Letter 252: The honours of martyrs ought to be very eagerly coveted by all who rest their hopes on the Lord, and more especially by you who seek after virtue. By your disposition towards the great and good among your fellow servants you are showing your affection to our common Lord. Moreover, a special reason for this is to be found in the tie, as it were, ...
The honor of the martyrs should be eagerly sought by all who rest their hopes on the Lord -- and especially by you who pursue virtue. By your devotion to the great and good among your fellow servants, you show your love for our common Lord. There is, moreover, a special bond -- a kind of kinship -- between the life of disciplined practice and those who have been perfected through endurance.
Since Eupsychius, Damas, and their companions are among the most illustrious of martyrs, and their memory is celebrated every year in our city and the surrounding region, the Church calls on you through me to maintain your ancient custom of visiting us for the occasion. A great and worthwhile work lies before you among a people who long to be edified by your presence and who are eager for the blessings that come from honoring the martyrs.
I beg you: accept my invitation. At small cost to yourselves, you will give a great gift to me.
Human translation — New Advent (NPNF / ANF series)
Latin / Greek Original
[Πρός: Ἐπισκόποις τῆς Ποντικῆς διοικήσεως]
Μαρτύρων τιμαὶ πᾶσι μὲν περισπούδαστοι τοῖς ἐπὶ Κύριον ἠλπικόσιν, ἐξαιρέτως δὲ ὑμῖν τοῖς ἀρετῆς ἀντιποιουμένοις, οἳ διὰ τῆς πρὸς τοὺς εὐδοκίμους τῶν ὁμοδούλων διαθέσεως τὴν πρὸς τὸν κοινὸν Δεσπότην εὔνοιαν ἐπιδείκνυσθε· ἄλλως τε καὶ διὰ τὸ συγγενές τι ἔχειν τὸν ἐν ἀκριβείᾳ βίον πρὸς τοὺς διὰ καρτερίας τελειωθέντας. ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐπισημότατοι μαρτύρων Εὐψύχιος καὶ Δάμας, καὶ ὁ περὶ αὐτοὺς χορός, ὧν ἡ μνήμη δι’ ἔτους παρὰ τῆς πόλεως ἡμῶν καὶ τῆς περιοικίδος πάσης τελεῖται, ὑπομιμνήσκει ὑμᾶς, τὸν ἴδιον ἑαυτῆς κόσμον ἡ Ἐκκλησία, διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας φωνῆς παρακαλοῦσα, τὴν ἀρχαίαν ἀπολαβεῖν τῆς ἐπισκέψεως ὑμῶν συνήθειαν. ὡς οὖν ἐργασίας μεγάλης προκειμένης ὑμῖν ἐν λαῷ ἐπιζητοῦντι τὴν παρʼ ὑμῶν οἰκοδομήν, καὶ μισθῶν ἐν τῇ τιμῇ τῶν μαρτύρων ἀποκείμενον, δέξασθε ἡμῶν τὴν παράκλησιν καὶ ἐπινεύσατε πρὸς τὴν χάριν μικρῷ πόνῳ μεγάλην ἡμῖν εὐεργεσίαν παρεχόμενοι.
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