Letter 6060: Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria. Charity, the mother and guardian of all that is good, which binds together in union the hearts of many, regards not as absent him whom it has present in the mind's eye. Since then, dearest brother, we are held together by the root of charity, neither will bodily absence nor distance of places have power...

Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria. Charity — the mother and guardian of all that is good, which binds the hearts of many together — does not regard as absent those it holds present in the mind's eye. Since therefore, dearest brother, we are held together by the root of charity, neither bodily absence nor distance of place has power to claim any separation from us, seeing that those who are one are surely not far from each other. We desire to have this common charity always with the rest of our brothers. Yet there is something that binds us in a particular way to the Church of Alexandria and compels us, as it were by a special obligation, to love it with still greater inclination. For since it is known to all that the blessed evangelist Mark was sent to Alexandria by Saint Peter the Apostle, his master, we are bound together in the unity of master and disciple — so that I seem to preside over the see of the disciple on account of the master, and you over the see of the master on account of the disciple. Beyond this bond of hearts we are also bound to you by the merits of your Holiness, knowing that you profitably follow the ordinances of your founder and devote yourself with complete dedication to the embrace of your master, from whom sprang the preaching of salvation in your regions. And so, having received your Holiness's letters, as much as our heart rejoiced at your brotherly greeting, so much is it weighed down with sorrow for the immense burdens you describe — and we groan with you in brotherly sympathy for your grief. But since shaking of various kinds is spreading everywhere, in the midst of a shared need one ought to grieve less for one's own affairs, and study rather by patient endurance to overcome what we cannot entirely avoid. As for what we ourselves are suffering from the swords of the Lombards in the daily plundering, wounding, and killing of our citizens — we prefer not to speak of it, lest in recounting our own sorrows we should only add to yours through the sympathy you bear toward us. Furthermore, a short while ago we sent to Sabinianus, who represents our Church in the imperial city, a letter that he should have forwarded to your Fraternity. If you have received it, we wonder why you have sent us no reply. Since care must be taken lest anyone's pride introduce confusion in the churches, it is necessary for you to read it carefully and with full attention and entire resolve to uphold what pertains to your dignity and to the peace of the Church. May Almighty God, who has by the grace of his loving-kindness bestowed on you the disposition and charity that becomes a priest, protect you in his service, keep you inwardly and outwardly from all adversity, and mercifully grant that wandering souls may be turned to himself through your preaching. We have received with due charity the bearer of these presents, our common son the deacon Isidore, who brought us the blessed gift of Saint Mark the evangelist. You, resplendent in the merit of a good life, have sent us the sweet-smelling word that is close to Paradise. We, being sinners, send you timber from the West — suitable for shipbuilding, and signifying the turbulence of our mind, tossed ever on the sea-waves. We wished to send larger pieces, but the ship was not large enough to hold them. In the month of August, the fourteenth indiction.

Book VI, Letter 60 To Eulogius, Bishop. Gregory to Eulogius, Bishop of Alexandria. Charity, the mother and guardian of all that is good, which binds together in union the hearts of many, regards not as absent him whom it has present in the mind's eye. Since then, dearest brother, we are held together by the root of charity, neither will bodily absence nor distance of places have power to assert any claim over us, inasmuch as we who are one are surely not far from each other. Now we wish to have always this common charity with the rest of our brethren. Yet there is something that binds us in a certain peculiar way to the Church of Alexandria, and compels us, as it were by a special law, to be the more prone to love it. For, as it is known to all that the blessed evangelist Mark was sent by Saint Peter the apostle, his master, to Alexandria, so we are bound together in the unity of this master and his disciple, so that I seem to preside over the see of the disciple because of the master, and you over the see of the master because of the disciple. Moreover to this unity of hearts we are bound also by the merits of your Holiness, since we know that you follow profitably the ordinances of your founder, and feel how you betake yourself with entire devotion to the bosom of your master, whence sprung the preaching of salvation in your parts. And so, when we received the letters of your Holiness, as much as our heart rejoiced in your brotherly visitation, so much is it oppressed with sadness for the untold burdens which you refer to, and we groan with you in brotherly sympathy for your grief. But, since a shaking of various kinds is extending itself everywhere, in the midst of a common need one should grieve less for one's own, but study rather, by patiently enduring, to overcome what we cannot altogether avoid. But what we ourselves are suffering from the swords of the Lombards in the daily plundering and mangling and slaying of our citizens, we refuse to tell, lest, while speaking of our own sorrows, we should increase yours from the sympathy which you bestow upon us. Furthermore, a little time ago we sent to Sabinianus, who represents our Church in the royal city, a letter from ourselves, which he should have sent on to your Fraternity. If you have received it, we wonder why you have sent us no reply to it. And accordingly, since caution must be taken lest the pride of any one whatever introduce offense in the Churches, it is needful that you should carefully peruse it, and with all diligence and full bent of mind maintain what pertains to your dignity and to the peace of the Church. Now may Almighty God, who by the grace of His loving-kindness has conferred on you the disposition and charity that becomes a priest, protect you in His service, and keep you within and without from all adversity, and mercifully grant that the souls of wanderers may be converted to Himself by your preaching. We have received with the charity that was due to the bearer of these presents, our common son the deacon Isidore, who brought to us the benediction of Saint Mark the evangelist. And you indeed, being resplendent in the merit of a good life, have sent to us the sweetly smelling word, which is near unto Paradise. But we, to wit because we are sinners, send you wood from the West, which, being suitable for the building of ships, signifies the tumult of our mind, as being ever tossed in the sea-waves; and we wished indeed to send larger pieces, but the ship was not large enough to hold them. In the month of August, Indiction 14. About this page 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/360206060.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.