Letter 531: Theodore Studite, Letter 531; Greek heading: Δωροθέῳ τέκνῳ.

I have learned, beloved child, even from the letter you have just now written, of your faithfulness and your love toward us, the lowly, which is the mark of a true submission, even though we are sinners and of no account; for which may you be preserved henceforth as well, well-pleasing to the Lord and shining in virtue within your brotherhood, and indeed in many other matters too. For the good has not a nature such that it can be hidden; rather, even when it seems to escape notice, it makes the one who works it all the more conspicuous, so that he is reckoned, as it is written, a city of God [cf. Psalm 87:3]. But let this much suffice on that. Concerning the matter you indicated, namely the making of commemoration of so-and-so, you ought of your own self to discern that, if at the point of death—having previously been in communion with the heresy [the iconoclast heresy, which Theodore regards as such] through human fear—he stood confessing, and as it were being rebuked by someone, and then in this way partook of the orthodox communion and with this departed, then it accords with right order that he be ranked among the commemorations of the orthodox, since our good God, through his great love for mankind, receives the penitent at that very last hour and judges him there. So that, if it happened thus, the performing of liturgies on his behalf before God is not to be declined. But if none of these things took place—if rather he was in communion with the heresy and did not attain to partake of the body and blood of the Lord (for that bread is heretical and not the body of Christ)—then one must not dare to speak of an offering [synaxis, the eucharistic gathering] concerning him (for the things of God are not playthings), lest the one who asks concerning such a man hear: you ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly [cf. James 4:3]. I have nothing else to say, so far as it is in me to discern the truth; for there is no communion of light with darkness [cf. 2 Corinthians 6:14], nor will he who is not in communion with orthodoxy be ranked in the portion of the orthodox, even though it be at the last hour; for wherever he is found, there too will he be judged, and with whatever provision for the journey he has taken up toward eternal life, with that too will he be numbered. For the rest, pray on my behalf. The lord archbishop greets you, and your brothers. The brothers who are with you I address as my children, since I address also the lady Thekla as a daughter in Christ.

Ἔγνων, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, καὶ ἐκ τῆς ἀρτίως γραφείσης σου ἐπιστολῆς τὸ πρὸς ἡμᾶς τοὺς ταπεινοὺς πιστόν τε καὶ ἀγαπητόν σου, ὅπερ ἐστὶ γνώρισμα ἀληθινῆς ὑποταγῆς, εἰ καὶ ἡμεῖς ἁμαρτωλοὶ καὶ οὐδαμινοί· ἐφ' ᾧ καὶ συντηρηθείης πρὸς τὸ ἑξῆς, εὐαρεστῶν Κυρίῳ καὶ διαλάμπων τῇ ἀρετῇ ἐν τῇ ἀδελφότητί σου, οὐ μὴν ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐν ἄλλοις πολλοῖς. φύσιν γὰρ οὐκ ἔχει κρύπτεσθαι τὸ ἀγαθόν, ἀλλὰ καὶ μᾶλλον λανθάνειν δοκοῦν εὔδηλον τὸν ἐργάτην ἀποκαθίστησιν ὡς πόλιν θεοῦ χρηματίζειν κατὰ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Ἀλλὰ τοῦτο μὲν ἐπὶ τοσοῦτον. περὶ δὲ ἧς ἐσήμανας ὑποθέσεως, ἤγουν τοῦ ποιεῖν μνήμην τοῦ δεῖνος, ὀφείλεις ἐξ ἑαυτοῦ συνορᾶν ὅτι, εἰ μὲν ἐν τῷ θανάτῳ, προκοινωνῶν τῇ αἱρέσει διὰ φόβον ἀνθρώ πινον, ἔστη ἐξαγορεύων καὶ οἱονεὶ ἐπιτιμώμενος πρός τινος, εἶθ' οὕτως μετέλαβεν τῆς ὀρθοδόξου κοινωνίας καὶ ταύτῃ συναπέπτη, ἔχει φύσιν ἐν μνημοσύνοις τάττεσθαι ὀρθοδόξων, τοῦ ἀγαθοῦ ἡμῶν θεοῦ διὰ πολλὴν φιλανθρωπίαν ἐπ' αὐτῆς τῆς τελευταίας ὥρας δεχομένου τὸν μεταμελούμενον καὶ ὦδε αὐτὸν κρίνοντος. ὥστε, εἰ οὕτως ἐγένετο, ποιεῖσθαι λειτουργίας ὑπὲρ αὐτοῦ πρὸς θεὸν οὐ παραιτητέον. εἰ δὲ οὐδὲν τούτων γέγονεν, ἀλλὰ κοινωνῶν ἦν τῇ αἱρέσει καὶ οὐκ ἔφθασεν μετασχεῖν τοῦ σώματος καὶ αἵματος τοῦ Κυρίου (αἱρετικὸς γὰρ ὁ ἄρτος ἐκεῖνος καὶ οὐ σῶμα Χριστοῦ), οὐ τολμητέον εἰπεῖν σύναξιν περὶ αὐτοῦ (οὐδὲ γὰρ παίγνια τὰ θεῖα), ὡς ἂν μὴ ἀκούσῃ ὁ αἰτῶν περὶ τοῦ τοιούτου, αἰτεῖτε καὶ οὐ λαμβάνετε, διότι κακῶς αἰτεῖσθε. ἄλλο τι λέγειν οὐκ ἔχω, ὅσον τὸ κατ' ἐμὲ διαγινώσκειν ἔστι τὸ ἀληθές· οὐδεμία γὰρ κοινωνία φωτὶ πρὸς σκότος, οὔτε ἐν τῷ μέρει τῶν ὀρθοδόξων τετάξεται ὁ μὴ κοινωνῶν τῇ ὀρθοδοξίᾳ κἂν ἐν τῇ ἐσχάτῃ ὥρᾳ· ὅπου γὰρ εὑρεθῇ, ἐκεῖ καὶ κριθήσεται καί, οἷον ἐφόδιον εἴληφε πρὸς τὴν αἰώνιον ζωήν, τούτῳ καὶ συναριθμηθήσεται. Τὸ λοιπὸν εὔχου ὑπὲρ ἐμοῦ. ἀσπάζεταί σε ὁ κύριος ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος καὶ οἱ ἀδελφοί σου. τοὺς μετὰ σοῦ ἀδελφοὺς ὡς τέκνα μου προσαγορεύω, ἐπεὶ καὶ τὴν κυρίαν Θέκλαν ὡς θυγατέρα ἐν Χριστῷ.