Letter 1,33 - to Venantius, patrician ex-monk. February 591.
"You know that divine judgement will condemn us for idle talk, and will examine our reason for useless words with great care. Consider therefore what this judgement will do concerning a perverse deed, if it will condemn some in its court for their words.
Ananias had solemnly promised to give money to God, but afterwards he withdrew it,overcome by the persuasion of the Devil. But you know with what death he was punished.
If therefore he who withdrew from God the money he had given deserved the danger of death, consider how great the danger you will deserve before the divine tribunal, you who have withdrawn from almighty God not money, but yourself, after devoting yourself to Him in you monk's habit."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 152.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment