A letter from Gregory I, pope (597, July)

Translated letter:

Gregory to Dinamius and Aurelia in France Reading your letter with your zeal expressed brought us great joy because through this, since it declared that you seek the nourishment of sacred reading and desire the joys of the celestial homeland, it demonstrated that your love upholds religious conversion not only in name but also in life. And since we trust that you can obtain your desires, with ardent exultation our heart rejoices with you. For since divine grace does not abandon desire of this sort, that truth informs you through testimony of its voice, that says: Every one that seeks, finds, whoever asks, receives, and for whoever knocks it will be opened [Matth. 7:8]. Strengthened by this certainty of our same redeemer’s mercy, we must not waver, but trust with unassailable hope. For it will not be disappointed by the generosity of his gift, but he who has allowed (you) to desire will provide entirely the strength to sustain it. For it is already a gift to long eagerly for this very thing. Yet since we must believe thus in celestial grace, in order that we are not negligent in prayer or in deed, the voice of truth declares the same: We must always pray and not give up [Luc. 18:1]. So by praying let us ask, by reading let us seek, by doing let us knock. Therefore let the mind be vigilant, let it be utterly suspicious, let it be careful everywhere so that it may beware the snares of the one lying in wait. But because the more our enemy knows that anyone is cautious against him, the more he strives to subvert by subtle art the hearts of those resisting him, we must beg almighty God with constant tears and deprecation that he not be allowed to corrupt us with the infection of his poison, but let God surround us with the shield of his power against the strife and hidden hints that he bears, whereby his struck javelins may be broken; and let the proximity of this striking not wound our heart, but with the gift of his grace let God allow us both to understand and conquer his snares. Further, we do not have ready such a book as you asked us to send to instruct you, but we will send it subsequently.1

Original letter:

GREGORIUS DINAMIO ET AURELIAE PER FRANCIAS Scriptorum vestrorum pagina lectione percursa magnam nobis studio vestro contulit indicato laetitiam, quia per hoc, quod vos sacrae lectionis pabula quaerere et supernae patriae desiderare gaudia nuntiavit, dilectionem vestram religiosam conversionem non solum nomine, sed etiam tenere vita monstravit. Et quoniam desiderata vos adepturos posse confidimus, vehementi vobis cor nostrum exultatione congaudet. Nam quia huiuscemodi desiderium gratia divina non deserat, ipsa vos Veritas testimonio suae vocis informat, quae ait: ‘Omnia qui quaerit, invenit, qui petit, accipit. et pulsanti aperietur'. Hac itaque fulti certitudine de eiusdem redemptoris nostri misericordia nihil ambigere, sed spe debemus indubitata praesumere. Nec enim muneris sui largitate frustrabitur, sed vires sustinendi prorsus indulget, qui velle concessit. Nam iam hoc ipsum desideranter appetere donum est. Quia tamen ita in gratia debemus superna praesumere, ut non simus neglegentes in oratione vel opere, voce idem veritatis exprimitur: ‘Oportet semper orare et non deficere'. Petamus ergo orando, quaeramus legendo, pulsemus operando. Sit igitur mens vigilans, sit undique suspecta, sit ubique sollicita, ut insidiantis possit laqueos praecavere. Sed quia, quanto hostis noster cautum contra se unuinquemque cognoscit, tanto corda sibi resistentium suptili molitur arte subvertere, omnipotentem Deum adsiduis lacrimis et deprecatione poscamus, ut nos veneni eius non sinat infectione corrumpi, sed contra certamina et latentes suggestiones quas ingerit potentiae suae nos scuto circumtegat, in quo iacula ipsius inlisa frangantur: et cor nostrum percussionis ipsius contactus non vulneret, sed gratiae suae dono eius nobis insidias et intellegere donet et vincere. Codicem vero, quem dirigeremus, talem qui vos. ut petistis, instrueret, minime paratum habuimus, sed in subsequenti transmittimus.

Historical context:

The pope encourages Aurelia and her husband in their religious devotion, and promises to send them the book they requested when it is ready.

Scholarly notes:

1 Ashleigh Imus provided this translation.

Printed source:

Gregorii I Papae Registrum Epistolarum, ed. Paulus Ewald and Ludovicus Hartmann (Berlin: Weidmann, 1887-91, MGH, 123-24, ep.7.33.

Date:

597, July