Fathers of the Church: Sermons (1-80)

Caesarius, Bishop of Arles in post-Roman Gaul from 503 to 543, served as the spiritual and administrative leader of an ecclesiastical province that placed twenty-seven bishops under his supervision. During most of his episcopacy Caesarius was subjected to Arian rulers, Visigothic and Ostrogothic, but his vigorous adherence to Catholic doctrine was not weakened. His concern in these translated sermons is the spiritual and moral welfare of ordinary lay folks. This collection comprises the first of five categories established by Dom Morin, the editor of the Latin namely, the category of admonitions. CONTENTS 1. The Humble Advice of a Sinner 2. A Suggestion about Reading *3. The Athanasian Creed 4. How the Word of God Should Be Desired 5. Severity in Preaching Should Be Longed For 6. People Should Be Eager to Hear Divine Lessons 7. How Good It Is to Read the Scriptures 8. On Perseverance in Reading *9. An Instruction on the Creed *10. On the Catholic Faith *11. Why Christ Redeemed Man through His Passion 12. An Exposition of Faith 13. On the Full Practice of a Christian Life 14. On the Same 15. It Is Not Enough for Eternal Welfare Merely to Avoid Evil 16. The Qualities of Good and Bad Christians 17. St. Augustine's Sermon on Charity *18. His Sermon on Good Works. Despair. and the Crow's Voice 19. His Sermon on the Christian Life and the Sacraments 20. A Letter of St. Fatalis on Christian Life *21. St . Augustine on the Many Steps in Perfect Charity On Charity 22. On Charity 23. On the Same *24. A Selection from St . Augustine on Charity 25. On Divine and Human Mercy 26. On Almsgiving and Heavenly Mercy 27. On the Parable of the Elm and the Vine *28. On Works of Mercy 29. On Love of One's Neighbor and of Enemies 30. Three Kinds of Alms by Which Sins Can Be Redeemed 31. St . Salvian on Almsgiving 32. On Almsgivers Who Persist in Sinning 33. On Tithes 34. On Love of Parents and on Giving Tithes 35. On the Lord's Prayer and Love of Enemies 36. On Love of Enemies 37. On the Same 38. St . Augustine on Love of Enemies 39. On the Criteria by Which We Shall Be Judged and on Love of Enemies 40. Why Just and Holy Men Have Punished Sinners 41. On Lust and on Martyrdom 42. A Reproof of Adultery and of Concubinage 43. On Conjugal Chastity 44. On Chastity, Abortion. and Abstinence before the Celebration of Church Eeasts 45. On the Avoidance of Shameful Thoughts 46. On Avoiding the Vice of Drunkenness 47. On the Same 48. The Scriptures Have Always Blessed the Humble, but Cursed the Proud 49. How the Widows, Orphans, and the Poor in Scripture Are to Be Interpreted 50. On Seeking Health of Soul and on Soothsayers 51. On Accepting Barrenness 52. On Martyrs, Eclipses, Abortions, and Phylacteries 53. The Shrines of Idols Should Be Destroyed 54. On Omens, Seers, and Fortune-Tellers 55. On Sins Resulting from Drunkenness and on Briber 55A. St. Augustine on Injustice and Bribery among Judges 56. St. Faustus on Judgment Day and on Penance 57. On Remaining Aware of the Judgment *58. St. Faustus on Remaining Aware of Our Sins, the Judgment, and Eternal Happiness 59. St. Augustine on the Confession of Sins 60. The DiEference between Penance Performed Continually and That Accepted in Sickness or at Death 61. A Man Should Constantly Do Penance for His Sins and Not Defer This to the End of His Life *62. On Repentance *63. St. Augustine on Repentance 64. On Repentance 65. On the Same 66. The Saints and the Ancient Fathers on Repentance 67. Advice to Those Who Do Public Penance 68. A Reproof of Penitents 69. The Times of the Christians Were Foretold in Scripture; On the Brazen Serpent and on the Ten Virgins *70. Our Tribulations Ought to Be Imputed to Our Sins 71.. On the Same, with Something about Ananias 72. Ephrem's Admonition on Prayer and Idle Gossip 73. On Remaining in Church until the Completion of Mass 74. On the Same 75. In Praise of Chanting the Psalms 76. On Genuflecting or Bowing the Head at the Blessing 77. Ephrem's Admonition on the Same 78. On Observing Silence in Church 79. On a Man Possessed by the Devil 80. On Making Greater Efforts to Pray in Church