"Be sensible…"

Quote from Letter 9.1 to Januarius, bishop of Cagliari. September 598


For, indeed, I have been told that, on the Lord's day, before you celebrated solemn Mass, you went out to plow up the crop belonging to the bearer of this letter, and celebrated solemn Mass after you had plowed it up. And after solemn Mass, you were not in the least bit afraid to dig out the boundaries of his possessions as well.
All who hear of this deed realize what punishment ought to have been inflicted on you. Yet we had been in doubt over this very great perversity, but our son, the abbot Cyriacus, when questioned by us, declared that he had learnt that is was so while he was in Cagliari. 
And because we still spare your gray hairs, we exhort you, old man, be sensible again from now on and restrain yourself from behaving with such great frivolity, and from showing such perversity in your deeds. The nearer you get to death, the more concerned and fearful you should become.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 546

The Mission to the English

Quote from Letter 8.37 Augustine's questions to Gregory the Great and his replies. Gregory to Bishop Augustine.

Through my most beloved sons, Laurence the priests and Peter the monk, I received the letter of your Fraternity, in which you took care to ask me about many topics. But my aforesaid sons found me afflicted by the pains of gout, and when they urged me to send them back quickly, I let them go. And so, they left me still suffering the same painful affliction. For that reason, I have not been able to reply more full, as I ought, under every single heading.

Second Question
Although there is one faith, are there different customs in the churches, and is there one form of Mass in the holy Roman Church and another in the churches of Gaul?

Answer
Your Fraternity knows the customs of the Roman Church, in which you remember you were brought up. This custom should make you greatly loved. But if you have discovered something either in the Roman Church or in the Gallic one or in any church at all, that might be more pleasing to almighty God, I would like you to select it with care, and with special instruction, pour what you have been able to collect from many churches into the Church of the English, as it is still new in the faith. For things should not be loved because of places, but places should be loved because of good things. And so, select from each individual church whatever is pious and religious and righteous, and when you have collected them as it were in a small pot, serve them on the table for the English to get used to them.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 532

Reconciliation

Quote from Letter 8.36 Gregory's reconciliation with Maximus of Salona. August 598

[Maximus] came from Dalmatia into the city of Ravenna, to the most blessed Archbishop Marinianus, and threw himself at full length on to the font-stones among the citizens, sayings: ' I have sinned against God and against the most blessed Pope Gregory.' 
When he had carried out his penitence for three hours, the exarch Callinicus, and the notary of the Roman Church, Castor, together with the archbishop, Marinianus, ran up to him, and when raised up, he began to carry out a fuller penitence in their presence. And he led them to the sacred body of Saint Apollinaris, and swore that he had not been involved in all the charges brought against him, about women and about a simoniacal schism.
Then our notary, Castor, returned to Rome, bringing with him the deacon of the same Maximus, called Stephen. When everything had been related which had been done satisfactorily by Maximus, then the most blessed Pope Gregory was moved to pity, and sent a pallium, for the confirmation of the same bishop.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 531

Burial Fees

Quote from Letter 8.35 to Januarius, bishop of Sardinia. August 598

We remembered that, when Abraham was asking the sons of Ephron, that is the son of Soor, for a grave, at a price, to bury his wife's body, he refused to accept a payment, so as not to appear to have made a profit from a corpse. If a pagan, therefore, showed such consideration, how much more ought we not to do this, we who are called priests?
Wherefore, I warn you not to presume to try this vice of avarice once again, not even for foreigners. 
But if you ever allow someone to be buried in your church, if indeed parents, relatives of heirs want to offer something, of their own accord, for the lighting, we do not forbid you from accepting it. But we totally prohibit anything being sought or charged, in case, and it is extremely irreligious, either the church is said to be for sale (Heaven forbid!), or you appear to be rejoicing over peoples'  deaths, if you are keen to make a profit in any way from their dead bodies.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 530

A Pastoral Warning

Quote from Letter 8.34 to the illustrious Adeodata. August 598

The letter of your Glory has brought great joy to us, because it signified that you have a desire for eternal life. But because the fleeting glory of the world usually obstructs enthusiasm of this sort, we exhort you not to let some transitory matter revoke that most salutary determination of your mind, or turn aside from the path it has embarked on.
Rather, let the love of a heavenly homeland inspire your mind, let reward which will last stimulate it, and at the promise of the coming Judge, let it always aspire for what is certain, and earn what is eternal from temporal things, so that from this, you can be in true glory and be numbered among the heavenly matrons. 
Recall to your mind the good fortunes of the times, the multitude of people, the processions of dignities, the glory of matrons and the abundance of riches. Consider when and how all of these were created, and from this, think how they are as nothing, and that the man who loves such things is dreaming while awake.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 529

Praise

Quote from Letter 8.33 to Leontius, ex-consul. August 598

I know, good sir, that you act with a gentle spirit, while involved in earthly activities, and guard the citadel of humility in all things, attribute to individuals what is just.
For many report such good things about your Glory that I should like not just to hear about them, but see them. 
Yet the good reputation of him whom I am not allowed to see gives me nourishment. But the woman who poured the alabaster bod holding an image of the Holy Church, that is, all of the elect, filled the house with her ointment. And when we hear something about good acts, we draw in a breath of sweetness through our nostrils, as it were. And when Paul the apostle said 'we are a sweet aroma of Christ', one should clearly understand that the apostle was nog portraying himself as a taste, indeed, for those present, but as an aroma for those absent.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 528

Guidance

Quote from Letter 8.32 to John, bishop of Sequillace. August 598

The monks [of the monastery of Castellium] have complained equally that your Fraternity has removed certain things from the monastery, under the guise of a sort of present. And so, it is necessary that, if you recollect having accepted something improperly, you should restore it without delay, in case the sin of aver ice finds you seriously guilty, when priestly munificence should rather have shown you being generous towards the monastery.
Therefore, preserving all things that have been promised and preserved, as we have said, by your predecessors, take care to be vigilant over the activities and way of life of the monks residing there. And if you find any monk there living sinfully, or guilty of some sin of impurity (Heaven forbid!), take care to correct him with a strict and regular punishment. 
For, as we want your Fraternity to abstain from what is being acquired unsuitably, even se, we warn you to be concerned in every way with what pertains to correctness of discipline and the guardianship of souls.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 527

Viirtue of Love

Quote from Letter  8,31 to Dominic, bishop of Carthage. July 598

Since, therefore, the words of your letter reveal you as being inflamed by the fire of this virtue [of love], I rejoice in the Lord with plentiful exultation, and I hope that this may be more and more resplendent in you, because the flame of the shepherd is the light of the flock. 
for it is fitting, it is truly fitting that the Lord's priest should shine brightly in his morality and in his life, so that the people entrusted to him, may be able both to choose what to follow, and see what to correct, as if in the mirror of this life.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 526

Missionary Successes

Quote from Letter 8.29 to Eulogius, bishop of Alexandria. July 589

For while the English race, who lived in a corner of the world, still remained faithless in their worship of trees and rocks, thanks to the support you gave me with your prayer, I decided to send over a monk of my monastery to preach to them. And with my permission he was elected bishop by the bishops of Germany, and with their support also, he crossed over to the aforesaid people at the edge of the world, and now letters have already reached us about his sagetyy and work, stating that either he, or those who crossed over with him, are ablaze with such miracles among that same race, that they seem to be imitating the virtues of the apostles with the proofs that they provide. And in the solemnity of our Lord's nativity, which was celebrated during this first indiction, it was reported that our brother and fellow-bishop baptized more than ten thousand English.

Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 523