Letter XI.150    Of the same period as X.

Without address.  To some friends.151    Possibly to Olympius, the recipient of XII.  cf. Letter ccxi.

After by God’s grace I had passed the sacred day with our sons, and had kept a really perfect feast to the Lord because of their exceeding love to God, I sent them in good health to your excellency, with a prayer to our loving God to give them an angel of peace to help and accompany them, and to grant them to find you in good health and assured tranquillity, to the end that wherever your lot may be cast, I to the end of my days, whenever I hear news of you, may be gladdened to think of you as serving and giving thanks to the Lord.  If God should grant you to be quickly freed from these cares I beg you to let nothing stand in the way of your coming to stay with me.  I think you will find none to love you so well, or to make more of your friendship.  So long, then, as the Holy One ordains this separation, be sure that you never lose an opportunity of comforting me by a letter.

ΑΝΕΠΙΓΡΑΦΟΣ, ΕΠΙ ΦΙΛῼ

[1] Τῇ τοῦ Θεοῦ χάριτι τὴν ἁγίαν ἡμέραν συνδιαγαγόντες τοῖς τέκνοις ἡμῶν, καὶ ὄντως τελείαν ἑορτὴν ἑορτάσαντες τῷ Κυρίῳ διὰ τὴν ὑπερβάλλουσαν αὐτῶν περὶ τὸν Θεὸν ἀγάπην, προεπέμψαμεν μεθ' ὑγείας πρὸς τὴν σὴν εὐγένειαν, εὐχόμενοι τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ καὶ αὐτοῖς δοθῆναι εἰρηνικὸν ἄγγελον βοηθὸν καὶ σύμπορον, καὶ σὲ παρ' αὐτῶν καταληφθῆναι ἐν ὑγείᾳ καὶ πάσῃ εἰρηνικῇ καταστάσει, ἵνα ὅπουπερ ἂν ἦτε, δουλεύοντες τῷ Κυρίῳ καὶ εὐχαριστοῦντες αὐτῷ, εὐφραίνητε ἡμᾶς ἕως ἐσμὲν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ ἀκούοντας τὰ παρ' ὑμῶν. Ἐὰν δὲ παράσχῃ ὁ Ἅγιος θᾶττόν σε τῶν φροντίδων τούτων ἀπαλλαγῆναι, παρακαλοῦμέν σε μηδὲν προτιμῆσαι τῆς παρ' ἡμῖν διαγωγῆς. Οἶμαι γὰρ μὴ εὑρεῖν σε τοὺς οὕτως ἀγαπῶντας καὶ ἀντιποιουμένους τῆς παρ' ὑμῖν φιλίας. Ἕως οὖν ἂν οἰκονομῇ ὁ Ἅγιος τὸν χωρισμὸν τοῦτον, διὰ πάσης προφάσεως παραμυθεῖσθαι ἡμᾶς γράμμασι καταξίου.