Laudator Temporis Acti

Augustine, Sermons 125.1 (Patrologia Latina, vol. 38, cols. 688-689; tr. Edmund Hill):

Neither your ears nor your minds wish to hear the rudiments of doctrine repeated. All the same, hearing them does reassure our feeling for the faith, and being reminded of them does somehow or other help us to make a fresh start; nor are we bored by hearing what we already know, because whatever concerns the Lord always gives us pleasure. It's the same with the explanation of the divine scriptures as it is with the divine scriptures themselves; even though they are well known, they are still read out to remind us of what they say.

So too with their explanation; even though it's well known, it's still worth repeating, so that those who have forgotten it may be reminded of it, or those who perhaps didn't hear it may now do so, and as for those who retain what they have been used to hearing, repetition may ensure that they can't ever forget it: I remember, you see, that I have already spoken to your graces about this passage of the gospel. Still, I've no objection to reminding you of the same things, just as there was no objection to repeating the same reading. The apostle Paul says in one of his letters, To write the same things to you is not irksome for me, and is necessary for you (Phil 3:1). In the same way it is not irksome for me either to say the same things to you, and it is good for you.

Nec auribus, nec cordibus vestris rudia repetuntur; reparant tamen audientis affectum, et quodam modo commemorata innovant nos; nec piget ea quae nota sunt audire, quia semper dulcia sunt, quae Domini sunt. Sic est expositio divinarum Scripturarum, sicut sunt ipsae divinae Scripturae; etsi notae sunt, leguntur tamen ad commemorationem.

Sic et expositio earum, etsi nota est, repetenda est tamen, ut qui obliti sunt commemorentur, vel qui forte non audierunt, audiant; et qui tenent quod audire consueverunt, repetendo fiat ut oblivisci non possint. Meminimus enim de hoc capitulo Evangelii iam nos locutos Caritati vestrae. Nec piget tamen eadem vobis commemorare, sicut non piguit eamdem vobis lectionem repetere. Apostolus Paulus dicit quadam in Epistola: Eadem scribere vobis, mihi quidem non pigrum, vobis autem necessarium. Ita et nos eadem dicere vobis, nobis non pigrum, vobis autem tutum.