Library › St Boniface › English Correspondence

English Correspondence

St Boniface, tr. Kylie, 1911

Letter 17: Lul Asks Boniface to Grant Him Permission for the Sake of His Studies to…

To Boniface, dearest lord, my devoted master in my literary studies, wearing the robes of the highest priestly office, Lul, one of the many fruits of your piety, loving greetings of true affection in Christ.

We are warned by Holy Scripture not to do anything rashly without counsel, as it is written: “Do then nothing without counsel,” and the rest. Wherefore I think it proper to address a letter from my ignorance to the heights of your sagacity, and in it to intimate the occasion, nay more, the object of my petition—that, with both in view, my wise master may decide what seems best to him, and may graciously indicate to his servant the bidding of his pleasure, resting upon which I may gladly obey. I confess, to thee, dearest of masters, that if, since I came to Thuringia with the permission of your holiness to pursue my reading and study, the feeble spark of my poor intelligence avails to understand or investigate anything, I impute it first, after God, to your goodness. But I could not apply myself to reading so zealously, as I knew to be necessary for I was hindered by two causes, weakness of the eyes and headache, and especially by a third, an inward failing, torpor of the mind. May your paternity, therefore, suffer me to remain here a little longer, so that you, who according to the apostle feed with milk your thirsty son, not yet accustomed to a solid diet of bread, may, when he has grown stronger by the help of the bountiful clemency of Christ and the intercession of your prayers, receive him at the fitting time for the discharge of his service to you. But if your discretion determines otherwise, and He to whom the infinite ages will not add anything or from whom take aught away, gives me strength, at the very moment you bid me, I shall promptly return. Meanwhile, through the mercy of God, of which the earth is full, embracing thy feet as a suppliant on bended knees, I beseech thee, deign to intercede for my innumerable faults before the merciful and just Judge. I do not wish, however, to lessen hereby your highness’ favour towards me, since our Jesus, the glory of heaven and the salvation of the world, to whom all things are clear, and from whom things hidden are not concealed, commands us saying: “Ask, and it shall be given you,” and the rest.¹ Nor do I think so much to efface the marks of my own swollen audacity by these means as to find a saving remedy, when I know myself to be sick and seek a physician. The little verses written below I have sent thee, dear father, for correction, wishing to deserve your comments, that I may recognize from them the ways of my errors.

May the divine Trinity, holy and undivided, keep your lofty dignity which presides ably, far and wide, over the people of the Catholic Church successful against all adversities to the very end of life’s course.

May God, the Omnipotent, make thee increase
In pious deeds, with gain perpetual of many souls,
That rich in heaven’s wealth thou mayst deserve at last
To hear the gladsome voice of God: “Good and faithful servant, enter thou into the joy of thy Lord: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things.”²
This rest be it assured thee, this hope and this salvation,
Through grace of God, who all things made and lives
And reigns, before all ages, without end, without beginning
Whose bounteous mercy bade me, wretched, come
To thee as master, while beneath guilt’s heavy load oppressed,
With no light in my heart, I wandered far and loved my ease,
And thought things sweet which always threaten every soul.
But Christ the Saviour’s grace drove darkness from my laden breast
And gave my heavy wits His goodly gifts. To Him be praise
And honour without end. And, O my guide on straightest path,
May thy reward for toil increase on heaven’s heights
And thy great wisdom’s crown, of which I am the lowliest part.

Previous · Contents · Next