Letter 77: Theodore Studite, Letter 77; Greek heading: Εἰρήνῃ πατρικίᾳ.

To you a hymn of praise is truly due, not from me alone, the sinner, but well-nigh from the whole Church of God as well. For what cause? Because in the present earthquake of impiety, when priests are falling, high priests [archpriests, bishops] are perishing, monks are being crushed, rulers are being broken down, the ruled are being undone, men are growing slack, women are afraid, you alone among women have shown yourself unfalling, unshaken, immovable, fearless, unsoftened, unbreakable. From where does this come? Because you have had your soul's house founded upon the spiritual rock, bound fast together and beautifully built up out of many and various good works that went before, like spiritual stones; against which the demonic winds and the snowstorms of the assaults have, by the power of God, been shown to be stale and powerless. Blessed are you among women, called blessed are you among female rulers, glorified are you among those that bear the yoke [the subordinate, the lowly]. You have truly raised up a horn of salvation for the Church of God; you have gladdened angels, you have shamed demons, you have conquered the evil-believing [heretics], you have struck down the deceivers of the people, you have made firm those who were wavering, you have wounded the deserters, you have stung sharply those who love the flesh, you have confessed Christ through His sacred icon [image], you have been numbered together with His confessors. Well done, manly-minded soul; well done, martyr-minded heart; well done, mother revered by me; for you who have done and are doing the will of Christ, far above me, the unworthy one, can be called so. Thus has God both glorified and exalted you, but may He also yet further glorify you, if indeed we persevere to the end in our most excellent confession. And what is the gain that comes from it? The kingdom of heaven, in which you will shine forth like the sun together with all the saints. To your fellow-contestant, and as it were your young shoot, I send the fitting greetings.