Letter 124: It is sometimes said that slaves to the passion of love, when by some inevitable necessity they are separated from the object of their desire, are able to stay the violence of their passion by indulging the sense of sight, if haply they can look at the picture of the beloved object. Whether this be true or not I cannot say; but what has befallen...
To Theodorus,
People say that those desperately in love, when forced apart from the person they long for, can ease their heartache just by looking at a portrait. I'm not sure if that's true — but something very similar has happened with you.
I've developed a real affection for your genuine, good-hearted soul. Yet actually seeing you has been as difficult as everything else in my life these days, blocked by my own failings. Still, I felt like I caught a glimpse of you through the brothers who visited me recently [likely monks or clergy traveling between communities]. And I think if I'd met you while far from them, I would have seen them reflected in you. The love each of you carries is so abundant that you practically compete over who cares more deeply.
I thank God for this.
If I have any life left in me, I pray you'll be part of what makes it worth living — because right now, cut off from the people I love most, life feels like something to endure rather than enjoy. Honestly, I don't see how anyone can find joy when separated from the people who truly love them.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Θεοδώρῳ]
Λέγουσί τινες τοὺς ἑαλωκότας τῷ πάθει τοῦ ἔρωτος, ὅταν κατά τινα βιαιοτέραν ἀνάγκην τῶν ποθουμένων ἀπάγωνται, εἰ πρὸς τὴν εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαπηθείσης μορφῆς ἀποβλέψειαν, τὸ σφοδρὸν ἀναπαύειν τοῦ πάθους διὰ τῆς ἐν ὀφθαλμοῖς ἀπολαύσεως. εἰ μὲν οὖν ἀληθῆ ταῦτα ἢ μὴ λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω· ὃ δέ μοι πρὸς τὴν σὴν συμβέβηκεν ἀγαθότητα οὐ πόρρω τῶν εἰρημένων ἐστίν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ γέγονέ τις διάθεσις ἐμοὶ πρὸς τὴν ἱερὰν καὶ ἄδολόν σου ψυχήν, ἵνʼ οὕτως εἴπω, ἐρωτική, τὸ δὲ ἀπολαύειν τῶν ποθουμένων, ὡς οὐδὲ ἄλλο τι τῶν ἀγαθῶν, οὐκ ἐν εὐκολίᾳ ἡμῖν ἐστὶ διὰ τὴν ἐκ τῶν ἁμαρτιῶν ἐναντίωσιν, ἐνόμισα εἰκόνα τῆς ἀγαθότητός σου ἐναργεστάτην ἐν τῇ τῶν εὐλαβεστάτων ἡμῶν ἀδελφῶν παρουσίᾳ ἑωρακέναι. καὶ εἰ δίχα τούτων συνέβη τῇ σῇ με περιτυχεῖν γνησιότητι, ἐλογισάμην ἂν ἐν σοὶ κἀκείνους ἑωρακέναι· διότι τῆς ἀγάπης, λέγω, τοσοῦτον ἐν ἑκάστῳ ὑμῶν τὸ μέτρον ἐστίν, ὡς ἐπίσης τὴν περὶ τοῦ πλείονος ἑκάστῳ φιλονεικίαν ἐμφαίνεσθαι. ἐπὶ τούτοις ηὐχαρίστησα τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ, καὶ εὔχομαι, εἴπερ ἔτι ὑπολείπεταί τις χρόνος ζωῆς, γενέσθαι μοι διὰ σοῦ τὴν ζωὴν ἡδεῖαν, ὡς τό γε νῦν ἄθλιον πρᾶγμα τὸ ζῇν καὶ φευκτὸν εἶναι ἡγοῦμαι, τῆς τῶν φιλτάτων συνουσίας κεχωρισμένον. οὐ γάρ ἐστι, κατὰ τὴν ἐμὴν κρίσιν, ἐφʼ ᾧ τις ἂν εὐθυμήσειε, τῶν ἀληθῶς ἀγαπώντων διεζευγμένος.
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