Letter 287: Theodore Studite, Letter 287; Greek heading: Ναυκρατίῳ τέκνῳ.

From struggles to struggles and from affliction to afflictions go your affairs, my child Naukratios, longed-for and ever-longed-for. But in return for what do these things come? For Christ's sake. Therefore they are not grievous, but even exceedingly joyful. To you also it has been granted by God to suffer for Christ. "Now I rejoice in my sufferings on your behalf" [Colossians 1:24] (this is the voice of the Apostle, applying also to us who are unworthy), since all things were written for our admonition, so that, whenever we fall into like circumstances, we may have the remedies of salvation. They have divided up the monastery too, as I have learned, the men did it by way of retaliation; but two things hold here: one, that God knows how to unite well the things badly divided, whenever He wishes; the other, that for Christ's sake even the paradise in Eden is to be despised by us. Yet this also: that both we and those who carried out the division and indeed every one of us are strangers and sojourners over all the earth. So much, then, for these matters. But how your affairs will stand I am still distressed not to learn; for our own affairs have already been determined, and we bear with the Lord's patience day after day the ill-treatment. Yet what is it that we have suffered? "The sufferings of the present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed in us" [Romans 8:18], provided that we contend to the end, brother. Therefore I, wretched as I am, pray that you may be shown forth as crowned victors, having Christ as your fellow-contestant in all things. Ask the Lord yourself also on our behalf, that we may be saved in every way from the evil one. Greet your brothers, your fellow-contestants.