Letter 242: Chrysostom accepts Chalcidia and Asyncritia's intention as presence and asks for health news.

You do not need to excuse yourselves for not coming. In my eyes, you have come by intention, and with us you lack nothing compared with those who have actually arrived here. For this reason I thank you warmly. I know your genuine disposition, and I have every sympathy for your absence, because of bodily illness, the season of the year, and fear of robbers. So do not hesitate to write to us constantly with the good news of your health. Even while sitting far away, we care about your affairs. If we learn that you are free from disturbance and turmoil, and that you are well, we gain no ordinary joy. Knowing this, keep sending us that good news, the very news we long to learn, so that even while living in the wilderness we may draw great comfort from it.

ΣΜΒʹ. Τοῦ Χρυσοστόμου Χαλκιδίᾳ καὶ Ἀσυγκριτίᾳ. Οὐδὲν ὑμῖν ἀπολογίας δεῖ πρὸς τὸ μὴ παραγενέσθαι· ἐμοὶ γὰρ ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης παραγεγόνατε, καὶ οὐδὲν ἕλαττον ἔχετε παρ' ἡμῖν τῶν ἀφικομένων ἐνταῦθα. ∆ιὸ καὶ χάριν ὑμῖν ἔχω πολλὴν, τὴν γνησίαν ὑμῶν εἰδὼς διάθεσιν, καὶ ὑπὲρ τῆς ἀπουσίας πολλὴν ἔχω συγγνώμην, διά τε τὴν τοῦ σώματος ἀῤῥωστίαν καὶ τὴν τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν καὶ τὸν τῶν λῃστῶν φόβον Γράφειν δὴ μὴ κατοκνεῖτε συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας ὑμῶν εὐαγγελιζόμεναι. Καὶ γὰρ καὶ πόῤῥω καθήμενοι μεριμνῶμεν τὰ ὑμέτερα· κἂν μάθωμεν, ὅτι θορύβων ἐκτός ἐστε καὶ ταραχῆς καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως ὑμῶν, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καρπούμεθα εὐφροσύνην. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδυῖαι, συνεχῶς ἡμᾶς εὐαγγελίζεσθε ταῦτα, ἅπερ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν μανθάνειν, ἵνα καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ διατρίβοντες πολλὴν ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν.