A letter from Gregory I, pope (590's)

Translated letter:

Gregory to the illustrious Adeodata Your glory’s letter brought us great joy because it confirmed that you long for eternal life; but because the world’s fleeting glory is likely to hinder zeal of this nature, we urge that nothing transient withdraw or turn aside your mind’s very beneficial resolution from the path begun, but rather let love of the celestial homeland inflame, let lasting rewards summon, and let sure things always inspire toward the promise of the judge to come, and let the eternal be bought with temporal things so that consequently you can live in true glory and be inscribed among the heavenly matrons. Remember times of good fortune, the multitude of men, the pomp of office, the glory of matrons, abundance of riches. Consider where all these things are and of what they are made, and from this think about how they are nothing and that whoever loves them dreams while he is awake. Accordingly the memory of these things should be a great lesson to you since whatever comes to an end should not be loved as a great thing. So we should desire those things, above all we should love those things that, once found, do not fade away and once acquired, do not fail. But since it is useless to long with desire for these things without grace of divine mercy, we pray that the almighty Lord bestow upon you the desire to choose and the ability to obtain these things, so that he allows you to live here in fear of him and receives you later into the destiny of holy martyrs. Therefore, greeting your glory with paternal charity, we report concerning the case of our brother and co-bishop Decius that it seemed to us that, with particular certainty, we should entrust it to be heard by our brother and co-bishop John and the glorious man Leontinus, since he is said to be a good and just man, because when he takes part in the judgment of the aforesaid brother and our co-bishop, he should lose nothing and the part of the church not sustain damage.1

Original letter:

GREGORIUS ADEODATAE INLUSTRI. Magnam nobis laetitiam gloriae vestrae ingessit epistola, quod aeternae vitae desiderium vos habere signavit: sed quia huiusmodi studium fugitiva mundi solet gloria praepedire, hortamur, ut mentis vestrae saluberrimam deliberationem res quaelibet transitura non revocet nec ab incepto eam tramite deviet, sed magis supernae patriae amor accendat, praemia mansura sollicitent et ad venturi iudicis promissionem certa semper adspirent, atque ex temporalibus aeterna mercetur, ut ex hoc et in vera gloria esse et inter matronas possetis\ caelestes ascribi. Reducite ad animos prosperitates temporum, multitudinem hominum, dignitatum pompas, matronarum gloriam, divitiarum abundantiam. Attendite haec omnia ubi vel quid facta sunt, et ex hoc pensate. quam nulla sint, et quia, qui ista diligit, somnium vigilans videt. Haec itaque recordatio magna vobis debet esse instructio, quoniam pro magno diligi non debet quicquid fine concluditur. Illa ergo appetenda, illa summopere diligenda sunt, quae nec inventa transeunt nec adepta deficiunt. Sed quia ad eorum desiderium anhelare sine divinae misericordiae gratia nullus valet, oramus omnipotentem Dominum, ut haec vobis et eligendi velle et posse tribuat optinendi, quatenus et hic vos in suo vivere timore concedat et postea in sanctarum martyrum sorte recipiat. Paterna itaque caritate gloriam vostram salutantes indicamus de causa fratris et coepiscopi nostri Decii hoc nobis visum fuisse, ut eam audiendam fratri et coepiscopo nostro Iohanni et Leontio viro glorioso, quia bonus et iustus vir dicitur, committere deberemus securi maxime, quia, ubi praedicti fratris et coepiscopi nostri in iudicio interest, nec ei subripiatur nec pars ecclesiae possit praeiudicium sustinere.

Historical context:

The pope writes encouraging Adeodata in her religious devotion, and reporting about the men he has chosen to dispose the case of a local bishop, Decius of Lilibeo.

Scholarly notes:

1 Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.

Printed source:

Gregorii I Papae Registum Epistolarum, ed. Paulus Ewald and Ludovicus Hartmann (Berlin: Weidmann, 1887-91, repr. 1978), 8.34.

Date:

590's