Quote from Letter 9.148 to Secundinus, an anchorite monk. May 599
And we indeed, who live among men, are often tempted through men by the cunning enemy. But you, who follow the path of your present life without human contact, must endure ever greater struggles, the more the very master of temptations attacks you.
For you cannot be free fro prayers and praises of God without some temporary interruption, because, although your intention is continually evident, yet human weakness itself relapses to its own nature, so that it finally lies worn out and inactive from the exercise of its devotion. But soon the ancient enemy, so as to find an idle mind, comes to it to speak under certain pretexts, and recalls things to its memory about its past deeds, and it indecently recalls to mind words once heard.
And we indeed, who live among men, are often tempted through men by the cunning enemy. But you, who follow the path of your present life without human contact, must endure ever greater struggles, the more the very master of temptations attacks you.
For you cannot be free fro prayers and praises of God without some temporary interruption, because, although your intention is continually evident, yet human weakness itself relapses to its own nature, so that it finally lies worn out and inactive from the exercise of its devotion. But soon the ancient enemy, so as to find an idle mind, comes to it to speak under certain pretexts, and recalls things to its memory about its past deeds, and it indecently recalls to mind words once heard.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), II, 630 .
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