Letter 11062: We render thanks to Almighty God, Who, among all the other gifts of His loving-kindness that He has bestowed upon your Excellency, has so filled you with a love of the Christian religion that whatever you know to pertain to the gain of souls, whatever to the propagation of the faith, you cease not to carry into effect with devout mind and pious ...

Gregory to Brunichild, Queen of the Franks. I give thanks to Almighty God, who among all his other gifts has filled your Excellency with such love of the Christian religion that whatever pertains to the winning of souls or the spread of the faith, you carry forward with devoted mind and pious zeal. The generous support your Excellency gave to our most reverend brother and fellow bishop Augustine on his journey to the nation of the Angli was widely known even before certain monks returned and gave me a detailed account. Let others who know your generosity less well marvel at these proofs of your Christianity -- for those of us who know you from experience, it is not surprising, only a source of joy. You delight yourself through what you give to others. The miracles our Redeemer has worked in the conversion of the English are already known to your Excellency. You should take great joy in them, since the support you provided claims a large share of the credit -- for it was through your aid, after God, that the word of preaching spread so widely in those parts. To increase the fruit of your reward even further, I ask you to extend your patronage to the monks carrying this letter, whom I am sending with our most beloved sons, the priest Laurentius and the abbot Mellitus, to our brother Augustine -- since he reports that those already with him are not enough. Stand by them in everything, so that through the good offices of your Excellency they may succeed in reaching their destination more quickly and with greater confidence. Almighty God will repay your good deeds.

Book XI, Letter 62 To Brunichild, Queen of the Franks . Gregory to Brunichild, etc. We render thanks to Almighty God, Who, among all the other gifts of His loving-kindness that He has bestowed upon your Excellency, has so filled you with a love of the Christian religion that whatever you know to pertain to the gain of souls, whatever to the propagation of the faith, you cease not to carry into effect with devout mind and pious zeal. As to the great favour and assistance wherewith your Excellence aided our most reverend brother and fellow bishop Augustine on his progress to the nation of the Angli, fame had already not been silent; and afterwards certain monks, returning to us from him, gave us a particular account thereof. And indeed, let others to whom your benefactions are less known wonder at these evidences of your Christianity; for to us who know them by experience they are not a subject of wonder, but of rejoicing, because through what you bestow upon others you delight yourself. Now of what sort and how great are the miracles which our Redeemer has wrought in the conversion of the above-written nation is already known to your Excellency. On which account you ought to have great joy, since the succours afforded by you claim to themselves the larger share herein, it having been through your aid, after God, that the word of preaching became widely known in those parts. For one who aids the good work of another makes it his own. But, that the fruit of your reward may be richer more and more, we beg of you kindly to afford the support of your patronage to the monks, the bearers of these presents, whom we have sent with our most beloved sons, the presbyter Laurentius and the abbot Mellitus, to our aforesaid most reverend brother and fellow bishop, because of his telling us that those who are with him are not sufficient; and to vouchsafe to stand by them in all things, to the end that, when by the good auspices of your Excellency they shall have had the better success, and shall have found no delays or difficulties in your parts, you may call down the mercy of our God towards you and your most sweet nephews in proportion as you have demeaned yourselves compassionately for the love of Him in causes of this kind. [(In Collect. Pauli Diac.) Given the tenth day of the Kalends of July, Indiction 4.] About this page Source. Translated by James Barmby. From Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, Second Series, Vol. 13. Edited by Philip Schaff and Henry Wace. (Buffalo, NY: Christian Literature Publishing Co., 1898.) Revised and edited for New Advent by Kevin Knight. <https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360211062.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.