Letter 1029: For fully expressing my affection I confess that my tongue suffices not: but your own affection will better tell you all that I feel towards you. I have heard that you are suffering from certain oppositions. But I am not greatly grieved for this, since it is often the case that a ship which might have reached the depths of the ocean had the bree...
Book I, Letter 29
To Aristobulus, Ex-Prefect and Antigraphus [a former governor now serving as an imperial auditor/secretary].
Gregory to Aristobulus.
I confess that my tongue is not equal to fully expressing my affection for you -- but your own heart will tell you better than my words what I feel.
I have heard that you are facing certain setbacks. But I am not greatly troubled by this, since it often happens that a ship which might have sailed into the open ocean with a favorable breeze is driven back by an opposing wind at the very start of its voyage -- and by being driven back, is brought safely into port.
Also, if you should happen to receive a lengthy letter of mine for translation, I ask you to translate it for the sense, not word for word. Usually, when one tries to render the exact words, the force of the ideas is lost.
Human translation - New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
Gregorius Andrez * illustri.
Omnipotens Deus dulcissimo cordi vestro indicet
quia et absens corpore, a charitale vyestra animo pon
recessi. Bona enim vestra , ctiam si volo, oblivisci
non valeo. loc aulem quod me ad episcopatus ordi-
nem cognoscitis pervenisse, si me diligitis, plangite,
quia hic hujus mundi tantze occupationes Sunt, ut
per episcopatus ordinem pene ab amore Dei me vi- B
deam esse separatum. Quod incessanter defleo, atque
ut pro me Domicum exoretis rogo. Przterea sacra-
tissiinam clayvem a sancti Petri apostoli corpore
vobis s20 transmisi, quz super zgros mullis s0let
miraculis coruscare; nam etiam de ejus calevis inte-
rius habetur. » Exdem igitur catenz, que illa sancla
colla tenuerunt, suspensz colla vestra ssanctiſicent.
(Cf. Joan. Diac. l. 1, c. 50.)
Revision history
- 2026-05-27v2.2.34-import
Initial corpus import from New Advent / NPNF.
Fields: letter text, metadata, source links. Source: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/360201029.htm
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