Letter 48: Chrysostom praises Arabius's enduring love and asks for more letters about his health.

I know your love. I know your affection: warm, genuine, sincere, enduring. Neither difficulty of affairs, nor a crowd of cares, nor a multitude of circumstances, nor length of time, nor distance of road can make it grow dim. For this reason I strongly desire to receive letters continually from your nobility, bringing good news of your health. If we complain, we do not complain as though you were negligent, but because we desire more of such letters. Knowing this, my most honored and noble master, grant us this favor. It is light and easy, and it gives great gladness to us even while we sit in the wilderness.

ΜΗʹ. Ἀραβίῳ. Οἶδά σου τὴν ἀγάπην, οἶδά σου τὸ φίλτρον τὸ θερμὸν, τὸ γνήσιον, τὸ εἰλικρινὲς, τὸ διαρκὲς, καὶ ὡς οὔτε δυσκολία πραγμάτων, οὔτε ὄχλος φροντίδων, οὔτε περιστάσεων πλῆθος, οὔτε χρόνου μῆκος, οὔτε ὁδοῦ διάστημα δύναται ταύτην ἀμαυροτέραν ποιῆσαι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο καὶ σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶ συνεχῶς δέχεσθαι γράμματα παρὰ τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς, εὐαγγελιζόμενα ἡμᾶς περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς. Κἂν ἐγκαλῶμεν, οὐχ ὡς ῥᾳθυμοῦντι ἐγκαλοῦμεν, ἀλλ' ὡς πλειόνων ἐρῶντες ἐπιστολῶν τοιούτων. Ταῦτ' οὖν εἰδὼς, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε καὶ εὐγενέστατε, δίδου ταύτην ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, κούφην τε οὖσαν καὶ εὔκολον, καὶ πολλὴν ἡμῖν καὶ ἐν ἐρημίᾳ καθημένοις παρέχουσαν τὴν εὐφροσύνην.