Letter 54: Theodore Studite, Letter 54; Greek heading: Ἄννῃ ἡγουμένῃ.

Why have you held back from writing and making known to us the affairs of your Holiness? But we, for this very reason, will all the more not leave off writing: in part because we have once already opened our humble mouth, and in part on account of your zeal toward God and your fire-breathing piety. For I hear that you have an unceasing beneficence toward our brethren, running about this way and that and receiving in a kindly manner each one who happens by, and sending him on his way with words of prayer, as a servant of Christ. Oh, this most excellent business of yours! Oh, your holy soul, ever watchful concerning things divine! For these things are not orphaned [that is, not isolated or fatherless deeds], but the offspring of other virtues, that is, the issue of your spiritual fruitfulness. Since indeed it is not possible that one who carries fragrant spices should fail to give off a sweet odor, nor that one who bears light should fail to hold up a lamp. From this, then, there are made plain always and altogether, and especially in the persecutions undergone for Christ's sake, who are the lovers of holiness and blessed in God, and who are the men of baseness and devoid of any portion of good, even though in their outward appearance they feign that things within are well.