Letter 2030: The man who knows himself guilty of failing in his duty ought to apologize before he dares to send greetings — for...

Ruricius to his Heraclianus, greetings. He who knows himself to be guilty in his duty ought to make supplication before he dares to offer a greeting, because, just as one who imputes blame is confronted at an unwelcome moment, so one who confesses is pardoned at a fitting one. And therefore we bring our fault out into the open, so that we may more easily arrive at forgiveness, since no room is left for accusation once an opening has stood ready for the one who laments, according to that saying: Declare your iniquities first, that you may be justified. [Isaiah 43:25-26] For the ill will of the accuser will not prevail where the humility of the suppliant has gone before. Wherefore, if we have now washed away our guilt by excusing it, let us come to the matter at hand. We therefore convey to your Piety a greeting as great as affection can comprehend and speech cannot utter, as great as we are able to feel and not able to set forth, as great as the inner mind, warmed by longing, can conceive, and the tongue of the outer man cannot express. Wherefore, giving thanks to the very Author of that love, who has deigned to implant it in our hearts, let us pray that He may deign always to preserve in us the special gift of His bounty and continually to increase it, since, according to the Apostle Paul, this is the more excellent way which leads to life. For the rest, I ask especially that you make supplication for us daily to our common patron, since, as you read, the persistent prayer of a righteous man avails much; and, as our Lord Himself says in the Gospel concerning him who [sought] three loaves from his friend at night-time, importunately indeed yet wholesomely [...], because what was granted to the persistence of the one pressing his request was what was being refused to the claims of friendship of the one demanding it. The rest I have entrusted by word to the bearer, things which it would have been tedious to set down in a letter; wherefore, as the opening of the letter conveys, I ask that you deign to grant pardon for my slowness. Farewell.

XXX. RURICIUS HERACLIANO SUO SALUTEM. Qui se reum de officio esse cognoscit, prius supplicare debet, quam audeat salutare, quia, sicut inportune occurritur inputanti, ita oportune remittitur confitenti. et ideo nos nostram in palam producimus noxam, ut facilius peruenire possimus ad ueniam, quia non relinquitur locus inputationi, cum aditus patuerit deploranti secundum illam sententiam: dic tu prior iniquitates tuas, 27] Esai. 43, 25. 1 saluto v, s; rdiqua MeratM parte abscissa 8 2 pri S 8 oportuni S ual S 6 sanititate S alium S 7 iuditia S etiam om. v 8 necessitudine v, necessitate S 9 conitio S 10 praetermisse S 12 presumere S 14 fugatu S offltiu S 18 quia v longum cf. p. 414,19, .... m S 19 indicare v 21 ... icius S eracliano S 22 iui S offitio S 25 produximus v 26 inputaoioni S, imputanti Kr. ut iustificeris. non enim praeualebit accusantis inuidia, ubi humilitas praecesserit subplicantis. quam ob rem nos, si iam excusando diluimus culpam, ueniamus ad causam. salutem ergo tantam dicimus pietati uestrae, quantam potest affectus intellegere et non potest sermo proferre, quantam sentire possumus et non ualemus exponere, quantam potest interioris mens desiderio calefacta concipere et non potest lingua exterioris adserere. Unde gratias agentes ipsius caritatis auctori, qui eam in cordibus nostris est dignatus inserere, oremus, ut praecipuum suae largitatis munus in nobis custodire semper et iugiter dignetur augere, quia iuxta apostolum Paulum ipsa est eminentior uia, quae ducit ad uitam. quod superest, specialiter quaeso, ut communi patrono pro nobis cotidie supplicetis, quia, sicut legitis, multum ualet oratio iusti adsidua, et, sicut ipse dominus noster in euangelio dicit de illo, qui tres panes ab amico suo noctis tempore importune quidem, sed salubriter ..., quod inprobitati praestitum fuerit insistentis, quod negabatur amicitiis flagitantis. reliqua per portitorem uerbo mandaui, quae longum fuit litteris indicari, unde, sicut principium epistulae continet, rogo, ut pro tarditate ueniam dare dignemini. uale.