Letter 1004: Though the person of this venerable bearer commends himself to the hearts of brotherly love, the holy Bishop...

Bishop Avitus to Bishop Caesarius. Although the very person of the venerable bearer commends himself to the affections of brotherly love, nevertheless the holy bishop Maximianus has asked, in a more particular way, that this page of my service be addressed to you: from which it is plain that I ought rather to be commended to you by him than he by me. And since he has deigned to bid me set forth his needs in my own words, I have undertaken to say nothing about the hardship of his journey: because, however great the length of time or the vastness of the road by which he leaves the dwelling of his native country, a priest cannot be called a foreigner wherever the catholic Church can be found. And yet that overthrow of his region ought not to be magnified to you as though it were unknown: since the access of mercy is not hidden from your piety, which everywhere seeks out wherever there is a place of misery. The principal reason, however, for his coming, as far as he deigns to assert, is that he may seek out somewhere a more skilled physician, who may aid the weakness of his bodily eyes by some remedy of his art. And yet the gaze of his religious mind, more occupied in contemplating spiritual things and not overly terrified by the blindness of the outer man, seeks this care, as far as I have learned, with such moderation that he strives rather to satisfy those who love him in the necessity of this pursuit; and at the same time lest, through the fault of neglected health, the capacity of the priestly office should seem to be blamably diminished in him. But he also seeks the hope of recovering his sight, as far as I judge, from an example, namely that a hidden medicine in an angel restored our Tobias - dim indeed to earthly things, but beholding the things that were invisible to the world, attentive to the eternal light and now almost forgetful of mortal day - by the salve of gall to the sweetness of health. Wherefore receive the brother with your accustomed sincerity, with worthy reverence: and if any consolation is owed to one in anxiety, bestow it. And the common desire will be fulfilled, if even some healing of his infirmity, of whatever kind, comes about. But if certainly not that, then at least let the eye of priestly conscience, subject to no blindness, recognize the incorruptible countenance of mutual piety.

Avitus episcopus Caesario episcopo. Licet ipsa se venerandi portitoris persona animis fraternae caritatis insinuet, sanctus tamen Maximianus antistes hanc peculiarius ad vos officii mei paginam petiit destinari: per quam me potius ab illo, quam illum a me commendari debere mani- festum est. Et quia iubere dignatus est necessitates suas sermone meo pandere, nihil dicendum de peregrinationis labore suscepi: quia, quantalibet vel temporum longitudine vel itineris vastitate genitalis patriae linquat habitaculum, peregrinus sacerdos dici non potest, ubi catholica reperiri ecelesia potest. Quamquam nec illa vobis regionis suae subversio quasi incognita exaggerari debeat: cum pietatem vestram quaerentem ubique misericordiae aditus non lateat, ubi est miseriae locus. Principalis tamen ei, quantum dignatur adserere, causa veniendi est, ut peritiorem medicum quocumque perquirat, qui imbecillitati corporeorum luminum cuiuscumque remedio artis succurrat. Quam- quam religiosae mentis intuitus contemplandis magis spiritalibus occupatus nec nimium de exterioris hominis caecitate perterritus eo temperamento hanc, quantum comperi, curam requirat, ut amatoribus potius suis satisfacere in huius studii necessitate con- tendat; simul et ne videatur per neglectae sanitatis culpam facultas in eo sacerdotalis officii reprehensibiliter minorata. Spem vero recipiendi obtutus, quantum arbitror, et ab exemplo requirit, quod scilicet Tobiam nostrum caligantem quidem terrestribus, sed quae mundo erant invisibilia contuentem, attentum aeternae luci et iam paene diei mortalis immemorem, latens in angelo medicina reduxerit per collyrium fellis ad dul- cedinem sanitatis. Quocirca suscipite fratrem sinceritate solita, reverentia digna: et si quid consolationis anxio debetur, impendite. Implebitur autem commune desiderium. si etiam qualiscumque infirmitatis medela provenerit. Quod certe si minus, saltem in- corruptibilem vultum pietatis alternae nulli obnoxius caecitati sacerdotalis conscientiae oculus recognoscat.