Letter 55

From: Ruricius, bishop of Limoges To: Aprunculus, bishop Date: ~506 AD Context: A warm letter of friendship carried by a returning visitor, expressing longing for a face-to-face meeting. Bishop Ruricius to Bishop Aprunculus — greetings. Just as I received the letter of Your Holiness through the venerable Elogius with great joy, so I am glad to send this one back with him on his return. Through it I pay the debt of greeting owed to your apostolic authority, and I ask you to pray for us and to request especially from our common Lord that we may at last deserve to come together and see each other — so that the love which, according to the Lord's own words, has been growing cold in our hearts through absence may be rekindled by presence.

LV. RURICIUS APRUNCULO EPISCOPO SALUTEM. Sicut litteras sanctitatis uestrae per uirum uenerabilem Elogium cum gratulatione suscepi, ita has eodem redeunte libenter emisi. quibus apostolatui uestro debitum dependo sospitationis officium simulque deposco, ut pro nobis orare dignemini et id a communi domino peculiarius postulare, ut iam tandem aliquando in unum uenire et nos uidere mereamur, ut caritas, quae secundum sententiam dominicam in pectoribus nostris per absentiam, quod peius est, refrixit, per praesentiam iterum in sopitis cineribus suscitetur et uiuis uocibus quasi nouis flatibus ueteris amoris rediuiuum reparetur incendium, quod more atque uirtute ignis illius, quem dominus misit in terram, et spinas neglegentiae nostrae atque desidiae ui naturae potentis exurat et tenebras dormientis cordis inluminet.