Letter 6048: Gregory to Urbicus, Abbot of Saint Hermes, which is situated in Panormus. Whosoever, incited by divine inspiration, hastens to leave the employments of this world and to be converted to God should so be received with charity, and refreshed in all ways with kind consolations, that, by the help of God, he may delight in all ways to persevere in th...
Pope Gregory the Great→Urbicus, Abbot|c. 595 AD|gregory great
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Military conflict; Personal friendship; Conversion/baptism
Gregory to Urbicus, Abbot of the monastery of Saint Hermes at Palermo.
Whoever, moved by divine inspiration, hastens to leave the employments of this world and turn to God should be received with charity and refreshed in every way with kind encouragement, so that with God's help he may rejoice wholeheartedly in persevering in the way of life he has chosen. Since therefore Agatho, the bearer of these presents, desires to enter the religious life in your community, we urge you to receive him with all gentleness and love, and by continual encouragement to kindle in him a longing for eternal life, and to be diligently attentive to the salvation of his soul — so that while through your guidance he perseveres with a devoted heart in the service of our God, it may profit him to have left the world, and his conversion may add to the reward you yourself shall receive.
You should know, however, that he is to be received only on condition that his wife also wishes to be converted in the same way. For since the bodies of both have been made one by the bond of matrimony, it is not fitting that one part should be converted while the other remains in the world.
Book VI, Letter 48
To Urbicus, Abbot.
Gregory to Urbicus, Abbot of Saint Hermes, which is situated in Panormus.
Whosoever, incited by divine inspiration, hastens to leave the employments of this world and to be converted to God should so be received with charity, and refreshed in all ways with kind consolations, that, by the help of God, he may delight in all ways to persevere in the state of life which he has chosen. Since, then, Agatho, the bearer of these presents, desires to be converted in your Love's monastery, we exhort you to receive him with all sweetness and love, and by assiduous exhortation kindle his longing for eternal life, and study to be diligently solicitous for his soul's salvation; to the end that, while by your admonition he shall persist with devoted mind in the service of our God, it may both profit him to have left the world, and his conversion may be to the increase of your own reward. Know, however, that he is to be so received only if his wife also should wish to be similarly converted. For, when the bodies of both have been made one by the tie of wedlock, it is unseemly that part should be converted and part remain in the world.
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Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 12. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1895.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360206048.htm>.
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Gregory to Urbicus, Abbot of the monastery of Saint Hermes at Palermo.
Whoever, moved by divine inspiration, hastens to leave the employments of this world and turn to God should be received with charity and refreshed in every way with kind encouragement, so that with God's help he may rejoice wholeheartedly in persevering in the way of life he has chosen. Since therefore Agatho, the bearer of these presents, desires to enter the religious life in your community, we urge you to receive him with all gentleness and love, and by continual encouragement to kindle in him a longing for eternal life, and to be diligently attentive to the salvation of his soul — so that while through your guidance he perseveres with a devoted heart in the service of our God, it may profit him to have left the world, and his conversion may add to the reward you yourself shall receive.
You should know, however, that he is to be received only on condition that his wife also wishes to be converted in the same way. For since the bodies of both have been made one by the bond of matrimony, it is not fitting that one part should be converted while the other remains in the world.
Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.