John Chrysostom, Letters

to see you having come here. For if sickness had not intervened, there was nothing to prevent it. For the winter here for now imitates a most mild spring, and Armenia has been rid of the Isaurians. But still, we compel nothing, nor do we force you against your will concerning your presence here. But what neither fear of Isaurians, nor severity of winter, nor weariness of the road, nor anything else prevents, this we ask to have from you continually: letters of your warm and genuine disposition. For if we enjoy these continually, reporting to us about your health and cheerfulness, we shall reap no ordinary comfort from this. Considering, therefore, how great a favor you will grant us, do not hesitate to do this. For you know how we hold to your nobility, and how much love we have always shown for your grace. 53. To Nicolaus, Presbyter. You have greatly encouraged us, and filled us with much pleasure, by making it clear that you have great concern for Phoenicia, and that, though sitting at so great a distance, you anoint those there through letters, fulfilling an apostolic zeal. For these reasons we do not cease admiring and calling you blessed, because you previously sent the monks, and because now, in so great a difficulty of affairs, you not only did not lead them away, but even commanded them to remain, doing the work of an excellent pilot and a noble physician. For of those, the one, when he sees the waves rising, then shows much more diligence; and the other, when the fever is roused to a greater flame, then uses much skill; and you therefore, my most honored and most reverent lord, have done things worthy of your own virtue, when you saw matters were sick and in strife, then especially urging those who were tarrying there not to desert, but to remain, and to contribute what they could. Therefore, imitating your own actions, my most honored lord Gerontius the presbyter, if he should get better 52.638 and return to pure health, immediately urge him to take the road there. For we desire to see him having come here also; but since the matters there require both speed and much vigilance, so that he not spend much time on the road, and the approaching winter close the road to him, we entreat your honor to urge him, when he has recovered, to depart, and to prepare the most sweet and longed-for John the presbyter to undertake the journey with him. For you yourself also know that now especially the things there need many to set them right, inasmuch as the evils have crept on to a greater extent. Considering this, therefore, and knowing how great a thing is the salvation of a soul, and what things have been accomplished by your honor through your former diligence, be pleased to do everything both through yourself, and through others whom you can, so that the things that have been set right may remain unmoved, and that a much greater addition may be made to them. You, however, have cheered us no less than those who have come here; for in thought you have come, and with the eyes of love we see you each day even though not physically present, carrying you everywhere in our mind. And perhaps there will also be for us a meeting face to face, when the time allows. As for now, we too, although we greatly desire to see your love, and to embrace you, consider your stay there to be necessary. For I know well that you will not cease doing and managing everything, so as to fill Phoenicia with noble men, and strengthening yet more those who have remained there, so that they do not abandon what is there and return, and seeking out those who are near, and sending them out with much eagerness, and becoming a very great gain to all, both near and far, and imitating the nature of spices, which fill with much fragrance not only the place that receives them, but also the distant air. 54. To Gerontius, Presbyter. And I have already written to your reverence, thinking you were in Phoenicia, and now I write the same things

παραγενομένην ἐνταῦθα ἰδεῖν. Καὶ γὰρ εἰ μὴ ἀῤῥωστία παρενέπεσε, τὸ κωλύον οὐδὲν ἦν. Ὅ τε γὰρ χειμὼν ὁ ἐνταῦθα ἔαρ ἡμερώτατον τέως μιμεῖται, τῶν τε Ἰσαύρων ἡ Ἀρμενία ἀπήλλακται. Ἀλλ'ὅμως οὐδὲν ἀναγκάζομεν, οὐδὲ βιαζόμεθα μὴ βουλομένην ὑπὲρ τῆς ἐνταῦθα παρουσίας. Ἀλλ' ὅπερ οὔτε Ἰσαύρων φόβος, οὔτε χειμῶνος σφοδρότης, οὔτε ὁδοῦ ταλαιπωρία, οὔτ' ἄλλο οὐδὲν κωλύει, τοῦτο αἰτοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ὑπάρχειν τὰ γράμματα, τὰ τῆς θερμῆς σου καὶ γνησίας διαθέσεως. Ἢν γὰρ τούτων ἀπολαύωμεν συνεχῶς, ἀπαγγελλόντων ἡμῖν τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας καὶ εὐθυμίας τῆς σῆς, οὐ τὴν τυχοῦσαν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσόμεθα παραμυθίαν. Ἐννοοῦσα τοίνυν ἡλίκην ἡμῖν χαριῇ χάριν, μὴ κατόκνει τοῦτο ποιεῖν. Οἶσθα γὰρ ὅπως ἀντεχόμεθά σου τῆς εὐγενείας, καὶ ὅσην ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν σὴν ἐμμέλειαν ἐπεδειξάμεθα τὴν ἀγάπην. ΝΓʹ. Νικολάῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Σφόδρα ἡμᾶς ἀνεπτέρωσας, καὶ πολλῆς ἐνέπλησας τῆς ἡδονῆς, δηλώσας ὅτι σοι πολλὴ φροντὶς τῆς Φοινίκης ἐστὶ, καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενος διαστήματος, διὰ γραμμάτων ἀλείφεις τοὺς αὐτόθι, ζῆλον πληρῶν ἀποστολικόν. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σε θαυμάζοντες καὶ μακαρίζοντες οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν, ὅτι καὶ πρότερον τοὺς μοναχοὺς ἔπεμψας, καὶ ὅτι νῦν, ἐν πραγμάτων δυσκολίᾳ τοσαύτῃ, οὐ μόνον αὐτοὺς οὐκ ἀπήγαγες, ἀλλὰ καὶ μένειν αὐτοὺς ἐκέλευσας, ἀρίστου κυβερνήτου καὶ ἰατροῦ γενναίου πρᾶγμα ποιῶν. Καὶ γὰρ ἐκείνων ἕκαστος, ὁ μὲν ὅταν ἴδῃ τὰ κύματα ἐγειρόμενα, τότε μᾶλλον πολλὴν ἐπιδείκνυται τὴν σπουδήν· ὁ δὲ ὅταν τὸν πυρετὸν ἐπὶ μείζονα φλόγα διεγερθέντα, τότε πολλῇ κέχρηται τῇ τέχνῃ· καὶ αὐτὸς τοίνυν, κύριέ μου τιμιώτατο καὶ εὐλαβέστατε, ἄξια τῆς σαυτοῦ πεποίηκας ἀρετῆς, ὅτε τὰ πράγματα εἶδες νοσοῦντα καὶ στασιάζοντα, τότε μάλιστα ἐπιθέμενος τοῖς ἐκεῖσε διατρίβουσιν, ὥστε μὴ λειποτακτῆσαι, ἀλλ' ἐπιμεῖναι, καὶ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν εἰσενεγκεῖν. Τὰ σαυτοῦ τοίνυν μιμούμενος, τόν τε κύριόν μου τὸν τιμιώτατον Γερόντιον τὸν πρεσβύτερον, εἰ ῥᾷον 52.638 σχοίη, καὶ πρὸς καθαρὰν ὑγείαν ἐπανέλθοι, εὐθέως κατέπειξον τῆς ἐκεῖ ἅψασθαι ὁδοῦ. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν ἡμεῖς καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραγενόμενον ἰδεῖν· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ καὶ ταχύτητος καὶ πολλῆς δεῖται τῆς ἀγρυπνίας τὰ ἐκεῖσε πράγματα, ὥστε μὴ πολὺν ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ διατριβῆναι χρόνον, καὶ τὸν χειμῶνα ἐπιστάντα ἀποκλεῖσαι αὐτῷ τὴν ὁδὸν, παρακαλοῦμέν σου τὴν τιμιότητα αὐτόν τε ῥαΐσαντα ἐπεῖξαι ἀπελθεῖν, τόν τε γλυκύτατον καὶ ποθεινότατον Ἰωάννην τὸν πρεσβύτερον παρασκευάσαι συνεφάψασθαι τῆς ἀποδημίας αὐτῷ. Οἶσθα γὰρ καὶ αὐτὸς ὅτι νῦν μάλιστα τὰ αὐτόθι πολλῶν δεῖται τῶν διορθωσομένων, ὅσῳ ἐπὶ μεῖζον εἶρψε τὰ κακά. Τοῦτ' οὖν ἐννοῶν, καὶ εἰδὼς ἡλίκον ἐστὶ σωτηρία ψυχῆς, καὶ οἷα κατώρθωταί σου τῇ τιμιότητι διὰ τῆς ἔμπροσθεν σπουδῆς, πάντα ποιῆσαι καὶ διὰ σαυτοῦ, καὶ δι' ἑτέρων, ὧν ἂν οἷόν τε ᾖ, παρακλήθητι, ὥστε τὰ διορθωθέντα μεῖναι ἀκίνητα, ἑτέραν τε αὐτοῖς πολλῷ πλείονα γενέσθαι προσθήκην. Αὐτὸς μέντοι τῶν ἐνταῦθα ἐλθόντων οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡμᾶς εὔφρανας· τῇ μὲν γὰρ γνώμῃ καὶ παραγέγονας, καὶ τοῖς τῆς ἀγάπης σε ὀφθαλμοῖς καὶ μὴ παρόντα σωματικῶς ἡμεῖς καθ' ἑκάστην ὁρῶμεν τὴν ἡμέραν, ἐπὶ τῆς διανοίας πανταχοῦ περιφέροντες. Ἔσται δὲ ἴσως καὶ ἡ κατ' ὄψιν ἡμῖν συντυχία, ὅταν ὁ καιρὸς ἐπιτρέπῃ. Ὡς νῦν γε καὶ ἡμεῖς, καίτοι σφόδρα ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἰδεῖν τὴν ἀγάπην σου, καὶ περιπτύξασθαι, ἀναγκαίαν εἶναι νομίζομεν τὴν αὐτόθι σου μονήν. Εὖ γὰρ οἶδ' ὅτι οὐ παύσῃ πάντα ποιῶν καὶ πραγματευόμενος, ὥστε ἐμπλῆσαι τὴν Φοινίκην γενναίων ἀνδρῶν, καὶ τούς τε ἐκεῖ μεμενηκότας στηρίζων ἐπὶ πλέον, ὥστε μὴ ἀφέντας τὰ αὐτόθι ἐπανελθεῖν, τούς τε πλησίον ὄντας ἀναζητῶν, καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς ἐκπέμπων προθυμίας, πᾶσί τε κέρδος γινόμενος μέγιστον τοῖς τε ἐγγὺς, τοῖς τε μακρὰν, καὶ τὴν τῶν ἀρωμάτων μιμούμενος φύσιν, ἅπερ οὐ τὸν τόπον μόνον τὸν ὑποδεχόμενον αὐτὰ, ἀλλὰ καὶ τὸν ἀφεστηκότα ἀέρα πολλῆς ἐμπίμπλησι τῆς εὐωδίας. Ν∆ʹ. Γεροντίῳ πρεσβυτέρῳ. Καὶ ἤδη μὲν ἐπέσταλκά σου πρὸς τὴν εὐλάβειαν, νομίσας σε ἐν Φοινίκῃ εἶναι, καὶ νῦν δὲ ἐπιστέλλω ταὐτὰ