What Do We See, Which the Disciples Did Not?

THIS THE disciples did not yet see, namely, the Church throughout all nations, beginning at Jerusalem. They saw the Head and they believed the Head in the matter of the Body. By this which they saw they believed that which they did not see. We too are like to them; we see something which they did not see, and we do not see something which they did see. What do we see which they did not? The Church throughout all nations. What is it we do not see, which they saw? Christ present in the flesh. As they saw Him and believed concerning the Body, so do we see the Body; let us believe concerning the Head. Let what we have respectively seen help us. The sight of Christ helped them to believe in the future Church; the sight of the Church helps us to believe that Christ is risen. Their faith was made complete, and ours is made complete also. Their faith was made complete by the sight of the Body. Christ was made known to them wholly, and to us is He so made known. But He was not seen wholly by them, nor has He been seen wholly by us. By them the Head was seen, the Body believed. By us the Body has been seen, the Head believed. Yet to none is Christ lacking. In all He is complete, though to this day His Body remains imperfect. ~St. Augustine, Sermon 116, 5.6