Letter 40: Your eloquence, which I have long admired from afar, has now been demonstrated to me afresh through your excellent...

Theodoret of CyrrhusTheodorus|c. 440 AD|Theodoret of Cyrrhus
education booksfriendship

Letter 40

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

To Theodorus the Vicar.

The custom of the feast bids me write a festal letter, but the cloud of our calamities suffers me not to gather the usual happy fruit from it. Who is so stony-hearted as not to be shocked and affrighted at the anger and grief of the Lord? Who is not stirred to the memory of faults? Who does not look for the righteous sentence? All this dims the brightness of the feast, but the Lord is full of loving-kindness, and we trust He will not actually fulfil His threats, but will look mercifully on us, scatter our sadness, open the springs of mercy, and show His wonted long suffering. I salute your greatness, and beseech you to send me news of the health I sincerely trust you are enjoying.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

Related Letters

Pope Leo the GreatTheodorusc. 443 · leo great #23

Seeing that our most Christian and merciful Emperor, in his holy and praiseworthy faith and anxiety for the peace of the Catholic Church, has sent us a letter upon the matters which have roused the din of disturbance among you, we wonder, brother, that you have been able to keep silence to us upon the scandal that has been caused, and that you ...

Gregory the Great (Wisigothic)Theodorusc. 598 · gregory great #2065

The verbal gift of the young Acosimus that was made to you is hereby confirmed in writing.

Augustine of HippoTheodorusc. 396 · augustine hippo #61

1. I have resolved to commit to writing in this letter what I said when you and I were conversing together as to the terms on which we would welcome clergy of the party of Donatus desiring to become Catholics, in order that, if any one asked you what are our sentiments and practice in regard to this, you might exhibit these by producing what I h...

Pope Leo the GreatTheodorusc. 444 · leo great #32

He acknowledges their zeal and refers them to the Tome To his well-beloved sons Faustus, Martinus, and the rest of the archimandrites, Leo the bishop. As on behalf of the faith which Eutyches has tried to disturb, I was sending legates de latere to assist the defense of the Truth, I thought it fitting that I should address a letter to you also,...

Pope Gregory the GreatTheodorusc. 595 · gregory great #6008

Gregory to Theodorus, Demetrius, Philip, Zeno, and Alcissonus, Bishops of Epirus. The notification of your letters, most dear brethren, has made known to us that our brother Andrew has, by the favour of God, been solemnly ordained bishop of the city of Nicopolis. And, since you signify that his consecration has taken place with the assent of the...