Letter 76: Chrysostom prefers a presbyter's safety to his presence and exhorts Chalcidia through trials.

For my part, I greatly desire the most honorable presbyter, my master, to be with us. But if you know it is advantageous for him to come there, I prefer his safety and deliverance from the trouble hanging over him to his presence here. Therefore do not think that he is being prevented by us if he wishes to go abroad. We have detained him until now because the nature of the matter did not greatly require his presence, and because we feared he might fall into the hands of the Isaurians. But if it is so necessary for him to come there, we both urge and encourage him to undertake the journey. Even if we are separated in body, we remain bound to him by the chain of love. I beg you, let none of the difficult things that befall you disturb you. The more numerous the trials, the greater your labor, and the greater the reward and recompense from the God who loves humankind, if you bear what happens with gratitude and courage. In this way these things will be easy to overcome, and the fruit born for you from enduring them will be abundant in the heavens and much greater than the sufferings.

Οʹ. Χαλκιδίᾳ. Ἐγὼ μὲν σφόδρα ἐπιθυμῶ σὺν ἡμῖν εἶναι τὸν δεσπότην μου τὸν τιμιώτατον πρεσβύτερον. Εἰ δὲ τὸ παραγενέσθαι αὐτόθι τοῦτον οἶσθα λυσιτελὲς, προτιμῶ τῆς ἐνταῦθα αὐτοῦ παρουσίας τὴν ἄδειαν αὐτοῦ, καὶ τὸ τῆς ἐπικειμένης ἀπαλλαγῆναι ταραχῆς. Μὴ τοίνυν νομίσῃς αὐτὸν κωλύεσθαι παρ' ἡμῶν, εἰ βούλοιτο ἀποδημεῖν. Ἡμεῖς γὰρ ἕως τοῦ νῦν διὰ τοῦτο αὐτὸν ἐπέσχομεν, ὡς οὐ σφόδρα τῆς τοῦ πράγματος φύσεως ἀπαιτούσης αὐτοῦ τὴν παρουσίαν, καὶ δεδοικότες μήποτε εἰς τὰς τῶν Ἰσαύρων ἐμπέσῃ χεῖρας. Εἰ δὲ οὕτως ἀναγκαῖον τὸ αὐτόθι παραγενέσθαι, καὶ παρακαλοῦμεν καὶ προτρεπόμεθα ἅψασθαι τῆς ἀποδημίας. Κἂν γὰρ τῷ σώματι κεχωρισμένοι ὦμεν, ἀλλὰ τῇ τῆς ἀγάπης ἁλύσει μένομεν πρὸς αὐτὸν συνδεδεμένοι. Μηδέν σε θορυβείτω, παρακαλῶ, τῶν συμπιπτόντων χαλεπῶν. Ὅσῳ γὰρ πλείους αἱ περιστάσεις, τοσούτῳ σοι μείζων ἡ πραγματεία, καὶ πλείων ὁ μισθὸς, καὶ ἡ ἀντίδοσις παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ, ἂν εὐχαρίστως φέρῃς καὶ γενναίως τὰ συμβαίνοντα. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ ταῦτα εὐκαταγώνιστα ἔσται, καὶ ὁ ἐκ τῆς τούτων ὑπομονῆς σοι τικτόμενος καρπὸς ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς δαψιλὴς ἔσται, καὶ πολὺ μείζων τῶν παθημάτων.