Letter 13039: What tongue may suffice to speak, what mind to think, what great thanks we owe to Almighty God for the serenity of your empire, in that such hard burdens of long duration have been removed from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial supremacy has returned, which subjects are glad to bear? Glory, then, be given to the Creator of all by the hy...

Gregory to Leontia Augusta. What tongue can speak, what mind can grasp, how great our thanks should be to Almighty God for the peace of your reign -- now that such heavy burdens of long duration have been lifted from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial authority has returned, one that subjects are glad to bear. Let glory be given to the Creator of all by the choirs of angels on high. Let thanksgiving be offered by men on earth. For the whole republic, which has endured so many wounds of grief, has at last found the balm of your consolation. This must move us to implore all the more earnestly the mercy of Almighty God: that He would keep the heart of Your Piety always in His right hand and direct your thoughts by the aid of heavenly grace, so that Your Tranquillity may rule those who serve you all the more righteously as you know more truly how to serve the Sovereign of all. May He make you champions of His love for the Catholic faith, having in His goodness made you our rulers. May He fill your minds with zeal tempered by gentleness, so that you may always be able, with pious fervor, to leave no offense against God unavenged -- and in cases of any offense against yourselves, to bear it and forgive. May He grant you in Your Piety the clemency of Pulcheria Augusta, who for her zeal for the Catholic faith was called at the holy synod "the new Helena." May the mercy of Almighty God grant you and our most devout lord a long life together, so that the longer your days are extended, the more firmly the consolation of your subjects may be established. I ought perhaps to have asked that Your Tranquillity hold the Church of the blessed apostle Peter as especially commended to you -- a Church that has until now labored under grave threats. But knowing that you love Almighty God, I need not ask for what you will freely show on your own.

Book XIII, Letter 39 To Leontia, Empress. Gregory to Leontia Augusta. What tongue may suffice to speak, what mind to think, what great thanks we owe to Almighty God for the serenity of your empire, in that such hard burdens of long duration have been removed from our necks, and the gentle yoke of imperial supremacy has returned, which subjects are glad to bear? Glory, then, be given to the Creator of all by the hymning choirs of angels, thanksgiving be paid by men on earth, for that the whole republic, which has endured many wounds of sorrow, has now at length found the balm of your consolation. Hence we must needs implore the more earnestly the mercy of Almighty God, that He would keep the heart of your Piety ever in His right hand, and dispose your thoughts by the aid of heavenly grace, to the end that your Tranquillity may be able to rule those who serve you the more righteously as you know more truly how to serve the Sovereign of all. May He make you His champions in love of the Catholic faith, having, of His benign dealing, made you our emperors. May He infuse into your minds zeal together with gentleness, that you may always be able with pious fervour not to leave unavenged whatever is done amiss with regard to God, and in case of any delinquency against yourselves to bear and spare. May He give us in your Piety the clemency of Pulcheria Augusta, who for her zeal for the Catholic faith was called in the holy synod the new Helena (Act. 1 synodi Chalcedonensis). May the Almighty mercy of God grant to you fuller length of days to live with our most pious lord, that the longer your life is extended, the more strongly may the consolation of your subjects be confirmed. I ought perhaps to have requested that your Tranquillity should hold as especially commended to you the Church of the blessed apostle Peter, which up to this time has laboured under grievous plots against it. But, knowing that you love Almighty God, I ought not to ask what you will exhibit of your own accord out of the benignity of your piety. For the more you fear the Creator of all, the more fully may you love the Church of him to whom it was said, You are Peter, and upon this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it; and to whom it is said, To you I will give the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever you shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever you shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven Matthew 16:18. Whence it is not doubtful to us with what strong love you will bind yourself to him through whom you earnestly desire to be loosed from all sins. May he, then, be the guardian of your empire, may he be your protector on earth, may he be an intercessor for you in heaven: that through your relieving your subjects from hard burdens, and causing them to rejoice in your empire, you may, after many years, rejoice in the heavenly kingdom. About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360213039.htm>. Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is feedback732 at newadvent.org. (To help fight spam, this address might change occasionally.) Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.