Even Years: Hilary of Poitier, On the Trinity, Book 2:1,33,35 (PL 10, 50-51,73,75)
Dominus baptizare iussit in nomine Patris, et Filii, et Spiritus Sancti, id est, in confessione et Auctoris et Unigeniti et Doni.
Auctor unus est omnium. Unus est enim Deus Pater, ex quo omnia; et unus unigenitus, Dominus noster Iesus Christus, per quem omnia; et unus Spiritus, donum in omnibus.
Omnia ergo sunt suis virtutibus ac meritis ordinata: una potestas ex qua omnia, una progenies per quam omnia, perfectae spei munus unum. Nec deesse quidquam consummationi tantae reperietur, intra quam sit, in Patre et Filio et Spiritu Sancto, infinitas in aeterno, species in imagine, usus in munere.
Quod autem sit officium eius in nobis, verbis ipsius Domini audiamus. Ait enim: Adhuc multa habeo quae dicam vobis, sed non potestis illa modo portare. Expedit enim vobis ut ego eam; si iero, mittam vobis Advocatum.
Et rursum: Ego rogabo Patrem, et alium Advocatum mittet vobis, ut vobiscum sit in aeternum, Spiritum veritatis. Ille vos diriget in omnem veritatem: non enim loquetur a se, sed quaecumque audierit, loquetur, et ventura annuntiabit vobis. Ille me honorificabit, quia de meo sumet.
Haec de pluribus ad intellegentiae viam dicta sunt, quibus et voluntas munerantis, et ratio et condicio muneris continetur; ut, quia infirmitas nostra neque Patris neque Filii capax esset, fidem nostram, de Dei incarnatione difficilem, Sancti Spiritus donum quodam intercessionis suae foedere luminaret.
Accipitur ergo ob scientiam. Ut enim natura humani corporis, cessantibus officii sui causis, erit otiosa; nam oculis, nisi lumen aut dies sit, nullus ministerii erit usus; ut aures, nisi vox sonusve reddatur, munus suum non recognoscent; ut nares, nisi odor fragraverit, in quo officio erunt nescient; non quod his deficiet natura per causam, sed usus habetur ex causa; ita et animus humanus, nisi per fidem donum Spiritus hauserit, habebit quidem naturam Deum intellegendi, sed lumen scientiae non habebit.
Munus autem, quod in Christo est, omne omnibus patet unum; et, quod ubique non deest, in tantum datur in quantum quis volet sumere; in tantum residet in quantum quis volet promereri. Hoc usque in consummationem saeculi nobiscum, hoc expectationis nostrae solacium, hoc in donorum operationibus futurae spei pignus est, hoc mentium lumen, hic splendor animorum est.
Odd Years: Augustine of Hippo, Treatise 92 on John, 1-2 (CCL 36, 555-556)
| Dominus iesus in sermone quem locutus est discipulis suis post coenam, proximus passioni, tamquam iturus et relicturus eos praesentia corporali, cum omnibus autem suis usque in
consummationem saeculi futurus praesentia spiritali, exhortatus est eos ad
perferendas persecutiones impiorum, quos mundi nomine nuncupauit; ex quo tamen
mundo etiam ipsos discipulos se elegisse dixit, ut scirent se dei gratia esse
quod sunt, suis autem uitiis fuisse quod fuerunt cum autem uenerit paracletus
quem ego mittam uobis a patre, spiritum ueritatis qui a patre procedit, ille
testimonium perhibebit de me; et uos testimonium perhibebitis, quia ab initio
me cum estis. quid hoc pertinet ad illud quod dixerat: nunc autem et uiderunt,
et oderunt et me et patrem meum; sed ut impleatur sermo qui in lege eorum
scriptus est: quia odio habuerunt me gratis?
| After the Last Supper the Lord Jesus addressed his disciples. His passion was then at hand and he was about to depart, withdrawing from them his physical presence, though his spiritual presence would remain with his own until the end of time. In his discourse he exhorted them to endure the persecutions of those wicked people whom he called 'the world', though at the same time he reminded them how it was from that very 'world' that he had chosen them. This he did to make them realize that it was due entirely to God's grace that they had come to be what they now were... But when the Advocate comes whom I shall send you from the Father, the Spirit of truth proceeding from the Father, he will bear witness to me; and you too will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the first. Now what connection can this have with that earlier statement in which he says: But now that they have seen me, they hate both me and my Father. Thus are fulfilled the words that are written in their holy book: They have hated me without cause?
| | An quia paracletus quando uenit,
spiritus ueritatis, eos qui uiderunt et oderunt, testimonio manifestiore
conuicit? immo uero etiam aliquos ex illis qui uiderunt, et adhuc oderant, ad
fidem quae per dilectionem operatur, sui manifestatione conuertit.
| Can it be that at his coming the Advocate, the Spirit of truth, by some yet more cogent proof convicted those people of hating God's Son when they saw him? No; rather, those in whom sight had only given rise to hatred were converted by the coming of the Spirit to the faith that works through love.
| | Hoc ut ita intellegamus, ita factum
esse recolimus. uenit enim die pentecostes spiritus sanctus in centum uiginti
homines congregatos, in quibus et apostoli omnes erant, qui illo adimpleti cum
linguis omnium gentium loquerentur, plures ex his qui oderant, tanto miraculo
stupefacti (quandoquidem uiderunt loquente petro tam magnum atque diuinum
testimonium perhiberi de christo, ut ille qui occisus ab eis inter mortuos
deputabatur, resurrexisse et uiuere probaretur), compuncti corde conuersi sunt;
et tanti sanguinis tam impie atque immaniter fusi indulgentiam perceperunt,
ipso redemti sanguine quem fuderunt. christi enim sanguis sic in remissionem
peccatorum omnium fusus est, ut ipsum etiam peccatum posset delere quo fusus
est. hoc ergo intuens dominus dicebat: odio habuerunt me gratis; cum autem
uenerit paracletus, ille testimonium perhibebit de me, tamquam diceret: odio me
habuerunt, et occiderunt uidentes; sed tale de me paracletus testimonium
| So much we gather from the story of the day of Pentecost, where we are told that the Holy Spirit came down on a hundred and twenty disciples, among whom were all the apostles, gathered together in one place. Filled with the Spirit, they began to speak in various tongues, and many of those who had previously harboured hatred for the Lord Jesus were so moved by this outstanding miracle that they were cut to the heart and turned to him in repentance. At once their guilt was forgiven. Through their wickedness his precious blood had been shed; now they were themselves redeemed by the very blood for the shedding of which they were responsible. And so it was because he foresaw their conversion that the Lord had said: They hated me without cause, but when the Spirit comes, he will bear witness to me, as much as to say: They hated me, and killed me when they saw me; but so powerful a witness will the Spirit bear to me that these same people will be brought to believe in me even though they see me no more.
perhibebit, ut eos faciat in me credere non uidentes.
| | Et uos, inquit, testimonium
perhibebitis, quia ab initio me cum estis. perhibebit spiritus sanctus,
perhibebitis et uos. quia enim ab initio me cum estis, potestis praedicare quod
nostis, quod ut modo non faciatis, illius spiritus plenitudo nondum adest
uobis. ille ergo testimonium perhibebit de me, et uos perhibebitis; dabit enim
uobis fiduciam testimonium perhibendi caritas dei diffusa in cordibus uestris
per spiritum sanctum qui dabitur uobis.
| And you, he said to his disciples, you too will be my witnesses, because you have been with me from the first. If the Holy Spirit is to bear his witness to me, so shall you bear yours. And why? Because, having been with me from the beginning, you can speak with firsthand knowledge of me. If up to the present time you have not done this, that is because you have not yet received the fullness of the Spirit. He will bear witness to me, and so shall you; for you will gain the confidence you need to be my witnesses from the love of God poured into your hearts by the Holy Spirit whom God will give you.
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