Letter 3010: The delicacies you sent are indeed magnificent and wonderfully generous — in their quantity, their timing, and their...
Bishop Avitus to Bishop Maximus.
The delicacies you sent are indeed magnificent and wonderfully generous — in their quantity, their timing, and their quality. And yet they cannot match your affection, your devotion, and your thoughtfulness. This proves that it was not your goodwill but your presence that was lacking. The feast was made complete by the success of your contributions: but as much as it gained in bodily refreshments, it lost by missing the spiritual banquet of your company. May God grant me, if he allows future occasions, the grace not merely to receive your gifts from afar but to enjoy them together with you in person.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.
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