Letter 197: Theodore Studite, Letter 197; Greek heading: Ἰωάννῃ ἡγουμένῳ.

Once again I write to Your Holiness (and I would not cease from writing, if only I could obtain a letter-carrier), discharging at once the obligation of love, which in me is kindled beyond most men, not diminished by our former misfortunes but signaled forth like a beacon-fire by the later flashings of light; and at the same time accepting with a blessing your present manful virtue, or rather your confession of Christ, and how you have judged nothing among present things more to be preferred than the divine love, for the sake of which, suffering hardship in exile, you carry through a martyr's contest, nor indeed were you turned aside from your steadfast purpose by the tripping-up of the deluded false brethren, even though formerly you were held fast by an affectionate relation toward them; but, as it were torn away from all things like a ship's cable, you came to belong to the longing for the things above alone. For these reasons, therefore, I both call you blessed, O father, and love you exceedingly, and I earnestly ask you to pray, as for your heart's friends, also for me the least of men, that in every manner I may always be well-pleasing to the Lord, since up to this point I do not know that I have done any good thing before Him. As for how matters of the Church stand grievously, it is surely brought to your hearing, and what kinds of places of punishment have come upon the brethren of our brotherhood, one of whom, equal to the martyrs, departed to the Lord. But that you may know: both Phlouboutes, like the Medikiotes, recovered [from his lapse]; and the one is held fast, while the other withdrew from the monastery weeping over his defeat. May the Lord grant the same also in the case of the others; except that Joseph [the iconoclast oikonomos] has obtained freedom of speech before the one in power and becomes a cause of persecutions, as of old. Deign to greet those who are stationed under your sacred side; you those who are with me greet most abundantly.