Letter 298: Theodore Studite, Letter 298; Greek heading: Ἰωάννῃ ἡγουμένῳ.

The carrying off of our brother, the most God-beloved archbishop of those parts; then also our not receiving any replies to the things we sent to your fatherly Holiness; the failure of our humble letters; and thirdly, our being now held under close guard—these things gave us no opportunity for that most delightful converse with you through letters. But now, the Lord having made the way prosperous, we both write to you and greet you most sincerely, taking you, as it were, before our face in the contemplation of the mind, and embracing your spiritual and holy longing. For your love-of-God is not outside our humble soul, but is exceedingly cherished and loved and forever dwelt upon. I praise your love of God, I glorify your self-control, your love toward your neighbor, your simplicity, your graciousness, your readiness to meet others; for you have not these qualities alone, but more than I have named, by the grace of Christ. And just now, therefore, I also sing the praise of your steadfastness in the confession of Christ; and indeed it was not right that you should have no share in so great a commendation—you who have been brought to perfection by so many excellent things—but rather that you should be adorned, like some chapter-heading [the crowning summary], over the rest. And if the persecution has been prolonged, let us not be astonished, father; the present times are not yet as in the days of old. We must still be tried, if indeed we earnestly desire to be in the footsteps of our holy fathers. Nevertheless I believe that the Lord will not delay to make his visitation, only if we for our part preserve thanksgiving toward him in our afflictions. Therefore do you also write to us, I beg, and at the same time pray that we, the unworthy, may be preserved, so that we may have occasions for writing back. And those who have been counted worthy to serve your Holiness I greet most warmly.

Παρὰ τὸ ἀρθῆναι τὸν ἀδελφὸν ἡμῶν, τὸν θεοφιλέστατον ἀρχιεπίσκοπον, τῶν αὐτόθι, εἶτα καὶ τὸ μὴ δέξασθαι ἡμᾶς ἀντίγραφα ὧν ἀπεστείλαμεν τῇ πατρικῇ σου ἁγιωσύνῃ, ἡ ἔλλειψις τῶν ταπεινῶν ἡμῶν γραμμάτων, καὶ τρίτον τὸ κατέχεσθαι ἡμᾶς νῦν ἀσφαλῶς οὐκ ἔδωκεν ἡμῖν καιρὸν τῆς ἐν τοῖς γράμμασιν ἡδίστης σου ὁμιλίας. ἀλλὰ νῦν, εὐοδώσαντος τοῦ Κυρίου, καὶ ἐπιστέλλομεν καὶ προσαγορεύομέν σε γνησιώτατα, οἱονεὶ ἐπὶ προσώπου σε τῇ τοῦ νοῦ θεωρίᾳ λαμβάνοντες καὶ συμπλεκόμενοι τῷ πνευματικῷ σου καὶ ἁγίῳ πόθῳ· καὶ γὰρ οὐκ ἔξω τῆς ταπεινῆς ἡμῶν ψυχῆς ἡ θεοφιλία σου, ἀλλὰ ἄγαν στεργομένη καὶ ἀγαπωμένη καὶ εἰσαεὶ ἀναστρεφομένη. ἐπαινῶ σου τὸ φιλόθεον, δοξάζω τὸ ἐγκρατές, τὸ πρὸς τὸν πλησίον ἀγαπητικόν, τὸ ἁπλοῦν, τὸ εὐχαρές, τὸ εὐαπάντητον· ἔχεις γὰρ οὐ ταῦτα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ πλείω ὧν εἴρηκα χάριτι Χριστοῦ. ἄρτι δ' οὖν ὑμνῶ σου καὶ τὸ ἐνστατικὸν ἐπὶ τῇ ὁμολογίᾳ Χριστοῦ, καί γε οὐκ ἦν δίκαιον ἄμοιρόν σε εἶναι τοῦ τηλικούτου ἐγκωμίου τὸν ὑπὸ τοσούτων καλῶν κατωρθωμένον, ἀλλ' ὥσπερ κεφαλίδα τινὰ τοῖς λοιποῖς ἐγκαλλωπίζεσθαι. εἰ δὲ ὅτι ἐκτέταται ὁ διωγμός, μὴ θαυμάζωμεν, πάτερ· οὔπω ὡς ἐπὶ τῶν πάλαι τὰ νῦν. δεῖ ἡμᾶς ἔτι πειρασθῆναι, εἴπερ ἐν ἴχνεσι τῶν ἁγίων ἡμῶν πατέρων ἐφιέμεθα εἶναι. πλὴν πιστεύω ὅτι οὐ χρονιεῖ Κύριος ἐπισκοπὴν ποιήσασθαι, μόνον εἰ ἡμεῖς τὸ εὐχάριστον ἐν τοῖς θλιβεροῖς πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀποσῴζοιμεν. Γράφε οὖν ἡμῖν καὶ αὐτός, παρακαλῶ, ὁμοῦ τε καὶ προσεύχου διασῴζεσθαι ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀναξίους, ὡς ἂν ἔχωμεν ἀφορμὰς τοῦ ἀντεπιστέλλειν. τοὺς δὲ ἠξιωμένους τῇ ὁσιότητί σου ὑπηρετεῖν πλεῖστα προσαγορεύω.