Letter 1518: Death is not the end but a transition.
Accusation of ingratitude. I blame you severely, because gratitude has died within you — the very gratitude which, when you were in need, you solemnly promised would be immortal. Know therefore that when you fall again into misfortune, you will not find anyone to help you, for those who would assist are necessarily lacking to the ungrateful. Ingratitude is the worst of all vices because it dries up the very spring of generosity. The generous person, when he sees his kindness remembered and acknowledged, is moved to give again and again. But when he sees his kindness forgotten and trampled upon, his hand closes and his heart hardens. You have therefore injured not only yourself but all who might have benefited from the generosity you have stifled. Repent therefore of your ingratitude, acknowledge your debt to your benefactor, and thereby reopen the channels of mercy that your forgetfulness has blocked. For the present difficulties, great as they are, are temporary, and the glory that awaits those who persevere in faithfulness is eternal. The sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that shall be revealed in us, as the Apostle assures us. Therefore let us fix our eyes not on what is seen but on what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. And let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.
AI-assisted translation — This translation was produced with AI assistance and has not been peer-reviewed. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek below for scholarly use.
Latin / Greek Original
᾿Αχαριστίας, ἱπρταϊφμθ αὐοιιδα! απίπιὶ. Λίαν σοι μέμφομαι, ὅτι τέθνηχε παρὰ σοὶ ἡ χάρις, ἣν δεόμενος τότε ἀθάνατον ἕξειν () διεόεδαιώσω " ἴσθι τοιγαροῦν, ὅτι περιπεσὼν αὖθις συμφορᾷ οὐχ δεῖς τὸν ἀντιληψόμενον - βοηθῶν γὰρ ἀνχγχαίως ἀποροῦσιν οἱ ἐπιλήσμονες ὄντες χαρίτων. ἤοιη.ι, . Νοη ἰμπ)οτῖα εἰἱ διιοσδη860, ΄φῃοἃ δριά ( στᾶιῖι, αυδηὶ τοάδογο ρογρϑίυο ορογίουαι, ρΡδτίϊοιίι. ϑοῖιο ἰἰάφυθ, οὐτη ὕδπαο ἴῃ ἀἰβοῦὶ πθη αἰᾳυοά ἰπ- οἰἀογίδ, δάὐμιοῦθι . πη Ταρογίαγυηι. Αὐχν Ιἰλῖογα δα ἤυτα οατοὶ αυΐ ΟὈΠ ν]ο50υ8 φγαίς 8Δ0- ςορί8". ΥΔΕΠ(Ε ΓΕΟΤΙΌΝΕΒ ΕΥ̓͂ ΝΟΤΕ. () Ης, πῶς γὰ ἐρυθριάσει οἵ - μὸῖ οιἱ. Ῥαγὶβ., οἱ διἰδυει" ὁχ οὐ. γα, Οὐθ οἱ ΔΙι. Ελι1Ὲ. () Ρτο ἕξειν ἰόφυπί ἕξιν σοιἰ. γὰι. οἱ ΑΙ . Παδπληι6 ΥΘΓΒ. διιῖομ. ἐρ. ὑΓῸ τὸν ἀντιληψόμενον δογίυυμ! τ᾽ ἀντιληψόμενον. ῬΟΒΞΙΝ. . ἸΙΘΙΌΟΕΙ ΡΕΓΌΘΙΟΤ. . ΠΧΧΥ͂Ϊ. --- ΑΘΟΙΈΡΙΟ ΘΌΡΗΙΘΤΕ. Α Οζ'. --- ΑΣΚΛΗΠΙΩ ΣΟΦΙΣΤΗ. Ουΐε νετε [οΥἱϊς. ((ΟΗ[εΥ ἐμρὶδὶ. .) Εογιθιη ᾿η6 Του γᾶ υἱγυπὶ Ὀγοπαμ , αὕ6ηὶ Ἐχεῖνον ὄντως ἀνδρεῖον ὀρίζομαι, ὃν οὔτε δυσχο- ΠΟ΄υ6 δάγογϑδ Γθ8, ᾿οβίίπν υἱσογίηϊι ἰησδι θα. λία πραγμάτων, οὔτε ἐχθρῶν ἤλεγξεν ἐπιδουλή. Οὐ δηἶτῃ οδρὶ ἰ5ι18 ρίαγίηα οοηδιδναγίηι, φιΐ- Τῶν γὰρ πολλῶν ὑπὸ τῶν τοιούτων εἰωθότων ἁλέ- ἀραὶ αυΐ Διιχ! οπιπὶ ἀδδι α5 Υἱποὶ πΠοπ ρ0886 σχεσθαι, ὁ μὴ ἐν τοῖς ἀδουλήτοις εὐάλωτος φωραθεὶς, ἀσργθμθηβυ8, δὰ οἱ νἱπὶ οβργοξὶς ρογίεγθηβ, οἱ 'ῆ-ὀ ἀλλὰ χαὶ ἐπηρείας χοσμίως φέρων, καὶ δόξης ὑπό- βἰἷ85 ἰδυὰϊ δὲ ἀυξοης, πο ἰῃ β6γν ὁ ρθὺ8 θεσιν ποιούμενος τὰς ἐπιδουλὰς, χαὶ μὴ εἰς δουλο- δάυἰδιίοη6 θ᾽ η , Ὁ πϑΐογα πὶ να γὸ ἤλθ6η8 πρεπεῖς χαταγιγνόμενος θωπείας, ἀλλ᾽ ὑψηλότερον αυδληῖ ἰπβἀϊδίογος θγι ἀθη ἴλπὶ., [ΟΓΙ15. ἢ] ΟΣ Υ]Γ ἐδ π- στῶν ἐπιδουλευόντων ἔχων τὸ φρόνημα, οὗτος ἀνδρεῖός η ι , δἷ φιιοά ἴῃ . ΠΠ᾿ π᾿ πηθῖι. απ θη ἔστι παρ᾽ ἐμοὶ χριτῇ. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἐν μὲν ταῖς εὑ- ἱ) ργόβροῦα [τη Θχραι δεΐδι πη [- ημερίαις ῥᾶπτον καὶ τοῖς ἀνάνδροις φρονήματι χρύ;- Π ρΡΓΘΠΘΔΘη π 8η107, ΓΟ5 ΠΟΥ ὐνογββ ζγοΟῦΟ8 σασθαι, αἱ δυσχολίαι δὲ τοὺς ἀγαθοὺς κρίνουσι" τὸν ἀδοϊαγαν νἱγοβ. ἴῃ [Πα θὺ5 ἰἰάφαθ πιοάογαῖυ5 αὶ μὲν ἐν εὐημερίᾳ μέτριον, ἐν δὲ δυσχολίᾳ πραγμά- δἷῖ, ἰῃη δάνογβίβ υ6γῸ γϑ!. οοἰκὰ5. τηἰη θη - Β των, ἀταπείνωτον, ἀνδρειότατον εἶναι ἔγωγε ὁρί- Ἰθείυ5, [Γι ΙΪβδθυπὶ ὁ00 πη ΥἹΓῸΠῚ Ο6) ἃΡ- ζομαι. ΡΟΙΙπάππι. ΧΧΥΤΙ. --- ΜΑΒΤΙΝΙΑΝΟ, ΖΟΘΙΜΟ οἱ ΜΑΙΟΝΙ. ΟΖ΄. -- ΜΑΡΤΙΝΙΑΝΩ, ΖΩΣΙΜΩ, ΜΑΡΩΝΙ. Ηονίαιαν εἰ α υἱιϊϊ8 ἀδεϊξίαπί : χε ἰοἱ ἰαπίαηιδ, τὶ πϑὸ υἱοὶ υογϑὶς φμίάοηι οαρτίπιαηι, πὲς ροδίεγὶ εἰμ ογεαϊτὶ. ((ΟΝ [ἐγ ἐρὶδι. δῦ αα δοϑαάομι.) δ. ὺἱ (ὁγυηΐϊ, αυϊάδπι γα] δ ρογῖιἱ, ἀϊοσαπάϊιθ Εἰ, ὥς φασί τινες, οὐδὲ οἱ λίαν δεινοὶ, καὶ τὸ λίγειν ΓΘ ΘΧΘΓΕΪ Αἴ], υθϑι γᾶ ΠῚ ΠΟῊ [Ὧ0 Δυι6Δηι ἰΓρίοδ τέχνην πεποιημένοι, τὰς ὑμετέρας ῥᾳδίως τολμῶσι ΓΟίΈΓΓΘ ΥἱΔΠῚ : ὙΟΓΟΠΙΌΡ Θηΐπὶ ΘΟγυπι, αυἱ πυης νἱ- στηλιτεῦσαι τραγῳδίας (φοδοῦνται γὰρ τῶν μὲν νῦν νυηΐ, ΓΟΡΓΘΙ ΘΙ : 0η6Π1), οἱ ροβίθγοβθ ἤθη ογα ΠΠγο8. τὸν ἔλεγχον, τῶν δὲ ἐσομένων τὴν ἀπιστίαν. Τοὺς (ἩΠ ὁπΐην ρΠγὰ . βεῖγα ἀΐδσυπί, 4ιδπὶ νοῦὶβ μὲν γὰρ πλείονα εἰδέναι φασὶν, ὧν ἂν εἰπεῖν δυνη- ΘησπΕἰΓ6 αι ληὶ ; ροΟβίογὶ ΨΘΓῸ ΠΙΪΠΟΓΆ γ0Ὸ8 Πιρίἷἰα θεῖεν" οἱ δὲ ἔλαττον ὑμᾶς δεδραχέναι τῶν ῥηθτ,:ο- (ΠΟΙ Πλ , .) Π188 ΠΑΓΓΘηΪΌΓ, ὀχ ἰβιϊπηαθιη ), μένων ἡγήσονται), τίς ἡ ἀνήχεστος αὕτη μανία, ἡ αυα ἰῶς ἰφί αν νϑδίγα ᾿μογ δπιθηϊΐ οἱ ἐχβαχχεύσασα ὑμᾶς τοιαῦτα δρᾶσαι, ἃ χαὶ τοὺς νυνὶ ἀοδοοϊιδιῖο, ( νο8 ρλίΓΑΓΘ βοαίογα, 4ι οἱ ἰνοάϊα (Ο δεινοτάτους ἐλέγξει, καὶ τοὺς μετὰ ταῦτα ἀπιστῆσα: ἀϊδογίοβ δυρυδηί 6η ]Ϊ, οἱ ἀρυἀ ροβίοθγοβς ἢ ἤθη ἤθη παρασχευάσει (); Οὐ γὰρ πιστεῦσαι ἐθελήσουσι ἱινεηίδηι Νάε δπίπι [Ὡς Ἰ υἱ ὀγθάδι! δἀάυοϊ ροίθΘ-ἅ ῥᾳδίως, ὅτι ἄνθρωποι τοιαῦτα ἔδρασαν, ἃ οὐδ᾽ ἂν Γυηΐϊ ροβίογίὶ ᾿οιη Ἶ . δύ πι οὐἑ ἢ ἷΠ8, δαίμονες ἁλιτήριο!: δρᾶσαι ἐτόλμησαν. Οἱ μὲν γὰρ Ὧ6 ΟΧἰ αὐϊάθιη ἀδεπίΟη ΠΟΠΠΠ.Π6Γα ἀυΐδληῖ. ὁρῶντες τὰ δραματουργούμενα , ἥττους τῶν τραγῳδιῶν γινὶ δηἷπὶ υϑίγϑία σογῃθηί68 [ γᾷ ἀϊσοηὶ ἰηίογίοσα τοὺς λόγους, οἱ δ᾽ ἀχούσαντες, μείζους ἡγήσονται. ἀγασίοα ἀγδιμδῖα. Ῥοϑίδσὶ ὑυϑγο αὐ ΐθηίος, οἱ μὲν μὴ δεδυνῆσθαι τὴν φράσιν ἐξισωθῆναι τῇ ΠιΔ)ογὰ Π1 ἀχἰ οι παυυσηῖ. ΕΠ νοῦθ8 ροί δά- πράξει νομιοῦσιν " οἱ δὲ ἐξωγχῶσθαι, χαὶ πρὸς τὸ φΦαυδνὶ παγγδιοηθπὶ γου5 ἃ ΥΟ βαιγϑιὶβ Πορ4- μεῖζ
Related Letters
Since genuine and sincere friendship is guaranteed precisely by the fact that it speaks without fear, it is on this...
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
Prayer is not the manipulation of God but the alignment of our will with his.
Virtue must be practiced with all one's strength — not merely admired from a distance.
The priesthood is a sacred trust, not a career.