Letter 8017: I believe that my prayers reach you even when you are unaware of them.

Ennodius to Stephania. I believe that you came to the aid of my perils even without knowing of them; or why should I think that those people are ignorant of anything, to whom it falls, through God, to foreknow all things? For after I returned from the city, the divine mysteries were renewed in me, and what had grown old rose again with fresh examples. Once more Lazarus was called forth from the tomb [cf. John 11:11] - not, indeed, one equal in merit to him who earned the name of the Redeemer's friend, yet in the diversity of our circumstances there is one and the same form of the mystery. Led through manifold sicknesses to the grave, but called back by a heavenly voice, I turned myself first of all to these duties which are owed to you, believing it pleasing to God if homage be rendered, in the first place, to His worshippers by means of the tongue which He himself restored to me. Therefore, having paid the reverence of my greeting, I beg that, as I asked, you take care to pray more earnestly on my behalf, so that through your merit the divine mercy may deign to confirm what it has bestowed, and that you may frequently relieve me by the dutiful publication of your letters. I ask that you let no one else compose them, by the soul of the lord Asterius and by your own profession: so may the strength you desire for him stand by him until the time of his consummation.

XVII. ENNODIVS STEPHANIAE. Credo uos et ignorantes meis periculis subuenisse: aut quare confidam nescire quicquam quos per deum contingit uniuersa 5 cf. Io. 11, 11 1 uariare L 2 aegritadinis B dña PTb 5 di dici fort.; cf. p. 212, 4 sed] secundum fort . 6 sepulchro BLTV 7 eo] et Pb 8 cessit] accessit fort . indebitae B 11 ausilio B 12 nro L1, uestrae B comitatensis PTVb, commitatensis B 14 dna PTb laborari L oneri Pb, honeri BLTV submore L, snbmittere b 15 prouintiae LV 16 institu.untur B bona] ea fort . 17 ezspectatissimo F, ezspectantissimo L 18 reuelatis B 19 patiamine B quae-impetratione om. B imperatione L XVII. 22 stefaniae BLY, stepbanie T 28 pecolis B 24 continget B uniuersa∗∗∗ L 14* praenoscere ? postquam enim ab urbe redii, reparata sunt in me diuina mysteria et quod senuerat temporibus nouellis resurrexit exemplis. iterum uocatus est Lazarus de sepulcro, non quidem illius par merito qui amici redemptoris nomen emeruit: sed in diuersitate actuum unius conuenit forma mysterii. deductus per aegritudines multiplices ad sepulcra, sed caelesti uoce reuocatua, ad haec primum quae uobis soluuntur officia me conuerti, credens placere deo, si cultoribus eius per linguam, quam ipse reddidit, principe loco exhibeantur obsequia. ergo reuerentia salutationis inpensa deprecor, ut pro me, sicut poposci, orare adtentius procuretis, ut per meritum uestrum diuina clementia dignetur confirmare quod tribuit, et frequenter me pia litterarum uestrarum promulgatione subleuetis. rogo, ut nullum alium dictare facias, per dommi Asteri animam et professionem tuam: sic ei nitor quem optas usque ad consummationis tempus adsistat.