(And) because you love almighty God greatly, you ought to have great confidence in your neighbour. For it is not a position or a rank that make us neighbours of our Creator, but it is our good qualities that join us to him as surely as our bad qualities separate us from him.
Therefore, since it remains uncertain what sort of person anyone is internally, why did you not dare to write, not knowing who is superior between you and me? And indeed, I know that you live a good life, and I know that I am burdened with many sins. But although you are a sinner yourself, yet you are much better than I am, since you just bear your own sins, while I also bear the sins of those entrusted to me.
For this reason, I look on you as being lofty and great, because in your great and lofty position, you have not put yourself forward before human eyes. It often happens, when honor is given by all externally, the mind sinks into the depths, because it is burdened with disctracting cares. But for you, almighty God, according to what is written 'arranged the ascents in his heart, in an enclosed valley of tears' (Psalm 84(84):6).
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 484
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