the eternal birth of the Son from the Father. But he returns to the temporal birth of Christ from Mary
58 SAINT AUGUSTINE - SERMONS made her a mother for us, and kept her a virgin for himself. It is to her, of course, that the apostle says, I have matched you to one man, to present you as a chaste virgin to Christ (2 Cor 11:2). Again he says of her that she, our mother, is not the slave woman but the free woman, and that the children of the abandoned wife are more than those of the one who has a husband.5 So the Church too, like Mary, enjoys perpetual virginity and uncorrupted fecundity. What Mary, you see, was found worthy to possess in the flesh, the Church has preserved in the mind. Except that the former gave birth to one, the latter gives birth to many, who are, however, to be gathered together into one through that one.6
Christ came in the flesh
3. So this is the day on which the one who made the world came into the world; on which the one who is never absent in his power became present in the flesh; because he was in this world, and he came to his own. He was in the world, but he escaped the world's notice; because the light was shining in the darkness, and the darkness could not comprehend it.7 So he came in the flesh, with the intention of cleansing the defects of the flesh. He came in medicinal earth,8 with which he would cure our inner eyes, which our outer earth had blinded; so that once they were healed we, who were once darkness, might become light in the Lord (Eph 5:8); and thus the light would no longer be shining as present to darkness that was absent, but would appear plainly to people who could distin¬ guish it.
It was for this that the bridegroom came forth from his chamber, and exulted as a giant to run the course (Ps 19:5). Comely as the bridegroom, strong as the giant, lovable and terrible, severe and serene, beautiful to the good, harsh to the bad, abiding in the bosom of the Father (Jn 1:18), he filled the womb of his mother. In that chamber, that is in the virgin's womb, the divine nature coupled the human to itself; there the Word became flesh for us, so that coming forth from his mother he might dwell among us (Jn 1:14); and that going ahead to the Father, he might prepare a place for us to dwell in.9 So let us celebrate this day as a high and happy holiday; and faithfully lohg for the eternal day through him, who being eternal was bom for us in time.
NOTES
1. Again, this very brief sermon gives every indication of coming from his later years, well after 412.
2. He forgets to complete the sentence, being carried away by contemplation of the mystery of the eternal birth of the Son from the Father. But he returns to the temporal birth of Christ from Mary after this long rhapsody.
3. See 1 Tm 2:5.