Letter 8017: I believe that my prayers reach you even when you are unaware of them.

From: Ennodius, deacon in Pavia To: Stephania Date: ~506 AD Context: A spiritual letter assuring Stephania that Ennodius's prayers reach her even when his letters do not. Ennodius to Stephania. I believe that my prayers reach you even when you are unaware of them. The invisible commerce of the spirit crosses distances that letters cannot, and the God who hears us does not require postage. Still, I write — because the visible confirmation of an invisible reality is never wasted. Know that you are prayed for, thought of, and loved. Farewell.

XVII. ENNODIVS STEPHANIAE. Credo uos et ignorantes meis periculis subuenisse: aut quare confidam nescire quicquam quos per deum contingit uniuersa 5 cf. Io. 11, 11 1 uariare L 2 aegritadinis B dña PTb 5 di dici fort.; cf. p. 212, 4 sed] secundum fort . 6 sepulchro BLTV 7 eo] et Pb 8 cessit] accessit fort . indebitae B 11 ausilio B 12 nro L1, uestrae B comitatensis PTVb, commitatensis B 14 dna PTb laborari L oneri Pb, honeri BLTV submore L, snbmittere b 15 prouintiae LV 16 institu.untur B bona] ea fort . 17 ezspectatissimo F, ezspectantissimo L 18 reuelatis B 19 patiamine B quae-impetratione om. B imperatione L XVII. 22 stefaniae BLY, stepbanie T 28 pecolis B 24 continget B uniuersa∗∗∗ L 14* praenoscere ? postquam enim ab urbe redii, reparata sunt in me diuina mysteria et quod senuerat temporibus nouellis resurrexit exemplis. iterum uocatus est Lazarus de sepulcro, non quidem illius par merito qui amici redemptoris nomen emeruit: sed in diuersitate actuum unius conuenit forma mysterii. deductus per aegritudines multiplices ad sepulcra, sed caelesti uoce reuocatua, ad haec primum quae uobis soluuntur officia me conuerti, credens placere deo, si cultoribus eius per linguam, quam ipse reddidit, principe loco exhibeantur obsequia. ergo reuerentia salutationis inpensa deprecor, ut pro me, sicut poposci, orare adtentius procuretis, ut per meritum uestrum diuina clementia dignetur confirmare quod tribuit, et frequenter me pia litterarum uestrarum promulgatione subleuetis. rogo, ut nullum alium dictare facias, per dommi Asteri animam et professionem tuam: sic ei nitor quem optas usque ad consummationis tempus adsistat.