Letter 255: Would that it were possible for me to write to your reverence every day! For ever since I have had experience of your affection I have had great desire to converse with you, or, if this be impossible, at least to communicate with you by letter, that I may tell you my own news and learn in what state you are. Yet we have not what we wish but what...

If only I could write to you every day. Ever since I experienced your affection, I have had a great desire to be in conversation with you -- or, if that is impossible, at least to stay in touch by letter, sharing my own news and learning how you are doing. But we do not always get what we want; we get what the Lord gives, and we should receive it with gratitude. I have therefore thanked God for this opportunity to write, made possible by the arrival of our beloved and reverend brother Sanctissimus the presbyter. He has had considerable difficulty completing his journey, and he will give you an accurate account of everything he has learned in the West. For all of this we should thank the Lord and beg Him to grant us the same peace, so that we may freely receive one another. Through you I greet all the brothers in Christ.

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To Vitus, bishop of Charræ. Would that it were possible for me to write to your reverence every day! For ever since I have had experience of your affection I have had great desire to converse with you, or, if this be impossible, at least to communicate with you by letter, that I may tell you my own news and learn in what state you are. Yet we have not what we wish but what the Lord gives, and this we ought to receive with gratitude. I have therefore thanked the holy God for giving me an opportunity for writing to your reverence on the arrival of our very well beloved and reverend brother Sanctissimus, the presbyter. He has had considerable trouble in accomplishing his journey, and will tell you with accuracy all that he has learned in the West. For all these things we ought to thank the Lord and to beseech Him to give us too the same peace and that we may freely receive one another. Receive all the brethren in Christ in my name.

[Πρός: Βίτῳ, ἐπισκόπῳ Καρρῶν] Εἴθε ἦν μοι δυνατὸν καὶ καθʼ ἑκάστην ἡμέραν ἐπιστέλλειν τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ σου. ἀφʼ οὗ γὰρ εἰς πεῖραν ἦλθον τῆς ἀγάπης σοῦ, πολὺν ἔχω τὸν πόθον μάλιστα μὲν τοῦ συνδιάγειν σοι, εἰ δὲ μή, ἐπιστέλλειν γοῦν καὶ δέχεσθαι γράμματα, ἵνα ἔχω καὶ σημαίνειν τὰ κατʼ ἐμαυτὸν καὶ μανθάνειν τὰ περὶ τῆς διαθέσεώς σου. ἐπειδὴ δὲ οὐχ ὅσα βουλόμεθα ὑπάρχει ἡμῖν, ἀλλʼ ὅσα ὁ Κύριος δίδωσι, ταῦτα ὀφείλομεν δέχεσθαι μετʼ εὐχαριστίας, ηὐχαριστήσαμεν τῷ ἁγίῳ Θεῷ παρασχομένῳ ἡμῖν ὑπόθεσιν γραμμάτων πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειάν σου, τὴν ἄφιξιν τοῦ ποθεινοτάτου καὶ εὐλαβεστάτου ἀδελφοῦ ἡμῶν Σαγκτισσίμου τοῦ συμπρεσβυτέρου, ὃς πολὺν ὑποστὰς ἐν τῇ ὁδοιπορίᾳ τὸν κόπον, πάντα διηγήσεταί σοι μετʼ ἀκριβείας ὅσα κατέλαβεν ἐν τῇ δύσει· ὑπὲρ ὧν καὶ εὐχαριστεῖν ὀφείλομεν τῷ Κυρίῳ, καὶ προσκυνεῖν αὐτόν, ἵνα δῷ καὶ ἡμῖν τὴν αὐτὴν εἰρήνην, καὶ ἀπολάβωμεν ἀλλήλους μετʼ ἐλευθερίας. πᾶσαν τὴν ἐν Χριστῷ ἀδελφότητα ἄσπασαι παρʼ ἡμῶν.