Sermons 178

What was said above concerning the usefulness which we have obtained from the collation of many manuscript codices — so that we might discern writings attributed to various authors through the ignorance of copyists — will here appear more clearly. For two Vatican codices, 1269 and 1277, attribute this sermon to St. Ambrose; but another Vatican, 4951, to St. Augustine, marked with this heading: 'A sermon of St. Augustine to be delivered on the feast of Saints Peter and Paul'; the Vallicellan codex A 9 calls St. Leo the Great the author. Therefore the judgment in this diversity would be uncertain, unless we had the consensus of very many manuscripts in favour of Maximus. For to the Ambrosian codex there are added four testimonies, namely of the two codices 90 and 99 of Holy

Cross in Jerusalem, and of the two Cassinese codices 102 and 305, which support St. Maximus. But since neither the Ballerini nor Cacciari placed this sermon in their editions of the works of St. Leo the Great, nor did the monks of St. Maur place it among the genuine sermons of St. Augustine, but transferred it into the appendix under number 201, there ought to be no question concerning these Fathers. The same Benedictine monks doubted, in the same appendix, whether perhaps it should be ascribed to Ambrose; but since in their edition of the year 1690 they passed it over, they seem to have withdrawn from an opinion of this kind. Therefore this sermon was to be ascribed to St. Maximus, against the Parisian edition of the works of St. Ambrose of the year 1569, where it was placed under number 68 of the sermons.

It is known to you all, brethren, and most well known to the whole world, that today is the birthday of the most blessed Peter and Paul, nor can so great a devotion be hidden from any part of the globe; since, as David the prophet says of them: 'Their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world' (Psalm 18); into all the earth the marvellous power of Peter is spread abroad, unto the ends of the world the words of the Epistles of Paul have penetrated. For who has not heard that the blessed apostle Peter first restored firmness of feet to a lame man sitting at the Beautiful Gate of the temple, feeble from his mother's womb, so that apostolic grace might repair what nature had bestowed less fully?

For when that lame man, begging alms, believed that he would receive some money from the apostles, the apostle Peter said to him: 'Silver and gold I do not have; but what I have, this I give you: In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ of Nazareth, arise and walk' (Acts 3). O plainly blessed generosity, which indeed did not bestow silver on him who begged it, but bestowed health! O blessed generosity, which did not bring forth gold from its treasuries, but brought forth medicine! Blessed is that lame man, who, while he sought alms of money, received the riches of soundness. For he obtained this as a gift from the apostles, which he could have redeemed with no treasures from physicians. The first sign, therefore, of his wonders Peter performed, by restoring to the lame man the footsteps of his feet.

We have often said that Peter himself was called 'rock' by the Lord, as he says: 'You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church' (Matthew 16). If therefore Peter is the rock upon which the Church is built, rightly does he first heal the feet, so that, just as in the Church he holds the foundation of faith, so also in a man he may strengthen the foundations of the limbs: rightly, I say, does he first tend the feet in the Christian, so that no longer trembling nor weak, he may be able to stand upon the rock of the Church, but robust and strong may walk. But where are the words of Paul not read? What place does not inscribe them in letters, retain them in the heart, keep them in conduct? This Paul was named by the Lord the vessel of election.

A good vessel, in which the precious precepts of the commandments of Christ are stored; a good vessel, from whose fullness the substance of life is always dispensed to the peoples, and yet it is full. Excellent are the names of the apostles: 'rock' and 'vessel,' necessary to the house of the Saviour. For a house is constructed by the strength of rocks, and adorned by the usefulness of vessels. The rock sustains the peoples for firmness, lest they slip; the vessel covers Christians for keeping, lest they be tempted. But how blessed their departure from this age was, there is no one who does not know. For this is the first blessedness in them, that both are known to have suffered on one day; namely, that those whom one faith had bound in service, one day should crown with martyrdom.

Then the passion itself, though it was different in each, yet how filled it was with the holiness of grace! For Peter bore the ending of the cross, like the Saviour, and by the likeness of the Lord's devotion was not separated from him even in death; namely, that whom he imitated in faith, he might imitate also in passion. But of Paul's neck, when the persecutor struck it with the sword, it is said that a wave of milk flowed rather than of blood; and in a wonderful manner the holy Apostle in his very slaying was shown to be shining rather than bloody by the grace of baptism. Which thing indeed is not astonishing in St. Paul. For what wonder is it if the nourisher of the Church abounds in milk, as he himself says to the Corinthians: 'Milk I have given you to drink, not solid food' (1 Corinthians 3).

This is that land full of promise, which God promised to our fathers, saying: 'I will give you a land flowing with milk and honey' (Exodus 3). For he did not speak of this earth which enfolds mire with its flowing waters and mingles mud, but of that land of Paul and of those like Paul, which continually distils what is pure and sweet. For what epistle of Paul is not sweeter than honey, whiter than milk? Which epistles, like breasts, nourish the peoples of the Churches unto salvation? From the neck of the Apostle, therefore, milk flowed instead of blood. We read in his own epistle that flesh and blood shall not possess the kingdom of God (1 Corinthians 15).

Now therefore Paul possesses the kingdom, since he is without the blood which is said to hinder those who are to reign. Therefore Paul, still placed on earth, is even now transformed into the substance of the heavenly kingdom. Therefore, dearest brethren, as often as we celebrate the memorials of the martyrs, laying aside all the affairs of the age, without any delay we ought to run together to the house of God, to render to them the honour, who by the shedding of their blood brought forth for us salvation, who offered themselves as so sacred a victim to the Lord for our propitiation; especially since Almighty God says to his saints: 'He who honours you honours me, and he who despises you despises me' (Luke 10). Whoever therefore honours the martyrs honours Christ also;

and he who despises the saints despises our Lord, who lives and reigns with the Father and the Holy Spirit, etc.