Glorious Victories

Letter 1,73 - to Gennadius, patrician and exarch of Africa. August 591.

"But when you anticipate future victories, the gift of God, not by earthly foresight but rather by your prayers, it comes about that this turns to amazement, seeing that your glory derives nor from earthly counsel, but from God bestowing it from above.
For where does loquacious praise of your merits not spread, which would speak of wars you frequently rush into, not from a desire to pour men's blood, but for the sake of extending the republic's domain, in which we see the worship of God, so that the name of Christ spreads in every direction through the subject nations, by preaching the faith. For just as external works of virtue make you distinguished in this life, even so internal moral distinctions, proceeding from a pure heart, glorify you in a future life with a heavenly participation in joys.
For we have learnt that your Excellency has been responsible in many ways with your services for pasturing the sheep of the blessed Peter, prince of the apostles, in such a way that you have restored some large sections of his patrimony, stripped bare by their own farmers, the prisoner-of-war tenants to whom it had been granted.
And whatever benefits you confer upon him with that most Christian mind, you ensure compensation for them in terms of hope, with our future judge."

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 187.