Sermon by Augustine

We hear again this week from St Augustine, the great teacher of the Christian West. In today’s reading, he’s comparing the figures of John the Baptist and Christ. John the Baptist is a great Advent figure. He reminds us that preparing for Christmas involves not only buying presents, but also a spiritual preparation: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord’ he says! He teaches us also the great virtue of humility too – he wished only to stand aside when Christ arrived on the scene. This is the humility with which we should be approaching the Christ-child in the cradle...