A Bishop Counselled

Litteris vestrae beatitudinis acceptis  satis me laetificavit facies illarum,et sensus omnia gaudiis perfundit viscera, nisi tantum infirmitas vestra meas perturbavit venas. Sed iuxta Apostolum infirmitas corporis fortitudo est animi: gaudeat filius, ut erudiatur a patre. Aurum examinatur in fornace, ut purior splendescat ex flammis; et homo in dolore corporis excoquitur, ut purior exsiliat anima de ergastulo carceris sui. Placeat tibi castigatio paterna, quia flagella patris proficiunt ad salutem. Pauci sunt dies laboris: et perpetuae mercedis. Idcirco instanter laboret lingua in praedicationibus, manus in eleemosynis, pes in circuendo gregem Christi. Animus vigilet in orationibus, et in psalmodiis solidetur, et in laude Dei laetificetur. Quod semper erit acturus homo in coelis, hic saepius agat in terris. Sacrificium laudis honorificavit me, dicit Deus per Prophetam, illic iter est, quo ostendam illi salutare Dei. Sit humilitas in corde et in corpore; sit patientia in moribus et verbis; sit servus Domini fervens in mente; sit pax in ore, et in corde charitas; et semper suavia verba misceantur durioribus, quia facilius durum cor penetrant mollia verba quam amara. Sit discretio quid cui conveniat tempori, personae, aetati et operi. Sit lectio crebra, et jejunia sobria et convivia modesta, et honor hospitym, et ordinatio pauperum, et cura familiae, et diligentia in populo. Quid agam, et quid est quod scribo, nisi quia charitas tacere nescit, et quoddam refrigerium est verbis proferre, in quo mens inflammatur? Et scio te rusticitatem meam patienter ferre, et familiaritatis litterulas non abhorrescere. Ideo non erubesco prius dicta rescribere, et iterare quae ante direxi. Etsi immemor sim quid prius scripserim, non tamen immemor sum charitatis aeternae. Nunc velim te properare in patriam et ordinare puerorum lectiones, quis grammaticam discat, quis epistolas et parvos libellos legat, quis sanctam Scripturam sobria mente haurire dignus sit. Tu vere, sancte Pater, evangelicis maxime studeas lectionibus, et canonicis sanctarum Scripturarum inservire eruditionibus, quia te decet meditatio divinae legis, ut dicatur de te: In lege Domini meditabitur die ac nocte, ut fructus tuus vigeat in aeternum, et omnia quaecunque facias prospera tibi sint ad salutem. Et memor mei valeto, sanctissime Pater. Alcuinus, Epistola CLXXX, Ad Quemdam Episcopum Source: Migne PL 100.451a-452b

Having received the letters of your blessedness, the appearance of which was enough to delight me and their every sense poured joy into my interior, were it only that your sickness troubled my veins. But according to the Apostle the infirmity of the body is the strength of the soul, so let a son rejoice that he is instructed by a father. Gold is examined in the fire that it might shine more purely drawn from the flames, 1 and man is tormented in the pains of the body that purer he may go out from the chains of his prison. May paternal reproof be pleasing to you, because the whip of the father profits for salvation. Few are the days of labour and eternal the reward. Therefore let the tongue labour urgently in preaching, the hand in alms giving, the foot in visitations of the flock of Christ. Let the soul be watchful in prayer and strengthened in psalmody, and let it take joy in the praise of God. Because what a man will always be doing in heaven, let him do often here on earth. 'With a sacrifice of praise he has honoured me,' says God through the Prophet, 'whence is the way by which I shall show to him the salvation of God.' 2 Let there be humility in the heart and in body, let there be patience in conduct and words, let a man be a zealous servant of the Lord in his mind, and let peace be in his mouth, and love in his heart, and always let sweet words be mixed with those more severe, because more easily is the hard heart pierced by soft words than bitter ones. Let there be discretion appropriate to the time and the person and the age and the work. Let reading be abundant, fasting sensible and feasting modest. Let honor be given to guests and arrangement made for the poor, and care had for families, and love given to the people. What do I do and why do I write but that love knows not how to be silent and a certain relief is given in words by which the mind burns? I know you bear patiently with my rusticity and you do not abhor the little communications of friends. Therefore I do not blush to write again what I have said before, and to repeat again what I have directed. Even if I were forgetful of what I had written, I am not however forgetful of eternal love. And now I wish you to make haste to your inheritance and to the arranging of reading for boys, who may learn their grammar, who may read the little works, who may be worthy to draw with sober mind from the Holy Scriptures. You, however, holy father, exert yourself greatly in the reading of the Gospel and take care to be learned in the precepts of Holy Scripture because meditation of the Divine Law befits you, so that it may be said of you: 'On the law of the Lord he shall meditate day and night,' 3 that your fruit might flourish in eternity and all that you do prosper for your salvation. And may the memory of me strengthen you, most blessed father. Alcuin of York, from Letter 180, to a certain Bishop 1 Prov 27.21 2 Ps 49.23 3 Ps 1.2