Letter 291: Theodore Studite, Letter 291; Greek heading: Θεοφάνει ἡγουμένῳ καὶ ὁμολογητῇ.

An address from a father to a son is something dear, and so likewise is the reverse; and for this reason a letter comes from me to you once again, since I am your son in the Lord -- though, alas, not resembling your fatherly virtue. Yet the sufferings of your confession are a glory to me. A man advanced in age, in a most grievous sickness, entirely bedridden, racked with severe pain, dying each day -- and to be banished from your holy monastery, and to be separated from the sacred brotherhood, and to be kept under guard, and to be deprived of the necessary attendance, and yet to be bent toward none of the things just mentioned, for the sake of the love of Christ, but rather to stand firm and to confess, and to give answers to the interrogations: such a one is truly crowned as a martyr, O blessed father. How great is your renown, how full of struggle is your contest! For the involuntary pains of your infirmity are reckoned to you as voluntary, both before God and before the discerning, on account of the witness [martyria] of Christ. You have strengthened the orthodox, you have put to shame the adversaries -- and I would add, also those who make excuses [cf. Psalm 141:4 LXX, "to make excuses in sins"], pleading their sins, or their infirmities, or some other pretexts. But may Christ, the author of your confession, be also its perfecter for you, as you pray the same things on behalf of me, your son. If my father and exarch [the leader, here a senior monk] is present, I, the lowly one, send my greeting.