Letter 67

Isidore of PelusiumUnknown|isidore pelusium
From: Isidore of Pelusium, monk
To: An unnamed priest; and to Eudaimon, deacon
Date: ~410 AD
Context: Isidore describes the ideal priest and counsels a deacon on contentment.

Do not merely consider yourself above reproach — consider yourself worthy of praise. The first quality belongs to ordinary people; the second belongs to those who have reached the heights of virtue. A priest who is merely inoffensive is not enough. The Church needs priests who inspire.

To Deacon Eudaimon, on contentment: True wealth is not having much, but needing little. The person who has learned contentment possesses everything — because he desires nothing that he lacks.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.