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.
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
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