Letter 3024: While the perpetual cause of love always supplies reason enough to pay my respects to your greatness, and while I...

Bishop Avitus to the most illustrious Helladius. Although there is always a perpetual cause of affection for rendering the service due to your greatness, and although I rightly owe a special observance of devotion to your unyielding piety more abundantly, nevertheless now the occasion of the festival has imposed upon me a longed-for necessity, that I should present myself to your affection through the service of a letter, I who would wish to do so also by a meeting in person. Therefore, looking up with the reverence that is owed, I inquire after the feast which you have celebrated as well in accordance with your prayer, beseeching the inexhaustible bounty of our Redeemer, that He may advance you a hundredfold with His protection and, to our adornment, may raise you up rewarded with all good things, just as He has done up to now.

Avitus episcopus viro illustri Helladio. Cum ad officium vestrae magnitudini deferendum perpetua semper causa suppetat caritatis et specialem devotionis observantiam iure debeam obnixae impensius pietati: nunc tamen desideratam mihi necessitatem ratio festivitatis indixit, ut affectui vestro litterarum praesentarer officio, qui cuperem et occursu. Idcirco reverentia suspectans debita, quam et ex voto festam celebraveritis, inquiro redemptoris nostri inexhaustam deprecans largitatem, ut centenaria sua protectione vos provehat et ad ornatum nostrum, sicut hactenus fecit, bonis omnibus remuneratos attollat.