The Pécs Sermones Dominicales and the Sermones de tempore of James of Varazze

Ottó Gecser (Central European University, Budapest)

The Pécs Sermones Dominicales (SD) is a fifteenth-century anonymous sermon collection from Hungary. It has been edited by Áron Szilády in 1910 (Sermones Dominicales, 2 vols. [Budapest: Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, 1910]). The language of the sermons is Latin, but each of their two extant manuscripts (Budapest, Egyetemi Könyvtár, Cod. Lat. 18; Budapest, Magyar Ferences Könyvtár és Levéltár, Esztergomi letét, Múz. 13) contain Hungarian glosses. The collection itself was most probably put together in the diocese of Pécs, in Southern Hungary, between 1450 and 1456. The compiler seems to have been a secular cleric in the mentioned diocese. The compiler’s intention to produce a coherent sermonary is indicated by a preface (called exordium or prohemium in the text) and by numerous cross references between single sermons.

The SD usually offers two sermons for every Sunday: one for the Gospel and one for the epistle. In some cases there are two sermons for the Gospel, while in some others the sermon for the epistle is missing (see the table below). It also contains sermons for the Christmas feasts, Epiphany, Ash Wednesday, Maundy Thursday, Ascension and Corpus Christi. Out of the altogether 127 pieces, 45 are based on James of Varazze’s Sermones de tempore (see the doubly underlined items in the table below).

James’ sermonary contains sermons only for the Gospels, not for the epistles; he wrote three short pieces for each Sunday interpreting three (sometimes different, sometimes identical) verses of the pericope strictly in the form of thematic sermons. In contrast, the compiler of the SD often discusses the whole pericope – which he usually quotes at full length – in the form of homilies. But only in the case of the Gospel-sermons; the Epistle-sermons are always thematic. The homily type Gospel-sermons look as if many short thematic sermons on each phrase or section of the given pericope were attached to each other. Every subsequent phrase or section of the pericope is introduced by sequitur, and followed by divisions or distinctions.

From among the 45 sermons partly borrowed from James, 21 are the combinations of two or three pieces for the corresponding (or the previous) day in the original, while the other 24 are enlarged and rearranged versions of single texts in James’ sermonary. If the thema of James’ sermon(s) do not fit the respective pericope in the Pécs missal, the SD introduces a thema from the latter and alters the sermon source accordingly. As to the editorial techniques of the anonymous compiler, we can differentiate four levels according to the extent of change brought to larger sections of the original texts. Thus a parallel section in the SD can be

1. almost word-for-word the same with only synonyms or short tautological explanations added which are introduced by “i.e.”;

2. structurally congruent using the same divisions and distinctions but discussing them at a considerably greater length;

3. roughly paraphrased following the same line of thought but changing divisions and distinctions as well;

4. entirely new introduced by phrases like “nota quod,” “nota consequenter,” or “notandum est.”

Since all four techniques are used in almost every sermon ultimately stemming from James, only a new critical edition of the SD could indicate the extent of the sophisticated rewritings made by our compiler or someone else between him and James.

For the time being, the following table is intended to summarize the relationship between the SD and the Sermones de tempore. It shows, first of all, the Sundays/feasts considered in the SD in comparison with James’ collection and two relevant missals, those of the diocese of Pécs and the Dominican Order. The sequence of the Sundays/feasts and their names follows the SD; if a name was not indicated, I took the respective name from the Missale Quinqueecclesiense. Secondly, the table shows the Biblical themata in the SD and in the Sermones de tempore: those sermons in the SD which are based on the latter sermonary have doubly underlined themata. The source of the sermon for Nativity is not in James’ Sermones de tempore but in his Sermones de sanctis (at least in the edition I used: Jacobus de Voragine, Sermones aurei et pulcherrimi. Paris: Regnault, 1533): the ninth sermon in die nativitatis Domini. The table also indicates which sermons stemming from James were restructured into homilies (H) and which were not (T). There are a few mixed cases (indicated by H/T) where only a part of the sermon interprets the pericope line by line.

Sunday/Feast

Themes/Pericopes
in the SD

Themes
in Jacobus de Voragine

Missale
Quinqueecclesiense

Missale...
ordinis S. Dominici

D.
I. Adv.

Rom 13,11 T

Mt
21,1-9 H

Amos 4,12

Mt 21,5

Jn
12,13

Rom 13,11-14

Mt
21,1-9

Rom 13,11-14

Mt
21,1-9

D.
II. Adv.

Rom 15,4 T

Lc
21,25-33 H/T

Lc 21,25

Lc 21,27

Lc
21,27

Rom 15,4-13

Lc
21,25-33

Rom 15,4-13

Lc
21,25-33

D.
III. Adv.

I. Cor 4,1 T

Mt
11,2-10 T

Mt 11,2

Mt 11,7

Mt
11,2

I. Cor 4,1-5

Mt
11,2-10

I. Cor 4,1-5

Mt
11,2-10

D.
IV. Adv.

Phil 4,4 T

1. Jn 1,19-28 H

2.
Jn 1,23 T

Jn 1,19

Jn 1,23

Jn
1,23

Phil 4,4-7

Jn
1,19-28

Phil 4,4-7

Jn
1,19-28

Vig.
nat. Domini

Mt
1,18-21 H

-

Is 62,1-4

Rom 1,1-6

Mt
1,18-21

Is 62,1-4

Rom 1,1-6

Mt
1,18-21

M.
in gallicantu

Lc
2,1-14 H

-

Is 9,2-7

Tit, 2,11-15

Lc
2,1-14

Is 9,2-7

Tit, 2,11-15

Lc
2,1-14

Nativitas
Domini

Ephes
2,17 T

-

-


D.
infr. oct. nat.

Gal 4,4-5 T

Lc
2,33-40 (Lc 2,34) T

Lc 2,33

Lc 2,34

Lc
2,34

Gal 4,1-7

Lc
2,33-40

Gal 4,1-7

Lc
2,33-40

Circumcisio
Domini

2,21
Lc T

-

Tit
3,4-7

Lc
2,15-20 (missa prima) / Lc 2,21 (missa magna)

Tit 3,4-7

Lc
2,21

Epiphania

Mt
2,1-12 H

-

Is 60,1-6

Mt
2,1-12

Is 60,1-6

Mt
2,1-12

D.
infra oct. Ep.

Rom 12,2 T

Lc
2,42-52 H

Lc 2,42

Lc 2,43

Lc
2,48

Rom 12,1-5

Lc
2,42-52

Rom 12,1-5

Lc
2,42-52

D.
I. post oct. Ep.

Rom 12,14 T

1. Jn 2,1-11 T

2.
Jn 2,1 T

Jn 2,1

Jn 2,1

Jn
2,1

Rom 12,6-16

Jn
2,1-11

Rom 12,6-16

Jn
2,1-11

D.
II. post oct. Ep.

Rom 12,16 T

Mt
8,1-13 H

Mt 8,2

Mt 8,2

Mt
8,6

Rom 12,16-21

Mt
8,1-13

Rom 12,16-21

Mt
8,1-13

D.
III. post. oct. Ep.

Rom 13,10 T

1. Mt 8,23-27 H

2.
Mt 8, 24 T

Mt 8,23

Mt 8,23

Mt
8,23

Rom 13,8-10

Mt
8,23-27

Rom 13,8-10

Mt
8,23-27

D.
IV. post. Oct. Ep.

Coloss 3,17 T

Mt
11,25-30 H

Mt 13,24

Mt 13,27

Mt
13,30

Coloss 3,12-17

Mt
11,25-30

Coloss 3,12-17

Mt
13,24-30

D.
V. post. Oct. Ep.

Mt
13,24-30 T

-

-

-

D.
septuagesima

I. Cor 9,24 T

Mt
20,1-16 T

Mt 20,1

Mt 20,4

Mt
20,8

I. Cor 9,24-10,4

Mt
20,1-16

I. Cor 9,24-10,4

Mt
20,1-16

D.
sexagesima

Ps 43,23 et 26 (Introitus) T

Lc
8,4-15 T

Lc 8,5

Lc 8,11

Lc 8,15

Ps 43,23 et 26 (Introitus)

II. Cor 11,19-12,9

Lc
8,4-15

Ps 43,23 et 26 (Introitus)

II. Cor 11,19-12,9

Lc
8,4-15

D.
quinquagesima

I. Cor 13,13 T

Lc
18,31-43 H

Lc 18,31

Lc 18,35

Lc
18,43

I. Cor 13,1-13

Lc
18,31-43

I. Cor 13,1-13

Lc
18,31-43

Feria
IV. Caput ieiunii

Mt
6,16-21 T

-

Ioel 2,12-19

Mt
6,16-21

Ioel 2,12-19

Mt
6,16-21

D.
I. in quadr.

II. Cor 6,2 T

Mt
4, 1-11 H

Mt 4,1

Mt 4,1

Mt
4,2

II. Cor 6,1-10

Mt
4,1-11

II. Cor 6,1-10

Mt
4,1-11

D.
II. in quadr.

I. Thess 4, 3 T

Mt
15,21-28 T

Mt 15,21

Mt 15,22

Mt
15,22

I. Thess 4,1-7

Mt
15,21-28

I. Thess 4,1-7

Mt
15,21-28

D.
III. in quadr.

Ephes 5,1 T

1. Lc 11,14-28 H

2.
Lc 11,15 T

Lc 11,14

Lc 11,14

Lc
11,15

Ephes 5,1-9

Lc
11,14-28

Ephes 5,1-9

Lc
11,14-28

D.
IV. in quadr.

Is 66,10 (Introitus) T

Jn
6,1-15 H

Jn 6,1

Jn 6,5

Jn
6,9

Is 66,10 (Introitus)

Gal 4,22-31

Jn
6,1-14

Is 66,10 (Introitus)

Gal 4,22-31

Jn
6,1-14

D.
in passione

Hebr 9,11 T

Jn
8,46-59 H

Jn 8,46

Jn 8,59

Jn
8,59

Hebr 9,11-15

Jn
8, 46-59

Hebr 9,11-15

Jn
8, 46-59

D.
in ramispalmarum

Thren 2,19 T

Mt
21,1 H/T

Mt 21,1

Mt 21,5

Mt
21,8

Phil 2,5-11

Mt
26,2-27,66

Phil 2,5-11

Mt
26,2-27,66

Coena
Domini

I.
Cor 11,28 T

-

I. Cor 11,20-32

Jn
13,1-15 &
13,16-14,12 &
14,12-31

I. Cor 11,20-32

Jn
13,1-15

Parasceve

Is 33,17 T

Jer 9,1 (a
dialogue between St Bernard and the Virgin Mary)

-

-

-

D.
resurrectionis Domini

I. Cor 5,7 T

Mc
16,1-7 T

Mc 16,1

Mc 16,6

Mc
16,7

I. Cor 5,7-8

Mc
16,1-7

I. Cor 5,7-8

Mc
16,1-7

Feria
II. post Pascha

Mc 16,6 T

Lc
24,13 T


Act 10,37-43

Lc
24,13-35

Act 10,37-43

Lc
24,13-35

Feria
III. post Pascha

Lc
24,36 T

-

Act 13,16-33

Lc
24,36-47

Act 13,16-33

Lc
24,36-47

D.
I. post Pascha

I. Jn 5,4 T

Jn
20,19-31 T

Jn 20,19

Jn 20,19

Jn
20,27

I. Jn 5,4-10

Jn 20,19-31

I. Jn 5,4-10

Jn 20,19-31

D.
II. post Pascha

I. Pt 2,21 T

Jn
10,11-16 T

Jn 10,11

Jn 10,11

Jn
10,15

I. Pt 2,21-25

Jn
10,11-16

I. Pt 2,21-25

Jn
10,11-16

D.
III. Post Pascha

I. Pt 2,11 T

Jn
16,16-22 T

Jn 16,19

Jn 16,21

Jn
16,21

I. Pt 2,11-19

Jn
16,16-22

I. Pt 2,11-19

Jn
16,16-22

D.
IV. post Pascha

Jac 1,17 T

Jn
16,5-14 T

Jn 16,5

Jn 16,7

Jn
16,8

Jac 1,17-21

Jn
16,5-14

Jac 1,17-21

Jn
16,5-14

D.
V. post Pascha

Jac 1,22 T

Jn
16,23-30 T

Jn 16,23

Jn 16,24

Jn
16,27

Jac 1,22-27

Jn
16,23-30

Jac 1,22-27

Jn
16,23-30

Dies
rogationum

Lc
11,5-13 H

-

Jac 5,16-20

Lc
11,5-13

Jac 5,16-20

Lc
11,5-13

Dies
rogationum

Mt
6,9 T

-

-

-

Ascensio
Domini

Mc
16,14-20 T

-

Act 1,1-11

Mc
16,14-20

Act 1,1-11

Mc
16,14-20

D.
Exaudi

I. Pt 4,7 T

Jn
15,26-16,4 T

Jn 15,26

Jn 16,2

Jn
15,26

I. Pt 4,7-11

Jn
15,26-16,4

I. Pt 4,7-11

Jn
15,26-16,4

Pentecostes

Act 2,4 T

Jn
14,23-31 T

Jn 14,23

Jn 14,23

Jn
14,26

Act 2,1-11

Jn
14,23-31

Act 2,1-11

Jn
14,23-31

Feria
II. post Pent.

Jn
3,16 T

-

Act 10,34-48

Jn
3,16-21

Act 10,34-48

Jn
3,16-21

Feria
III. post Pent.

Jn
10,1 T

-

Act 8,14-17

Jn
10,1-10

Act 8,14-17

Jn
10,1-10

Sancta
Trinitas

Rom
11,33 T

Jn 3,1

Jn 3,3

Jn
3,11

Rom 11,33

Jn
15,26-16,4

II. Cor 13,11-13

Jn
3,1-15

Corpus
Christi

Jn
6,56-59 T

-

I. Cor 11,23-29

Jn
6,56-59

I. Cor 11,23-29

Jn
6,56-59

D.
I. in aestate

I. Jn 4,16 T

Lc
16,19-31 T

Lc 16,19

Lc 16,19

Lc
16,22

I. Jn 4,8-21

Lc
16,19-31

I. Jn 4,8-21

Lc
16,19-31

D.
II. in aestate

I. Jn 3,14 T

Lc
14,16-24 T

Lc 14,16

Lc 14,20

Lc
14,24

I. Jn 3,13-18

Lc
14,16-24

I. Jn 3,13-18

Lc
14,16-24

D.
III. in aestate

I. Pt 5,6 T

Lc
15,1-10 T

Lc 15,1

Lc 15,1

Lc
15,10

I. Pt 5,6-11

Lc
15,1-10

I. Pt 5,6-11

Lc
15,1-10

D.
IV. in aestate

Rom 8,18 T

Lc
6,36-42 T

Lc 6,36

Lc 6,36

Lc
6,39

Rom 8,18-23

Lc
6,36-42

Rom 8,18-23

Lc
6,36-42

D.
V. in aestate

I. Pt 3,10-11 T

Lc
5,1-11 T

Lc 5,1

Lc 5,3

Lc
5,5

I. Pt 3,8-15

Lc
5,1-11

I. Pt 3,8-15

Lc
5,1-11

D.
VI. in aestate

Rom 6,3 T

Mt
5,20-24 T

Mt 5,20

Mt 5,23

Mt
5,22

Rom 6,3-11

Mt
5,20-24

Rom 6,3-11

Mt
5,20-24

D.
VII. in aestate

Rom 6,23 T

Mc
8,1-9 (Mc 8,2) T

Mc 8,1

Mc 8,2

Mc
8,6

Rom 6,19-23

Mc
8,1-9

Rom 6,19-23

Mc
8,1-9

D.
VIII. in aestate

Rom 8,12 T

Mt
7,15-21 (Mt 7,15) T

Mt 7,15

Mt 7,15

Mt
7,17

Rom 8,12-17

Mt
7,15-21

Rom 8,12-17

Mt
7,15-21

D.
IX. in aestate

I. Cor 10,6 T

Lc
16,1-9 T

Lc 16,1

Lc 16,3

Lc
16,9

I. Cor 10,6-13

Lc
16,1-9

I. Cor 10,6-13

Lc
16,1-9

D.
X. in aestate

I. Cor 12,2 T

Lc
19, 41-47 (Lc 19,43) T

Lc 19,41

Lc 19,43

Lc
19,46

I. Cor 12,2-11

Lc
19, 41-47

I. Cor 12,2-11

Lc
19, 41-47

D.
XI. in aestate

I.
Cor 15,10 T

Lc
18,9-14 (Lc 18,13) T

Lc 18,10

Lc 18,13

Lc
18,14

I. Cor 15,1-10

Lc
18,9-14

I. Cor 15,1-10

Lc
18,9-14

D.
XII. in aestate

II. Cor 3,4-5 T

Mc
7,31-37 T

Mc 7,31

Mc 7,32

Mc
7,37

II. Cor 3,4-9

Mc
7,31-37

II. Cor 3,4-9

Mc
7,31-37

D.
XIII. in aestate

Gal 3,16 T

Lc
10,23-37 T

Lc 10,23

Lc 10,27

Lc
10,30

Gal 3,16-22

Lc
10,23-37

Gal 3,16-22

Lc
10,23-37

D.
XIV. in aestate

Gal 5,22 T

Lc
17,11-19 T

Lc 17,12

Lc 17,12

Lc
17,13

Gal 5,16-24

Lc
17,11-19

Gal 5,16-24

Lc
17,11-19

D.
XV. in aestate

Gal 5,25 T

Mt
6,24-33 T

Mt 6,24

Mt 6,24

Mt
6,32

Gal 5,25-6,10

Mt
6,24-33

Gal 5,25-6,10

Mt
6,24-33

D.
XVI. in aestate

Ephes 3,17-18 T

Lc
7,11-16 T

Lc 7,11

Lc 7,14

Lc
7,?

Ephes 3,13-21

Lc
7,11-16

Ephes 3,13-21

Lc
7,11-16

D.
XVII. in aestate

Ephes 4,3 T

Lc
14,1-11 T

Lc 14,1

Lc 14,2

Lc
14,8

Ephes 4,1-6

Lc
14,1-11

Ephes 4,1-6

Lc
14,1-11

D.
XVIII. in aestate

I. Cor 1,5 T

Mt
22,34-46 T

Mt 22,34

Mt 22,37

Mt
22,40

I. Cor 1,4-8

Mt
22,34-46

I. Cor 1,4-8

Mt
22,34-46

D.
XIX. in aestate

Ephes 4,23 T

Mt
9,1-8 T

Mt 9,1

Mt 9,2

Mt
9,2

Ephes 4,23-28

Mt
9,1-8

Ephes 4,23-28

Mt
9,1-8

D.
XX. in aestate

Ephes 5,18 T

Mt
22,1-14 H

Mt 22,2

Mt 22,2

Mt
22,12

Ephes 5,15-21

Mt
22,1-14

Ephes 4,23-28

Mt
9,1-8

D.XXI.
in aestate

Ephes 6,13 T

Jn
4,46-53 T

Jn 4,46

Jn 4,52

Jn
4,53

Ephes 6,10-17

Jn
4,46-53

Ephes 6,10-17

Jn
4,46-53

D.
XXII. in aestate

Phil 1,10 T

Mt
18,23-35 T

Mt 18,23

Mt 18,24

Mt
18,32

Phil 1,6-11

Mt
18,23-35

Phil 1,6-11

Mt
18,23-35

D.
XXIII. in aestate

Phil 3,20 T

Mt
22,15-21 T

Mt 22,15

Mt 22,15

Mt
22,21

Phil 3,17-4,3

Mt
22,15-21

Phil 3,17-4,3

Mt
22,15-21

D.
XXIV. in aestate

Coloss 1,12-14 T

Mt 9,18-26 T

Mt 9,18

Mt 9,22

Mt
9,18

Coloss 1,9-11

Mt
9,18-22

Coloss 1,9-11

Mt
9,18-26

D.
XXV. in aestate

-

Jn 6,5

Jn 6,5

Jn
6,12

Jer 23,5-8

Jn
6,5-14

Jer 23,5-8

Jn
6,5-14