Letter 165: Chrysostom praises bishops who traveled with western bishops for the churches' benefit.

We admired your earlier readiness and zeal for the things that benefit the churches. Now that you have added so long a journey, cast off all hesitation, and traveled with the courage fitting to you, we are even more astonished. We do not stop thanking you. All throughout the East people admire you and continually proclaim your unbending firmness and warm love. You have made yourselves advocates for churches in distress, and you have shown by action that their pain is your own. Continue in the same purpose. The work is hard, but the reward is rich. Let no delay or opposition blunt your zeal. Write to us about your health and about what has happened, so that we may draw comfort from your letters.

ΡΞΕʹ. Ἐπισκόποις ἐλθοῦσι μετὰ τῶν ἀπὸ τῆς ∆ύσεως ἐλθόντων ἐπισκόπων. Ἐθαυμάσαμεν ὑμῶν καὶ τὴν ἔμπροσθεν προθυμίαν τε καὶ σπουδὴν, ἣν ὑπὲρ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις συμφερόντων ἐπεδείξασθε. Ἐπεὶ δὲ καὶ μακρὰν οὕτως ἀποδημίαν προσεθήκατε, καὶ πάντα ὄκνον ἐκβαλόντες, μετὰ τῆς προσηκούσης ὑμῖν ἀνδρείας τοσαύτην ὁδὸν ἐστείλασθε, οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ὑμᾶς ἐκπληττόμεθα, καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντες οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν, καὶ διὰ γραμμάτων νῦν, καὶ χωρὶς γραμμάτων. Οὐχ ἡμεῖς δὲ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πάντες οἱ κατὰ τὴν Ἀνατολὴν θαυμάζονται, καὶ κήρυκες ὑμῶν γίνονται διαπαντὸς τῆς στεῤῥότητος τῆς ἀκλινοῦς, καὶ θερμῆς ἀγάπης, καὶ τῆς ἀπεριτρέπτου γνώμης. Καὶ οὔτε ὁδοῦ μῆκος, οὔτε ταλαιπωρίαν ἀποδημίας ἡγοῦνταί τι βαρὺ λοιπὸν καὶ ἐπαχθὲς, ὑπὲρ τοῦ δραμεῖν, καὶ ἰδεῖν ὑμῶν τὰ τοσαῦτα κατορθώματα. ∆ιὸ δὴ καὶ ὁ κύριός μου ὁ τιμιώτατος καὶ εὐλαβέστατος πρεσβύτερος, καίτοι γε ἀσθενεῖ κεχρημένος σώματι, πάντα εἵλετο παθεῖν ὑπὲρ τούτου παραγενόμενος καὶ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν ἀπολαῦσαι συνουσίας ὑμῶν. ∆εξάμενοι τοίνυν αὐτὸν μετὰ τῆς πρεπούσης ὑμῖν ἀγάπης, κἂν ἐπὶ μεῖζον αἴρηται τὰ δεινὰ, παρακαλοῦμεν μὴ κατοκνῆσαι διορθουμένους αὐτὰ, ἀλλ' ἄξιον τῶν προοιμίων ἐπιθεῖναι τὸ τέλος. Ἴστε γὰρ ἡλίκος ὑμῖν ἔσται ὁ μισθὸς παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, ὑπὲρ τοσούτων Ἐκκλησιῶν ταραττομένων πονουμένοις, καὶ πάντα ποιουμένοις, ὥστε εἰς εὐδιεινὸν αὐτὰς ὁρμίσαι λιμένα.