when we hear, Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing
40 SAINT A UG USTINE - SERMONS plaudits of the crowd going ahead and following behind.9 Let us in our turn recognize him, let us approach the manger, eat the fodder, carry the Lord who directs us, so that under his guidance we may come to the heavenly Jerusalem. Christ's birth from his mother bears the stamp of weakness; but from the Father comes all-embracing greatness. Among the days of time he has a day of time;10 but he is himself eternal day from eternal day.
That weakness might become strong
4. Rightly are we stirred by the voice of his psalm, as of a heavenly trumpet, when we hear, Sing to the Lord a new song, sing to the Lord, all the earth. Sing to the Lord and bless his name (Ps 96:1-2). So let us recognize, and proclaim, the day from day who was bom in the flesh on this day. Day the Son from day the Father, God from God, light from light. This, you see, is the salvation about which it says elsewhere, May God have mercy on us and bless us; may he shed the light of his countenance upon us; that we may recognize your way on earth, among all the nations your salvation (Ps 67:1-2). What he means by on earth he repeats by among all the nations', and what he means by your way he repeats by your salvation.
We remember that the Lord said himself, I am the way (Jn 14:6). And just now when the gospel was read,11 we heard how the old man, the blessed Simeon, had received a divine response that he would not taste death unless he had first seen the Christ of the Lord. When he took the infant Christ in his arms, and recognized how great this little one was, Now, Lord, he said, you are letting your servant go, according to your word, in peace; since my eyes have seen your salvation (Lk 2:29-30).
So let us proclaim the good news of the day from day, his salvation', let us proclaim among the nations his glory, among all the peoples his wonders (Ps 96:2-3).12 He lies in a manger, but he holds the whole world in his hands; he sucks his mother's breasts, but feeds the angels; he is swaddled in rags, but clothes us in immortality; he is suckled, but also worshiped; he could find no room in the inn, but makes a temple for himself in the hearts of believers. It was in order, you see, that weakness might become strong, that strength became weak. Let us therefore rather wonder at than make light of his birth in the flesh, and there recognize the lowliness on our behalf of such loftiness. From there let us kindle charity in ourselves, in order to attain to his eternity.
NOTES
1. This is the date proposed by Kunzelmann and Fischer. Again, for reasons similar to those given in Sermon 189, note 1,1 myself would be inclined to date it ten to fifteen years later. It does not sound to me like Augustine the newly ordained priest, or the newly ordained bishop, speaking.