Letter 7036

From: Gregory the Great, Pope, in Rome To: Dynamius and Aurelia [the patrician and his wife] Date: ~597 AD Context: Gregory writes to the couple with spiritual counsel: to be always intent on prayer, reading, and good works. Gregory to Dynamius and Aurelia. I am writing to both of you together because the counsel I have for you belongs equally to a husband and wife who share a life. Be intent on prayer — not as a duty to be discharged but as the primary orientation of your days. Be intent on the reading of scripture and spiritual works — the formation of the mind shapes the formation of the will. And be intent on good works — not as performance, but as the natural expression of what prayer and reading produce. I know your lives are busy. Important people always are. But the business of the world will always find reasons to crowd out the business of the soul if you let it. Do not let it. Gregory

AD DYNAMIUM ET AURELIAM. Orationi, lectioni, et operibus bonis semper inlenti, ad meliora proſiciant. Codicem pollicelur. Gregorius *® Dynamio et Aureliz per Franciam. Scriplorum vestrorum pagina lectione percussa magnam nobis studio vestro contulit indicalo Izti- tiam, quia per hoc quod vos sacrz lectionis pabula quzrere et Supernz palriz desiderare gaudia nun- tiavil, dilectionem vesiram religiosam cunversatio- Rem non solum amare nomine, $ed eliam Lenere vita monstravit. Et quoniam desiderata vos adepturos esse conlidimas, vebementi yobis cor nostrum ex- Sullatione congaudet. Nam quia hujusmodi deside- rium gratia divina non deserat, ipsa nos Veritas le- Slimonio $u@ vocis informal, dicens : Omnis qui qu@- Eersr, XXXV [Al. 32]. — * Similia nomina a Deo desumpla familiaria erant Afris, ut patet ex Augu- slino et ex notitia Afrieze, in qua plurimi recensen- tur episcopi QUuodvultdeus appellati. Consule nostrum Theod. Ruinart, in Hist. Yandalice persecut. © Id non legimus nisi in Turon. S. Gat. <&t in Va- tic. A eB. Eeisr. XXXVI "- 33). — * Sic legitur in omn- bus pene Mss. In Vatic. D tamen et in duobus Tel- ler., pro Dynamio, legitur Dynamic. Dynamius jam - notys ex ep'st. 33 lib. mw, et {2 hujusce libri v1, ubi Dynamius jungitur Aureliano, vel Aureliane ut (Matth. wn, 8; Luc. x1, 12). Hac itaque ſulti certi= tudine, de ejusdem Redemptoris nostri misericordia Nihil ambigere, sed 8pe debemus indubitata prexsy- mere. Nec enim muneris sui largitate frustrabitur, sed vires obtinendi prorsus indulget, qui velle cou- cessit. Nam jam hoc ipsum desideranter appeltere donum est. Quia tamen ita de gratia debemus $u- perna presumere, ut non simus negligentes in ora- tione vel opere, voce ejusdem Veritalis exprimitur : Oportet semper orare, et non deficere (Luc. xvin, 4). Petamus igitur orando, quzramus legendo, pulse- mus operando. Sit igitur mens vigilans, sit undique Suspecta, Sit ubique $ollicita, ut insidiantis possit Semper laqueos przcavere. Sed quia quanto hoslis B noster cautum contra $e unumquemque CoOgnosCcit , tanto corda sibi resistentium $8ublili molitur arte $ubvertere, omnipotentem Dominum assiduis lacry- mis et deprecatione poscamus, ul nos veneni ejus non Sinat inſectione corrumpi ; sed contra certa- mina et lalentes suggestiones quas ingerit potentie Suze N0S 8Culo circumlegat ; 1n quo jacula illius illisa ſrangantur, et cor nostrum percussionis ipsius con- tactus non vulneret, sed gratiz 8uz dono ejus nobis insidias et intelligere donet et vincere. Codicem vero quem dirigeremus, talem qui vos, ut petislis, in- $trueret, minime paratum habuimus, sed in subse- quenti transmillemus.