Letter 132: Chrysostom praises Gemellus for pitying his enemies and urges him not to delay baptism.

What a noble and youthful soul, gathering joy and security not from outside but from home, from itself, and, most wonderfully, from things most people consider frightening and dangerous. Not merely to remain untroubled when hated by some, but to take pride in it, and not only to take pride, but to pity those who hate you and desire that they change and become good: how much wisdom and philosophy does this show? For this reason we praise and admire you, most admirable and magnificent master. We leap for joy as if over a shining crown, honored by friendship with your magnificence. Since you also ask for our prayers by letter, know that even before these letters we did not stop praying to see so great and philosophical a soul quickly receive the holy rite and be counted worthy of those holy and awe-inspiring mysteries. If we can share such good news, we will be freed from exile, forget the wilderness, and be released from the bodily weakness with which we now wrestle. I know you would like to receive these unspeakable gifts through our small service, and this matters greatly to us too. But if our situation delays it, let there be no delay for you. Even in our absence you will find men very dear to us who can lead you into this initiation. If that happens, we will have the same joy as if we ourselves had served in giving this heavenly gift, for the grace is the same.

ΡΛΒʹ. Γεμέλλῳ. Βαβαὶ, ἡλίκον ἐστὶ γενναία καὶ νεανικὴ ψυχὴ, οὐκ ἔξωθέν ποθεν, ἀλλ' οἴκοθεν, καὶ παρ' ἑαυτῆς καὶ τὴν ἡδονὴν καὶ τὴν ἀσφάλειαν καρπουμένη, καὶ, τὸ δὴ θαυμαστὸν, ἀπὸ τῶν πραγμάτων τῶν τοῖς πολλοῖς φοβερῶν καὶ σφαλερῶν εἶναι δοκούντων. Τὸ γὰρ μὴ μόνον μὴ θορυβεῖσθαι, μηδὲ ἀλγεῖν μισούμενον παρά τινων, ἀλλὰ καὶ καλλωπίζεσθαι ἐπὶ τούτῳ, καὶ μὴ καλλωπίζεσθαι μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐλεεῖν τοὺς μισοῦντας, καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖν αὐτοὺς μεταβάλλεσθαι, καὶ γενέσθαι χρηστοὺς, πόσης μὲν συνέσεως, πόσης δὲ ἂν εἴη φιλοσοφίας; ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σε ἐπαινοῦμεν καὶ θαυμάζομεν, δέσποτα θαυμασιώτατε καὶ μεγαλοπρεπέστατε, διὰ ταῦτα καὶ αὐτοὶ σκιρτῶμεν μεγάλα, ὥσπερ ἐπὶ στεφάνῳ λαμπρῷ, τῇ φιλίᾳ τῆς σῆς σεμνυνόμενοι μεγαλοπρεπείας. Ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ εὐχὰς τὰς παρ' ἡμῶν ἀπαιτεῖς διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων, μάνθανε ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τούτων οὐκ ἐπαυσάμεθα εὐχόμενοι, τὴν μεγάλην οὕτω καὶ φιλόσοφον ψυχὴν ἰδεῖν τελουμένην ταχέως τὴν ἱερὰν τελετὴν, καὶ τῶν ἱερῶν ἐκείνων καὶ φρικτῶν καταξιουμένην μυστηρίων. Κἂν τούτων δυνηθῶμεν μετασχεῖν τῶν εὐαγγελίων, καὶ τῆς ἐξορίας ἀπηλλάγμεθα ταύτης, καὶ τῆς ἐρημίας ἐπιλελήσμεθα, καὶ τῆς σωματικῆς ἀσθενείας, ᾗ παλαίομεν νῦν, ἠλευθερώμεθα. Καὶ οἶδα μὲν ὅτι σοι σπουδὴ, δέσποτά μου θαυμασιώτατε, καὶ ἐπιθυμία διὰ τῆς ἡμετέρας βραχύτητος τῶν ἀποῤῥήτων τούτων καταξιωθῆναι ἀγαθῶν, καὶ ἡμῖν δὲ, ὡς αὐτὸς οἶσθα, τοῦτο περισπούδαστον. Ἀλλ' ἐὰν μέλλῃ τὰ ἡμέτερα, τοῦτο μηδεμίαν ἐχέτω μέλλησιν. Πάντως γὰρ εὐπορήσεις, καὶ ἡμῶν ἀπόντων, ἀνδρῶν σφόδρα ἡμῖν γνησίων, δυναμένων σε ἐπὶ ταύτην ἀγαγεῖν τὴν μυσταγωγίαν. Κἂν τοῦτο γένηται, τὴν αὐτὴν ἕξομεν ἡδονὴν, ἥνπερ ἂν εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς διηκονησάμεθα τῇ δόσει τῆς ἐπουρανίου ταύτης δωρεᾶς, ἐπειδήπερ καὶ ἡ χάρις ἐστὶν ἡ αὐτή.