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
Showing posts with label office. Show all posts
Showing posts with label office. Show all posts
Wednesday, 22 February 2012
Wednesday, 10 August 2011
Worthy Ordination
Letter 3,48 - to Adeodatus, primate bishop of the province of Numidia. July 593
"Furthermore, as we greet your Fraternity with a harmonious feeling of affection, we exhort you to endeavor with a total application to carry out your office of primate, which you have with God's authority, with great wisdom. Thus it may both profit your soul to have reached this rank, and a good example for imitation may be available for others in the future.
And so be especially careful in ordination, and in no way allow men to aspire to holy orders unless more advanced in age and pure in deed. Otherwise, perhaps they may cease to be forever what they immaturely hasten to become. First examine the life and morals of those who are to be placed in holy orders and, so that you can admit those who are worthy of this office, do not let the influence or prayers of any person deprive you of them. 5n truth before all else you ought to take care that no venality occurs in ordination, in case (Heaven forbid!) a greater danger threatens both those consecrated and those consecrating.
Therefore, if action is ever necessary over this, invite serious and experienced men to participate in your counsels, and judge this matter with a common deliberation. And before all others, it is Columbus, our brother and fellow-bishop, whom you should consult over any matter at all."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 266.
"Furthermore, as we greet your Fraternity with a harmonious feeling of affection, we exhort you to endeavor with a total application to carry out your office of primate, which you have with God's authority, with great wisdom. Thus it may both profit your soul to have reached this rank, and a good example for imitation may be available for others in the future.
And so be especially careful in ordination, and in no way allow men to aspire to holy orders unless more advanced in age and pure in deed. Otherwise, perhaps they may cease to be forever what they immaturely hasten to become. First examine the life and morals of those who are to be placed in holy orders and, so that you can admit those who are worthy of this office, do not let the influence or prayers of any person deprive you of them. 5n truth before all else you ought to take care that no venality occurs in ordination, in case (Heaven forbid!) a greater danger threatens both those consecrated and those consecrating.
Therefore, if action is ever necessary over this, invite serious and experienced men to participate in your counsels, and judge this matter with a common deliberation. And before all others, it is Columbus, our brother and fellow-bishop, whom you should consult over any matter at all."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 266.
Sunday, 31 October 2010
In Need Of A Reprimand
Letter 1,81 - to Januarius, archbishop of Cagliari in Sardinia. August 591.
"Liberatus, about whom your Fraternity has spoken to us, and who is said to hold the office of deacon, if he was not incardinated by your predecessor, ought not to be put in charge of the deacons appointed by you for any reason, in case you seem to be critical of those whom you are known to have approved of by consecrating them, by somehow putting them under him.
And so at every instant restrain the aforesaid Liberatus from the depravity of his intention, as a spirit of ambition inspires him and he is in need of a reprimand.
Arrange for him to stand last among the deacons, in case while he strives illegally to put himself above them, he is judged undeserving of the rank which he now holds.
Yet if you were to be attracted by his obedience, and you wanted to incardinate him after this, remember that you must abstain from his incardination, unless he has earned the agreement of his bishop, as is the usual custom."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 192.
"Liberatus, about whom your Fraternity has spoken to us, and who is said to hold the office of deacon, if he was not incardinated by your predecessor, ought not to be put in charge of the deacons appointed by you for any reason, in case you seem to be critical of those whom you are known to have approved of by consecrating them, by somehow putting them under him.
And so at every instant restrain the aforesaid Liberatus from the depravity of his intention, as a spirit of ambition inspires him and he is in need of a reprimand.
Arrange for him to stand last among the deacons, in case while he strives illegally to put himself above them, he is judged undeserving of the rank which he now holds.
Yet if you were to be attracted by his obedience, and you wanted to incardinate him after this, remember that you must abstain from his incardination, unless he has earned the agreement of his bishop, as is the usual custom."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 192.
Sunday, 19 September 2010
Prayers, No Bribes
Letter 1,64 - to Felix, bishop of Messina. July 591.
"And for the rest, we are opposed to your being obliged to send anything extra to us. And since we are not pleased by presents, the palm-embroided roes which your Fraternity sent we have received with due thanks, but we have sold them at a good price and have sent the proceeds to your Fraternity as a single payment, so that you cannot suffer any loss therefrom.
But since w have learnt that your Charity wishes to come to us, we warn you with this letter that you should not take on the trials of the journey.
But pray for us, that the more the distance of the journey separates us, the more we are joined together in our minds with mutual love, with Christ's assistance, so that, by helping each other with an exchange of prayers, we may return the office undertaken by us to our coming Judge in a blameless condition."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 181.
"And for the rest, we are opposed to your being obliged to send anything extra to us. And since we are not pleased by presents, the palm-embroided roes which your Fraternity sent we have received with due thanks, but we have sold them at a good price and have sent the proceeds to your Fraternity as a single payment, so that you cannot suffer any loss therefrom.
But since w have learnt that your Charity wishes to come to us, we warn you with this letter that you should not take on the trials of the journey.
But pray for us, that the more the distance of the journey separates us, the more we are joined together in our minds with mutual love, with Christ's assistance, so that, by helping each other with an exchange of prayers, we may return the office undertaken by us to our coming Judge in a blameless condition."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 181.
Friday, 11 June 2010
Support and Certainty
Letter 1,35 - to John, bishop of Ravenna. March 591.
"If we are attentive to the promise of out order, and to the office that we administer, we should help those afflicted as far as we can, with the support of justice.
And so, since we have learnt that the splendid gentleman and ex-prefect, Maurilio, is residing in Fossa Sconii, I want your Fraternity to help him at once, as far as possible.
Not because we have any doubt, Heaven forbid, about the justice of that most excellent gentleman, the prefect Lord George, or think that he is in some way turning from the path of reason, a man whom we have got to know in all good ways, even before the administration of this high office."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 155.
"If we are attentive to the promise of out order, and to the office that we administer, we should help those afflicted as far as we can, with the support of justice.
And so, since we have learnt that the splendid gentleman and ex-prefect, Maurilio, is residing in Fossa Sconii, I want your Fraternity to help him at once, as far as possible.
Not because we have any doubt, Heaven forbid, about the justice of that most excellent gentleman, the prefect Lord George, or think that he is in some way turning from the path of reason, a man whom we have got to know in all good ways, even before the administration of this high office."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 155.
Wednesday, 26 May 2010
On Pastoral Care
Letter 1,24a - to (the) most holy and fellow-bishop John. February, 591.
"For one must think hard about how each man should attain to the pinnacle of power, when the necessity of affairs demands this, and duly reaching it, how he should live his life, and living it honestly, how he should teach others, and teaching rightly, with how much consideration he should recognize his own weakness, each day, so that his humility does not flee from accession to power, nor his life speak against his reaching it, nor his learning forsake his life, nor his self-assurance applaud his learning.
And so let fear first temper his appetite. But afterwards, let his life recommend him for high office, which is undertaken by the person who does not seek it.
Then the pastor's goodness, which is shown by the way he ives his life, must also be spread by the way he speaks."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 147.
"For one must think hard about how each man should attain to the pinnacle of power, when the necessity of affairs demands this, and duly reaching it, how he should live his life, and living it honestly, how he should teach others, and teaching rightly, with how much consideration he should recognize his own weakness, each day, so that his humility does not flee from accession to power, nor his life speak against his reaching it, nor his learning forsake his life, nor his self-assurance applaud his learning.
And so let fear first temper his appetite. But afterwards, let his life recommend him for high office, which is undertaken by the person who does not seek it.
Then the pastor's goodness, which is shown by the way he ives his life, must also be spread by the way he speaks."
Cited from: The Letters of Gregory the Great, trans. John R.C. Martyn (Toronto: PIMS, 2004), I: 147.
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