Augustine on Christmas

I love to read an old, African pastor named Augustine.  Augustine lived during the 4^th century and converted to the Christian faith as an adult.  He served a church in a town called Hippo and wrote a lot about Christian belief.  Augustine’s sermons and writings are still very influential in the Christian faith today.

Augustine wrote a lot about how God became a human in Jesus.  Some call it “the incarnation.”  Mostly, we call it Christmas. 

Preparing for this season’s services, I read bits of Augustine’s Christmas sermons.  I enjoyed them a lot and found beautiful descriptions of Jesus’ arrival in Bethlehem.  They made enough of an impact that I thought I would share. 

So, as the Christmas season comes to a close at Faith Center, remember:

Our Lord came down from life to suffer death;
the Bread came down, to hunger; 
the Way came down, on the way to weariness; 
the Fount came down, to thirst.


-       Sermon 78

He so loved us that, for our sake, 
He was made man in time, 
although through him all times were made. 
He was made man, who made man. He was created of a mother whom he created.
He was carried by hands that he formed. 
He cried in the manger in wordless infancy, he the Word,
without whom all human eloquence is mute.


- Sermon 188, 2