Letter 297: Theodore Studite, Letter 297; Greek heading: Προτερίῳ τέκνῳ.

How heavy was your letter, my child, announcing such great and grievous things, so that when I heard it my ears were stunned and I groaned in pain. Yet nevertheless we must endure, and we must pray with all our strength that God in his love for mankind may become merciful, and may spare the holy churches and not give over his inheritance to reproach. For the smoke is the herald of a great fire; and unless it be scattered by the breezes of the Holy Spirit, it would set everything ablaze. "Be watchful," says the Apostle, "stand firm in the faith, act like men, be strong" [1 Corinthians 16:13]. The winds have blown, the rains have come, as in the Gospel, beating against the house. Blessed is he who is founded upon the rock, Christ [cf. Matthew 7:24-25], who will not be terrified, but will prevail and conquer with Christ and dance forever with the martyrs. For the offenses must needs come, that the approved of Christ may be made manifest [cf. 1 Corinthians 11:19]. Show the letter, therefore, if it is possible, to the confessor brethren, since they too are among the unreleased [those still held in confinement]; for blessed are those also who are persecuted and who endure the persecution under the shelter of God. But concerning us there is nothing to say, except only this: that a man of the general [strategos, the provincial military commander] came and, having relieved the guard, sought to see us; and when he saw us, he neither did reverence, though we made our salutation through the little window, nor did he greet us, but as soon as he had seen he departed. If anything else should happen, time will make it plain. Let H. [the source has only the numeral-letter abbreviation] take the letters which the letter-carrier brings, and let him go his way in the Lord. But do you yourself, after the emperor has gone out on campaign, then come, bringing us word of what has happened and of the health of the brethren. May you also be kept safe, my beloved child, in the Lord, unharmed by the trials that press upon you. The brethren who have fallen asleep in the Lord, the blessed ones, will pray on our behalf.