The Mission to the English (3)

Quote from Letter 6,53 Gregory, servant of the servants of God to the servants of our Lord. 23 July 596

And so, do not let the tiresome journey or the tongues of abusive people deter you, but with all urgency and all passion, complete what you have begun with God's authority, knowing that the greater glory of an eternal reward follows a great labor.
But when your leader, Augustine, whom we have also appointed as your abbot, returns to you, humbly obey him in all things, knowing that whatever is completed by you following his directions will benefit your souls in every way. 
May almighty God protect you with his grace, and allow me to see the fruit of your labor in the eternal homeland, so that although I cannot labor at your side, I shall be found sharing your koyful reward, becaus I am of course willing to do the work.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 439

The Mission to the English (4)

Quote from Letter 6,54 to Virgil, bishop of Arles, metropolitan of Gaul. July 596

And for that reason we inform you that we have sent Augustine to your Holiness, a monk and the bearer of this letter, whose zeal and earnestness is well known to us, together with other monks, for the saving of souls. He himself will be able to tell you about this when placed in your presence. 
And in this matter, you must assist him with prayer and help, and, when need arises, provide him the support of your comfort, and refresh him with the consolation of a father and a priest, as is fitting,
Thus, once he has obtained the comfort of your Holiness, if he is able to make some gain for our God, as we hope, you too may be able to acquire a reward at the same time, as you devoutly provide the abundance of your support for his good deeds.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 440

The Mission to the English (2)

Quote from Letter 6,52 to Pelagius of Tours and Serenus of Marseille, bishops of Gaul, equally. 23 July 596

Religious men have no need of commendation among priests who have the love that pleases God, and yet since an appropriate time for writing had presented itself, we have taken care to send a letter of ours to your Fraternities, informing you tht, with tthe Lord's assistance, we have sent across the beares of this letter and monk, Augustine, about whose endeavor we are in no doubt, and with him other monks, for the goof of their souls.
And it is necessary that your Holiness should assist him with priestly support, and hasten to provide him with your comfort. And so that you might be more ready to help him, we have order him to indicare carefully his reason for coming, knowing that when you find out all about it, you will apply yourselves with devotion to give him support, for the sake of God, since the situation demands it.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 439

The Mission to the English

Quote from Letter 6,51 to the brothers Theodoric and Theodebert, kings of the Franks, equally. 23 July 596

After almighty God honored your kingdom with the true faith and made you conspicuous among other peoples for the integrity of your Christian religion, we reveived from you plenty of evidence for believing that you really wanted your subjects to be converted to that faith, in that you are of course their kings and lords.
And thus it has come to our attention that the people of England earnestly desire to be converted to the Christian faith, with God's compassion, but that the priests from nearby neglect them, and cease to inflame their demand with their encouragement.
And so, we have decided for this reason that Augustine, a monk who bears this letter, and whose zeal and earnestness is well known to us, should be sent there with other monks. We have also ordered that they should take some priests with them from nearby, through whom they might understand their thoughts, and whose advice might help them to get what they want, whatever God should give them.
In this matter, so that theu can appear efficient and suitable, we greet your Excellencies with a father's  love, and request that those whom we have sent might deserve to discover the grace of yourfavor.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 438

Sweet consolations

Quote from Letter 6,49 to Urbicus, abbot of the monastery of Saint Hermes, which was founded in Palermo. July 596

Whoever, goaded by divine inspiration, is in a hurry to leave the actions of this world and to be converted to God, should be welcomed with love and refreshed with sweet consolations in every way, that he may be delighted to persist totally in that way of life which he chose with God's assistance.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 437

Unlawful Communion

Quote from Letter  6,48 to the priests, deacons and clergy, nobles and people living in Zara, and the soldiers. July 596

(However) since I hear, as I have said before, that some of you have lapsed through ignorance, and some have even been forced violently into taking [unlawful]  communion  [by Maximus], I pray our almighty Lord that He looks after those who did not consent to this sin at all, with the perpetual protection of His grace, and that He rewards them with longed-for generosity. 
But for those forced into sin by their support or ignorance or some other cause, may He absolve them from all guilt for their sins and from all bonds of obligation to others, and provide them the grace of His protection in their present life, and allow us to rejoice over you in the eternal homeland.
Therefore, so that this intercession may help you before God our Savior, show obedience to our exhortations for the salvation of your souls, and receive Holy Communion from those whom you know have abstained or are abstaining from communion with the aforesaid Maximus.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 436

Spiritual and Material Support

Quote from Letter 6,47 to Leo, bishop of Carana. July 596

Just as those who persist wickedly in supporting a schism should be rebuked and detested, even so those who return to the bossom of their mother Church should be consoled and restored just as much.
Therefore, because the bearer of this letter, John, a religious gentleman, had seen reason and has onverted from the Istrian error, with God's pity, to the unity of the Holy Church, for thar reason we have decided to encourage your Fraternity that you should have him recommended in all ways, and protect him with your favor. And in the case he also might succumb to some need after his conversion, we order something from the church to be arranged for him each year.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 435

Reprimande

Quote from Letter 6,46 to Felix, bishop of Pesaro. July 596

But if what I have heard is true, namely that your Fraternity took a chalice from them, please return it at once. And so let your Holiness be keen to implement thse things in such a way that the aforesaid letter-bearer does not need to return to us over this matter.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 435

Properties

Quote from Letter 6,44 to Bona, abbot. July 596

Therefore, it is necessary that both now and in future times, the praises of God should be celebrated there through that community which is there now or will succeed it. 
And so, considering the wish of the aforesaid priest, we have decided that a monastery should be there in perpetuity, and that what was left by the testator should belong to it, namely the same house in its entirety together with its garden ad properties designated below. That is the Magulian estate with its appendices, about eleven miles down the road to Nomentum, a tavern in this city situated next to Pallacenae and a foodstore in front of the house of the monastery mentioned above.
And so your Beloved ought to watch carefully that prases of God are celebrated there as is customary (as we said before), and that the above-mentioned properties which are under its control, should not go to waste through your neglicence. 

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 433

The Unity of Love

Quote from Letter 6,43 to John, bishop of Syracuse. July 596

There was a reason which provoked your Fraternity's mind to anger, and not undeservedly, so that you did not want to receive the offerings of Lord Venantius, and would not allow solemn Mass to be celebrated in his home. 
And yet, because earthly goodness should be sough in such a way that no argument can seperate us from the unity of love, we therefore strongely advise your Holiness, as we have already written, that you should accept the offerings of the aforesaid man without reservation and with a sweetness and sincerity pleasing to God, and allow the mysteries of Mass to be celebrated in his home.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 433