There are four Laurentian codices, namely 59 Plut. XVIII, 42 Plut. XVI, 172 of the library formerly of the metropolitan church of Florence, and 174 of the same library, in which this sermon is attributed to Saint Maximus, bishop of Turin. We list some out of many which inscribe Saint Augustine as author. It exists in fact in the codex of Saint Peter, 40 F, page 74, with the title: 'Sermon of Saint Augustine the bishop, on the Dedication of a temple or altar.' Under the same name it is included by the codices, Vallicellian 25, Farfensian, of the Lateran basilica page 219, Alban, etc. In Vatican codex 3836, page 190, it is anonymous with the heading: 'Here begins a homily on the dedication of a church.'
In the Roman Breviary the former part of it is read, distributed into three lessons for the feast of the Dedication of a church, adorned with the name of Saint Augustine. But the monks of the Congregation of Saint Maur, since they did not find in it the vein of the holy doctor, but rather of Saint Caesarius, placed it among the spurious sermons, number 229. We too, doubtful of its genuineness, have likewise transferred it into our appendix. As often, most dear brethren, as we keep the festival of an altar or a temple, if we faithfully and diligently attend, and live in a holy and just manner, whatever is done in temples made by hands is all completed for us in spiritual edification. For he did not lie who said: 'For the temple of God is holy, which you are' (1 Cor. 3);
and again: 'Know you not that your bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit?' (1 Cor. 6). By what merits, through the grace of God, we have deserved to be made the temple of God, let us labor as much as we can with God's help, lest our God find in His temple, that is, in ourselves, anything that may offend the eyes of His majesty; but let the dwelling of our heart be emptied of vices, closed to the devil and opened to Christ; and let us so labor that by the keys of good works we may be able to open for ourselves the gate of the heavenly kingdom. For just as by evil works, as by certain bars and bolts, the gate of life is closed to us, so without doubt by good works it is opened.
And therefore, most dear brethren, let each one consider his own conscience, and when he recognizes that he has been wounded by an old crime, let him first strive by prayers, fastings, and alms to cleanse his conscience, and thus presume to receive the Eucharist. For if, acknowledging his guilt, he withdraws himself from the divine altar, he will quickly come to the pardon of the divine mercy. Because, as he who exalts himself shall be humbled, so on the contrary, he who humbles himself shall be exalted. For he who, as I said, acknowledging his guilt, is willing humbly to withdraw himself from the altar of the Church for the amendment of his life, shall not at all fear to be excommunicated from that eternal and heavenly banquet. I beg you, brethren, attend diligently:
if no one presumes to approach the table of any powerful man with torn and soiled garments, how much more ought everyone who is struck with the poison of envy or hatred, or filled with the fury of wrath, to withdraw himself with reverence and humility from the banquet of the eternal King, that is, from the altar of the Lord, on account of that which is written: 'Go first to be reconciled to thy brother, and then thou shalt offer thy gift' (Matt. 5). And again: 'Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment?' (Matt. 22). For thus the text of the Gospel reading runs, that a certain man made a marriage for his son, and came in to see those reclining together; and seeing there a man not having a wedding garment, he said to him:
'Friend, how camest thou in hither, not having a wedding garment?' And when he was struck dumb, he said to the servants: 'Bind him hand and foot, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.' Behold what a sentence he will deserve to hear, who presumes to approach the wedding banquet, that is, the altar of the Lord, either drunken, or an adulterer, or retaining hatred in his heart.
May God avert this from us, most dear brethren, and grant that we may either never wish to admit these evils, or, if they have been admitted, that we may strive without any delay to heal them by penance or by peace, and hasten to wash them away by more generous alms; lest perchance, if we come before the tribunal of the eternal Judge with the wounds of our sins, we be separated by perpetual excommunication from that eternal Church and from that heavenly Jerusalem. Consider, therefore, I beg you, brethren, if today someone is cast forth from the assembly of this church for some crime, in how great a grief or tribulation his soul will be;
and if it is an intolerable grief to be cast forth from this church -- where he who is cast out can still eat, and drink, and speak with men, and has hope that he may again be worthy to be recalled to the church -- what do we think, of what sort will the grief be, if anyone is separated for his crimes from the Church which is in heaven, from the assembly of angels and from the congregation of holy men, to whom it will not suffice for punishment merely that he be cast forth, but he is moreover shut out into the exterior darkness to be burned with eternal fire?
For he who has deserved to be excommunicated from that heavenly Jerusalem will have not only this punishment, that he can neither eat nor drink, but he will also endure infernal punishments, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, where there is wailing, lamentation, and repentance without any remedy, where is that worm which shall not die, and the fire which shall never be quenched; where death is sought and not found, because those to whom life is offered in this world, and who would not receive it, shall in hell seek death and shall not be able to find it. There shall be night without day, bitterness without sweetness, darkness without light; where there are neither riches, nor parents, nor spouses.
nor children, nor neighbors will be able to help; where the sinner will find nothing except what he has sent ahead, by living chastely and justly, through the bounty of alms. Considering these things, therefore, most dear brethren, so chaste and so sober and so peaceable, let us strive, with God's help, to approach this altar, that we may not deserve to be shut out from that eternal altar. For he who comes to this altar with a chaste body and a pure heart, with a secure and clean conscience, will come by a happy migration to that altar which is in heaven. Finally, most dear brethren, what I commend to you is neither grievous nor laborious.
All men, when they desire to communicate, wash their hands, and all women display clean linens on which they may receive the body of Christ. What I say is not grievous, brethren: as men wash their hands with water, so let them wash their consciences with alms. Likewise the women too: as they display a clean cloth on which to receive the body of Christ, so let them present a chaste body and a pure heart, that they may receive the sacraments with a good conscience. I beg you, brethren: is there anyone who would wish to cast his garment onto a threshing-floor full of filth? And if a precious garment is not cast onto a filthy floor, with what face is the Eucharist of Christ received into a soul which is defiled with the filth of sins?
And since we have begun to speak by these most true examples, I suggest also what you know well. I do not think there is any man who would consent to enclose either a live coal, or any spark whatsoever, in the place where he keeps his precious garments stored. Why is this, brethren? Because he fears lest the garments in which he is clothed on festivals be burned. I beg you, brethren, he who does not wish to enclose a spark of fire in his storeroom, why does he not fear to kindle the flame of wrath in his soul? But why this comes to pass we recognize openly and evidently. For we do not put fire into our chest, because we love our garment.
But the flame of wrath we do not extinguish, because we not only do not love, but even hate our soul, according to that which is said: 'He who loves iniquity hates his own soul' (Ps. 10).
And therefore, most dear brethren, considering these examples more attentively, let us diligently strive, as much as we can, with God's help, to guard our inner chests, that is, our consciences, so that when the day of judgment comes, in that eternal and blessed Church, where the wicked man can never dwell, and whence the good man can never depart, we may not appear cast out in old rags into the exterior darkness, but, clothed with the stole of immortality, adorned with the gems of chastity and justice, vested with the light of alms, may deserve to hear: 'Come, ye blessed of My Father, receive the kingdom' (Matt. 25), and so forth; and that: 'Good and faithful servant, enter into the joy of thy Lord' (ibid.).