Letter 71: Chrysostom consoles Malchus and his wife on the death of their daughter.

Do not be disheartened, and do not count the beautiful departure of your blessed daughter among misfortunes. She has sailed into a waveless harbor. She has come to a life that no longer has an end. Delivered from the waves of the present life, she stands upon the rock, holding as in an inviolable treasury whatever good things she gathered here. It is right to rejoice over these things, to leap for joy, and to be glad that you have presented her soul to the common Master of all like an excellent farmer presenting ripe fruit. Apply these and similar remedies from such reflections both to yourself and to my lady, her most honorable mother. Increase the reward laid up for you from these things, so that you may receive a great recompense from the God who loves humankind, not only for her excellent upbringing but also for bearing her excellent departure meekly and with thanksgiving.

ΟΑʹ. Μάλχῳ. Μήτε ἀθύμει, μήτε ἁμαρτίαις λογίζου τὴν καλλίστην ἀποδημίαν τῆς μακαρίας θυγατρός σου. Εἰς γὰρ ἀκύμαντον κατέπλευσε λιμένα, καὶ πρὸς ζωὴν ἦλθε μηκέτι πέρας ἔχουσαν, καὶ τῶν κατὰ τὸν παρόντα βίον κυμάτων ἀπαλλαγεῖσα, ἕστηκεν ἐπὶ τῆς πέτρας, ὅσα συνήγαγεν ἀγαθὰ, ὥσπερ ἐν ἀσύλῳ λοιπὸν ἔχουσα θησαυρῷ. Καὶ δεῖ χαίρειν ὑπὲρ τούτων, καὶ σκιρτᾷν, καὶ εὐφραίνεσθαι, ὅτι τὴν ἐκείνης ψυχὴν, καθάπερ γεωργὸς ἄριστος καρπὸν ὥριμον, τῷ κοινῷ πάντων παρέστησας ∆εσπότῃ. Ταῦτα καὶ τὰ ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων λογισμῶν ἐπιτιθεὶς φάρμακα καὶ σαυτῷ, καὶ τῇ κυρίᾳ μου τῇ κοσμιωτάτῃ μητρὶ αὐτῆς, πλεόναζε τὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀποκείμενον ὑμῖν μισθόν· ἵνα μὴ μόνον τῆς καλλίστης ἀνατροφῆς, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ πράως καὶ εὐχαρίστως ἐνεγκεῖν τὴν καλλίστην ταύτην αὐτῆς ἀποδημίαν, πολλὴν παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ λάβητε τὴν ἀντίδοσιν.