Letter 34: Conversation in the soul crosses distance; remember gentleness and self-control.

Conversation in the body has many obstacles: place, time, business, and illness. Conversation in the soul has no such barrier. As soon as the soul is stirred, it speaks with whomever it wishes, and through the mind's swiftness it gathers into itself the images that appear to it. Know this, then: I have often spoken with you about life and about how to conduct yourself virtuously in this world. I admit, and do not deny, that you loved us. But now show by your condition that you remember virtue and the divine thoughts that the Lord revealed to you through our weakness. Above all, do not forget gentleness and self-control. They purify the soul and lead it up toward the knowledge of Christ. We left you no excuse for defense on that day; we made known to you everything useful for the kingdom of heaven.

Greek retroversion from Syriac transmission (Frankenberg 1912, TAN/TEI CC BY 4.0): τηι δια σωματος ομιλιαι πολλα εμποδια δια τοπου και χρονου και απασχολιας και νοσου τηι δε δια ψυχης ουδεν κωλυμα· ευθυς γαρ κινηθεισα διαλεγεται ωι αν βουληται και δια του διανοιας ταχους ειδωλα αυτηι φανεντα αναβιβαζει (? αναρπαζει) εν αυτηι. πλην γιγνωσκε οτι πολλακις σοι διελεγομην περι της ζωης και πως εναρετως εν τουτωι τωι κοσμωι (διαγεις) αναστρεφηι. οτι γαρ ημας ηγαπησας ομολογω και ουκ αρνουμαι ει δε και εως του νυν αποδειξον δια της καταστασεως σου οτι μνημονευεις την αρετην (κατορθωσιν) και τα θεια νοηματα α σοι ο κυριος δια της ημων ασθενειας απεκαλυψεν. μαλλον δε την πραυτητα και την σωφροσυνην μη επιλαθεσθω ως της ψυχης καθαρτικας τε και προς την Χ. γνωσιν αναγωγικας· ου γαρ σοι προφασιν απολογιας αφηκαμεν εν εκεινηι τηι ημεραι αλλα παν προς την βασιλειαν του ουρανου συμφερον σοι εγνωρισαμεν Syriac transmission available in the linked TAN/TEI source. The complete corpus is Syriac-transmitted; Greek survives only fragmentarily, so this display text is a retroversion witness.