Letter 101: Chrysostom asks Severus to break a long silence and write directly about his health.

Although we live in a very desolate place, we have written often to your Harmony, and we never stop asking people who come from there about your health. You, however, though you love us so warmly and have easier access to letter-carriers than we do, have kept a long silence. Even so, because we know your warmth, sincerity, and steady affection, we draw great comfort even from your silence. Still, we wish to enjoy your letters continually. What we now learn from others, we would rather learn from your own hand. Do this at least now, most honored master. You know what a great favor it will be to us. Whether we write or fail to write, we never stop remembering you and preserving the love we have always had for your piety.

ΡΑʹ. Σευήρῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Ἡμεῖς μὲν καίτοι χωρίον ἐρημότατον οἰκοῦντες, καὶ ἐπεστάλκαμεν πολλάκις πρὸς τὴν σὴν ἐμμέλειαν, καὶ τοὺς ἐκεῖθεν ἀφικνουμένους οὐ παυόμεθα συνεχῶς ἐρωτῶντες περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. Αὐτὸς δὲ οὐκ οἶδα, ἀνθ' ὅτου μανικὸς ἡμῶν οὕτως ἐραστὴς ὢν, καὶ πολλὴν εὐκολίαν ἔχων τῶν ἐνταῦθα διακομιζόντων τὰ γράμματα, σιγᾷς οὕτω μακρὰν σιγήν. Ἀλλ' ἡμεῖς τὸ θερμόν σου καὶ γνήσιον, τὸ εἰλικρινὲς τῆς διαθέσεως, ὃ περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀεὶ ἐπεδείξω, ἐννοοῦντες, καὶ ἐν τῇ σιγῇ τῇ μακρᾷ μεγίστην καρπούμεθα παράκλησιν. Πλὴν ἀλλὰ βουλόμεθα καὶ γραμμάτων συνεχῶς ἀπολαύειν τῶν σῶν, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς ἡμῖν ἀπαγγελλόντων, καὶ ἃ παρ' ἑτέρων μανθάνομεν, ταῦτα παρὰ τῆς γλώττης τῆς σῆς, καὶ τῆς χειρὸς ἐβουλόμεθα μανθάνειν. Ποίει δὴ τοῦτο νῦν γοῦν, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε· οἶσθα γὰρ ἡλίκα ἡμῖν χαριῇ. Ὡς ἡμεῖς καὶ γράφοντες, καὶ μὴ γράφοντες, οὐ παυόμεθα μεμνημένοι, καὶ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν ἐπεδειξάμεθα εὐλάβειαν, διατηροῦντες, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν. Ἡμῖν γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ μέγιστα χαριούμεθα τοῦτο ποιοῦντες.