Letter 2021: Your frequent illness displeases me, and it seems to me to be a divine warning.

21. Bishop Ruricius to his son Capillutus, greetings. Your more frequent illness is unwelcome to me, though it also seems to me to be a divine admonition, by which our Lord, in His most abundant mercy, prefers to chastise sinners rather than to destroy them, so that those whom the long span of their years has not corrected may at least be convinced by infirmity, that they may lay aside the cloak of the world and take up the garment of the Church, which is the hair-shirt [cilicium], the token of contrition; for God does not despise a heart that is contrite and humbled. For that man goes to heaven who casts himself down to the ground, since whoever exalts himself shall be humbled, and whoever humbles himself shall be exalted. Whence that perfect penitent also says: My soul has cleaved to the pavement, O Lord; quicken me according to Your word. And what is "according to Your word," if not according to Your promise? For whoever, stricken with compunction, has wept for his sins before You in this world, You will lead him into Your kingdom, where he may thereafter sing in security: The Lord heard and had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper. You have turned my mourning into joy for me; You have torn off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. Whence I urge Your devotion, that what you have resolved you may carry out the more quickly, with God's help, since death does not delay, the Lord Himself saying: Do not be slow to turn to God, nor put it off from day to day; for His anger will come suddenly, and in the time of vengeance He will destroy you. And therefore, while we have time, let us turn to the Lord, that we may not be condemned along with this world, since without doubt the merciful God grants His aid to him whom He perceives to be attentive to His commandments.

XXI. RURICIUS EPISCOPUS CAPILLUTO FILIO SALUTEM. Ingrata mihi est frequentior aegritudo uestra, quae mihi etiam uidetur commonitio esse diuina, qua mauult dominus 3] Luc. 6,37. 4] Matth. 6,14. 12] Matth. 5,48. 15] Matth. 6,12. 18] Eccli. 28, 3. 1 inopium et largientium v 2 iuditio S praesteterimus S 3 et om. S dimittitur S 5 dimittit S 6 nostra S 10 auidus 81 prespexerit S 11 querit S 14 a S suprascr . peccatoribus ex peccatorum S post et uidetur in inserendum 17 inlegamur S 18 qui v ante dicit suppleas deus tenit S 19 ira S querit S medilla S 20 ecclesiae uiscera v in fWtis, ubi etiam ecclesiae uterum uel ecclesiam Userchae conicitur, ecclesiam usercae r in textu adcedo S 26 frequentiosa egritudo S 27 esse commonitio v comotio S diui::r.; 8\', diuina S* qua mauult r, qua uult S noster pro sua pietate largissima peccatores castigare quam perdere, ut, quos annorum suorum aetas longaeua non conuicit, uel conuincat infirmitas, ut deponant saeculi byrrum et sumant ecclesiae uestimentum, quod est cilicium, contritionis indicium, quia cor contritum et humiliatum deus non spernit. ille enim uadit ad caelum, qui se conlidit ad solum, quia, qui se exaltat, humiliabitur et, qui se humiliat, exaltabitur. unde et dicit paenitens ille perfectus: adhaesit pauimento anima mea, domine, uiuifica me secundum uerbum tuum: quid est secundum uerbum tuum, nisi secundum promissionem tuam? quod, qui coram te peccata sua deflerit conpunctus in mundo, tu eum perduces in regno, ubi possit deinceps cantare securus: audiuit dominus et misertus est mihi. dominus factus est adiutor meus. conuertisti planctum meum in gaudium mihi, conscidisti saccum meum et praecinxisti me laetitia. unde suadeo pietati uestrae, ut, quod cogitastis, celerius deo adiuuante faciatis, quia mors non tardat ipso domino dicente: ne tarderis conuerti ad deum nec differas de die in diem. subito enim ueniet ira eius et in tempore uindictae disperdet te. ideoque, dum tempus habemus, conuertamur ad dominum, ut non cum hoc mundo damnemur, quia sine dubio illi misericors deus suum praestat auxilium, quem circa praecepta sua cernit adtentum.