Letter 249: Theodore Studite, Letter 249; Greek heading: Ἀμμωνᾶ τέκνῳ.

Brother Ammonas, greetings in the Lord. I embrace you from the lips of my heart, crowning you with praises, since you have contended nobly, having been scourged for Christ's sake and having borne so many blows with good cheer. Would that I had kissed your flesh, torn for Christ; would that I too, the lowly one, had been counted worthy to share in your sufferings. Yet in disposition I have shared in them, and I rejoice that I, the sinner, possess such a child, whose blood, together with that of your fellow-combatant brothers, is shed for a witness to the truth on behalf of the Church of God, whose exile is for the banishment of impiety. In a single moment you have been wounded, and you see with what eulogies you are celebrated in song. What, then, will it be at the judgment-seat of all, when those blessed of his Father shall be received by him into the kingdom of heaven? Therefore take courage, stand firm; for the contest is still on, the race is still being run. Do not sink down as though you had already finished the course; if it be necessary, let us even be slaughtered for the sake of the holy icon [eikon: sacred image] of Christ. Yes, my child, I beseech you, let us not make light of the discipline [askesis: ascetic struggle], of the exile; for not he who only begins is praiseworthy, but he who brings the work of God to completion. Each day we have the spiritual [literally, those perceived by the mind] enemies wounding us with the darts of [evil] thoughts; watch out for these, be armored with faith, with love, with hope. I hear that you keep to your little cell scrupulously, without seeking the public eye, and I rejoice; for the mother of all evils is the craving to speak out boldly [parresia: outspokenness, presumption]. May God still make you manly, strengthen you, and equip you for every good work. Pray also for me the sinner, that I may be saved. If there is with you the one who is my brother and child according to flesh and spirit, I send him my greeting. Your brothers who are with me greet you. Grace be with you. Amen.

Ἀδελφὲ Ἀμμωνᾶ, χαῖρε ἐν Κυρίῳ· ἀσπάζομαί σε ἀπὸ χειλέων καρδίας μου, στεφανῶν σε ἐπαίνοις, καλῶς ἀγωνισάμενον, ὑπὲρ Χριστοῦ μαστιγωθέντα καὶ εὐφόρως ἐνεγκόντα τὰς τοσαύτας πληγάς. εἴθε ἠσπασάμην τὰς ξανθείσας σου σάρκας διὰ Χριστόν, εἴθε ἠξιούμην κἀγὼ ὁ ταπεινὸς συγκοινωνῆσαί σου τοῖς πάθεσι· πλὴν τῇ διαθέσει συνεκοινώνησα καὶ χαίρω, ὅτι τοιοῦτον τέκνον κέκτημαι ὁ ἁμαρτωλός, οὗ τὸ αἷμα σὺν τοῖς συνάθλοις ἀδελφοῖς σου εἰς μαρτύριον ἀληθείας τῇ ἐκκλησίᾳ τοῦ θεοῦ, οὗ ἡ ἐξορία εἰς ἐξοστράκισιν τῆς ἀσεβείας. μιᾷ ῥοπῇ τετραυμάτισαι, καὶ ὁρᾷς οἵοις ἐγκωμίοις ἐπᾴδεσαι· τί λοιπὸν ἐπὶ τοῦ κριτηρίου τῶν ἁπάντων, ὅτε προσληφθήσονται εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν παρ' αὐτοῦ οἱ εὐλογημένοι τοῦ πατρὸς αὐτοῦ; Διὸ θάρσει, στῆθι· ἔτι γὰρ ὁ ἀγών, ἔτι ὁ δρόμος. μὴ ἀναπέσῃς ὡς ἤδη τελειοδρομήσας· ἐὰν δέῃ, καὶ σφαγιασθῶμεν ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγία εἰκόνος Χριστοῦ. ναί, τέκνον μου, παρακαλῶ, μὴ ὀλιγωρήσωμεν τὴν ἄσκησιν, τὴν ἐξορίαν· οὐ γὰρ ὁ ἐναρξάμενος μόνον ἐπαινετός, ἀλλ' ὁ τελειῶν τὸ ἔργον τοῦ θεοῦ. ἔχομεν καθ' ἡμέραν τοὺς νοητοὺς ἐχθροὺς τιτρώσκοντας ἡμᾶς βέλεσι λογισμῶν· βλέπε τούτους, ἔσο τεθωρακισμένος τῇ πίστει, τῇ ἀγάπῃ, τῇ ἐλπίδι. ἀκούω ὅτι ἀκριβολογεῖσαι τὸ καθισμάτιόν σου ἀπαρρησιάστως καὶ χαίρω· πάντων γὰρ κακῶν μήτηρ ἡ παρρησία. ὁ θεός σε, τέκνον, ἔτι ἀνδρειώσειεν, στερεώσειεν, καταρτίσειεν εἰς πᾶν ἔργον ἀγαθόν. προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι. ἐὰν σύνεστί σοι ὁ κατὰ σάρκα καὶ πνεῦμα ἀδελφὸς καὶ τέκνον μου, προσαγορεύω αὐτόν. οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ ἀδελφοί σου ἀσπάζονταί σε· ἡ χάρις μετὰ σοῦ. ἀμήν.