Quote from Letter 4,44 to Rusticiana, patrician. August 594.
On receiving your Excellency's letter, I was glad to hear how you had reached Mount Sinai. Believe me, I too should have gone with you, but by no means to have returned with you. And yet, it is extremely difficult for me to believe that you have visited holy places, and have seen many Fathers. For, I believe that if you had seen them, you could not have returned to the city of Constantinopel so quickly. Rather, as the love of such a fine city by no means left your heart, I suspect that your Excellency paid little attention in your heart to the sacred things that you experienced with your body.
But, may almighty God illuminate your mind with the grace of his piety, and grant you wisdom, and let you know how transient all temporal things are For, while we are saying this, time flies and the Judge is approaching.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I:322
Tuesday, 6 March 2012
Debet And Credit
Quote from Letter 4,32 to Fantinus, the defender. August 594.
(And) because he owed one hunderd and fifty gold coins, I wanted his [Cosmas, the debtor from Syria] creditors to make some sort of agreement with him. For the law states also that a free man should by no means be held for the sake of a debt, if there were no further items which might be added to the same debt. And so, as he asserts, it is possible for his creditors to consent to eighty gold coins. But because he is asking a lot for them to seek eighty gold coins from a person who has nothing, we have sent over sixty gold coins to you through your notary, so that, when you have careful talks with the same creditors, you may provide an account.
For they cannot hold his son, as they are said to be holding him, according to the laws. And, if it can be done, let them settle for something less than what we have given. And whatever remains of the same sixty gold coins, hand it over to Cosmas himself, so that he can live on it with his son.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 321
(And) because he owed one hunderd and fifty gold coins, I wanted his [Cosmas, the debtor from Syria] creditors to make some sort of agreement with him. For the law states also that a free man should by no means be held for the sake of a debt, if there were no further items which might be added to the same debt. And so, as he asserts, it is possible for his creditors to consent to eighty gold coins. But because he is asking a lot for them to seek eighty gold coins from a person who has nothing, we have sent over sixty gold coins to you through your notary, so that, when you have careful talks with the same creditors, you may provide an account.
For they cannot hold his son, as they are said to be holding him, according to the laws. And, if it can be done, let them settle for something less than what we have given. And whatever remains of the same sixty gold coins, hand it over to Cosmas himself, so that he can live on it with his son.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 321
Saturday, 3 March 2012
Shortage Of Clergy
Quote from Letter 4,42 to Maximian, bishop of Syracuse. August 594
Since he [bishop Bacauda] mentions that he has neither a priest nor deacons, he has asked that they should be sent over to him, Therefore, wherever your Fraternity discovers them, as indicated by the bearer of this letter, send them over there without delay.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 321
Since he [bishop Bacauda] mentions that he has neither a priest nor deacons, he has asked that they should be sent over to him, Therefore, wherever your Fraternity discovers them, as indicated by the bearer of this letter, send them over there without delay.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 321
Keys of Saint Peter
Quote from Letter 4,41 to Boniface, a magnificent man, of Africa. August 594.
But for your sake, come and present yourself to the abode of Saint Peter, the prince of the apostles. And, unless I demonstrate all that I wrote, through a reading, depart with whatever disputation you want. However, I exhort you, while a stretch of life remains, not to allow your soul to be found divided from the Church of the same Saint Peter, to whom the keys of the heavenly kingdom have been entrusted, and the power of bin,ding and releasing has been attributed. Otherwise, if his benefit is despised here, he may close the gateway to life there.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 320
But for your sake, come and present yourself to the abode of Saint Peter, the prince of the apostles. And, unless I demonstrate all that I wrote, through a reading, depart with whatever disputation you want. However, I exhort you, while a stretch of life remains, not to allow your soul to be found divided from the Church of the same Saint Peter, to whom the keys of the heavenly kingdom have been entrusted, and the power of bin,ding and releasing has been attributed. Otherwise, if his benefit is despised here, he may close the gateway to life there.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 320
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Warning
Quote from Letter 4,40 to Abbot Valentinus. August 594.
It has come to our attention that women are appearing everywhere in your monastery, and, what is even more serious, your monks are making the women their consorts. As a result, they are having incautious unions with them. Therefore, in case the enemy of the human race uses this opportunity to deceive them with his cunning (Heaven forbid!), we give you this warning accordingly in the course of this order. Do not permit women to appear in your monastery hereafter, with any sort of excuse, and do not allow your monks to make them their consorts.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 320
It has come to our attention that women are appearing everywhere in your monastery, and, what is even more serious, your monks are making the women their consorts. As a result, they are having incautious unions with them. Therefore, in case the enemy of the human race uses this opportunity to deceive them with his cunning (Heaven forbid!), we give you this warning accordingly in the course of this order. Do not permit women to appear in your monastery hereafter, with any sort of excuse, and do not allow your monks to make them their consorts.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 320
Monday, 27 February 2012
Ordination
Quote from Letter 4,39 to clergy, senate and people living in Ortona. August 594.
But know this, that if it is necessary and he can find men worthy of this office, we have given him the license to ordain priests and deacons. Thus, in obedience to the church, a bishop may be sought who has no reason to disagree with the venerable canons and who can be found worthy of such a great ministry.
When he has been requested with the solemnity of a decree, reinforced by the signatures of all, and accompanied by a letter of the visitor, let him com to us for ordination. Before all else, take care that you do not presume to elect a layman, whatever his way of life and merit.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 319
But know this, that if it is necessary and he can find men worthy of this office, we have given him the license to ordain priests and deacons. Thus, in obedience to the church, a bishop may be sought who has no reason to disagree with the venerable canons and who can be found worthy of such a great ministry.
When he has been requested with the solemnity of a decree, reinforced by the signatures of all, and accompanied by a letter of the visitor, let him com to us for ordination. Before all else, take care that you do not presume to elect a layman, whatever his way of life and merit.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 319
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
A Friendly No
Quote from Letter 4,38 to Marcellus, a scholastic. July 594.
Our love of your Glory is always so alive in our heart that the absence of your body does not keep you away at al. For although you are far from our earthly eyes you are never out of our mind's sight. For our wish frequently drives us eagerly to writing letters, but our occupation does not allow it. And so, while your Nobility's experience may not be ignorant of the weighty occupations in which out office is involved, you should consider it due to necessity, not to our wishes, that we sometimes have a break from the duty of writing letters.
But because your Glory in your letter wants to hear from us later, we do not see with what excuse we can defend ourselves. Therefore, in this matter I should have defended myself with silence alone, but the ardor of my love did not let my tongue keep quiet.
Therefore, we greet you with all our affection and sweetness, and admit that we are greatly saddened. For you have wished to seek from us those things over which, while we are unable to satisfy your wish since reason disapproves, we may seem to sadden you, which we do not wish.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 318
Our love of your Glory is always so alive in our heart that the absence of your body does not keep you away at al. For although you are far from our earthly eyes you are never out of our mind's sight. For our wish frequently drives us eagerly to writing letters, but our occupation does not allow it. And so, while your Nobility's experience may not be ignorant of the weighty occupations in which out office is involved, you should consider it due to necessity, not to our wishes, that we sometimes have a break from the duty of writing letters.
But because your Glory in your letter wants to hear from us later, we do not see with what excuse we can defend ourselves. Therefore, in this matter I should have defended myself with silence alone, but the ardor of my love did not let my tongue keep quiet.
Therefore, we greet you with all our affection and sweetness, and admit that we are greatly saddened. For you have wished to seek from us those things over which, while we are unable to satisfy your wish since reason disapproves, we may seem to sadden you, which we do not wish.
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 318
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