Letter 65: Theodore Studite, Letter 65; Greek heading: Κανονικαῖς Πριγκίπου.

Yesterday, when I saw you, the sisters in the Lord, since matters were pressing on account of the illness of the most God-beloved archbishop, I was prevented from speaking to you as much as was needful; but now I have thought it good to make up by letter what was lacking. I saw your sisterhood, how great and how considerable it is, both grown in number and excelling in understanding, and I glorified our good God, who has gathered you together, so great a multitude, to serve Him in the cross-bearing life [the monastic life] in holiness and righteousness. Whom, then, shall I praise? The abbess more than you who follow and are subject to her? Both are full of commendation, of laud and praise; and not only by reason of the bond of the spiritual life, but because you also maintain yourselves in a strictly ordered life with respect to self-control and the service you render to one another and every ministry, as I have learned. Blessed are you in the Lord; blessed is your company; praiseworthy is your way of life. All of you are brides of Christ; each is a virgin, to speak in the words of the Song [the Song of Songs], a garden enclosed, a sealed fountain, a fragrant rose of God, a lily of purity. O fair paradise! O meadow delightful to God! Christ is in your midst, who is the tree of life. But since for the trial and testing of virtue there exists also the forbidden plant, which is beautiful to look upon, yet is not such as it appears to be, but rather bitter and deadly in the partaking (and what is this but pleasure, by which Eve, our first mother, was overcome?), we remind and exhort you never to touch the deadly fruit, but to partake of the commandment, which is the all-beautiful and truly true fruit, employing obedience and humility, love toward one another and ungrudging generosity, poverty [renunciation of possessions] and peacemaking. For living thus you will glorify God in your body and in your spirit, as the holy Apostle cries out; thus also you will be the more multiplied; thus too here you will be named with the name of holiness, and in the age to come you will be glorified together with Him; for indeed, if we suffer together with Him, we shall also be glorified together with Him, it is written. And what, then, is more beautiful than you? What more venerable than to be called daughters of God, holy offerings, temples of virginity? Since, then, these things are so, rejoice, sisters, in the Lord; rejoice, you who hate the joy of the world, who hate attachment toward your own kindred according to the flesh, who hate having a portion upon earth, who hate all things beloved according to the world. For your citizenship is in heaven, and your inheritance is the kingdom of heaven, and your bridegroom is Christ Himself, who has called you to follow after Him and who will bring you, through perfection, into the heavenly bridal chamber together with the wise virgins. These few things, then, that you may know that in the Holy Spirit we have accounted you as sisters and pray for you the better things.