362/A

Sermon of Saint Augustine

On the resurrection of the dead

[On the birthday of Marcellinus the martyr]

Here is required faith. Believe what you do not yet see.

If faith is present, the consolations of Christians are not vain. But in order that faith may be present, the examples of the saints and the teachings of the books have preceded and call out. For why should we not believe the deeds narrated to us in past times, when we see happening what was predicted for the future? For those who narrated the past to us are the same who foretold the future which we discern. These things which we now see on earth, such as all people abandoning the demons to whom they were enslaved, the breaking of idols they worshipped, temples being overturned everywhere, and the entire human race being converted to one name, were foretold in the holy books; and when they were predicted, they seemed very incredible. But because we see them fulfilled, they have become insignificant, because they are easily obtainable. Therefore, let us set before our eyes the lands and all the nations which existed before, where not a single Christian was, where sacrifices were made to demons, stone altars were set up, sacrifices were offered to stones, priests were appointed, and everything due to the true God was rendered to false gods, that is, to demons. Let us set before our eyes such lands and imagine someone suddenly saying that all these things could soon be changed and that people would abandon those vain things and turn to one God: who would not laugh at him? Who would not think him delirious? Who would deign to listen? Who would hesitate to drive him out? And yet these things have happened. Where these things that we see were written and when they were spoken of and not seen, there also were written those things that are not yet seen. What are those things that are not yet seen? That the Lord Himself will come in the body in which He deigned to appear here, to die and to rise, but now immortal and incorruptible, as He remains in heaven and sits at the right hand of the Father, and will come for judgment; that all the dead will rise from their graves, all bodies will return from all forms of consumption, and not only the monuments, but the world itself will return what it received from the elements. When these things have happened, they will likewise not be marvelous, just as these things are not marvelous which have already happened. But now they are not believed because they are not yet shown. Here faith is required. Believe what you do not yet see: what great thing will you do if you will only believe when you see it? A reward is given for belief because it believed what it had not yet seen, so that it may rejoice when it sees it; and punishment is given for disbelief because it refused to believe what it had not yet seen, so that it may grieve when it sees it.

It is more incredible that it was not established than that it was restored.

This, however, is the only thing that usually disturbs people, namely, how consumed bodies will rise again, which are buried precisely because they offend the eyes when they are consumed. For they were dear to us with the souls they had, but when the souls leave, those things which we loved lie and we do not want them to decay before our sight, and so we bury them. So, when it is said that they will be resurrected, you human heart, consider what is happening now, and do not believe what is to come? For if you weigh and judge rightly, you consider little the secrets and daily miracles of nature. From where do the crops proceed in the fields that are not buried in the seed? From where do the leaves become green again on the trees? From where are the forests, bare in winter, clothed in summer? For this reason, all these things are renewed, so that we may believe that bodies can also be renewed in their time. It is more incredible that what did not exist was brought into being than that what existed is restored. Man was created who did not exist: and do you not believe that what existed can be restored? Those things that are buried are both flesh and bones: what were you before you were born? You were brought forth from the secret places of nature, so that you appeared in this visible form to the eyes: and do you not believe that when you have departed again into the secret places of nature, He who was able to create you before you existed can bring you forth again from there?

Let us believe this because Christ said it, who cannot deceive.

Finally, let us believe this because he said it, who cannot deceive. He who promised us the resurrection of bodies, while he was here in the body, raised the dead. He who promised us the resurrection of bodies, while he was here in the body, himself rose on the third day. Let us not believe even those deeds if what was foretold to follow has not indeed followed. When the Lord appeared to his disciples after the resurrection, because they themselves did not believe he had risen, they thought they were seeing a spirit. He said to them: Why are you troubled, and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? See my hands and my feet, that it is I myself. Touch and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have. He showed himself not only to be seen by their eyes but also to be handled by their hands. He spent forty days with them entering and exiting, eating and drinking, but by power, not by necessity. He convinced them of the grace of resurrection by the evidence of his true body and ascended into heaven before their eyes. And when they saw him after the resurrection, he said to them: These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the law and prophets and psalms must be fulfilled. Then he opened their understanding - the gospel says this - so that they might understand the scriptures and he said to them that thus it is written and thus it was necessary for Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead on the third day and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. The gospel holds this. See when it was written. For it was being written when what was predicted there was not yet happening. For Christ was then passing by and his disciples were looking at him in the body they knew. Was it then, when they saw him in the body they knew, that which follows? And what then? And that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in his name among all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. That was, this was not. They saw that which was, they believed that which was not yet. We now see it fulfilled: repentance and remission of sins is preached in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ among all nations. Is it not happening? Was it already, when those things were being shown and when they were being written? Just as therefore the Apostles saw Christ and believed in the future Church, so we see the Church and believe in Christ. For of these two things, they saw one and believed the other. But what they saw, we do not see. If we see what they believed, let us believe what they saw.

May our Lord God grant him to reign with Him without end.

Therefore, our Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of the Father, the only-begotten Son, through whom all things were made, who deigned at the appropriate time to take flesh from the Virgin Mary and appear to human eyes, to do worthy deeds, to suffer unworthy things, to perform divine acts, to endure human sufferings, to die, to rise again, and to ascend into heaven, this same Lord our God, listen to what He said about the future resurrection and, removing all arguments, believe, for He who said it cannot lie: "The hour is coming," He says, "when all who are in the graves will hear His voice and will come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of judgment." Therefore, thanks be to God for the reason that those who have done evil will rise to judgment. All things, brothers, were forgiven us in baptism. Believe, dearest brothers, because He whom He wished to free from all sins in a moment of time grants them to reign with Him without end.