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to have seen, but none of these things relieves us of our despondency.” But what do you want and desire, tell me, and desire exceedingly? Their very sight. “For we were the more exceedingly eager,” he says, “to see your face.” What do you say, you lofty and great one? You who have the world crucified to you and are crucified to the world, you who are released from all fleshly things, you who have become almost incorporeal, have you become so captive to love as to be brought down to the flesh of clay, of the earth, the perceptible? “Yes,” he says, “and I am not ashamed to say these things, but I even glory in them; for having love, the mother of good things, gushing forth for me, I seek these things.” And he does not simply seek a bodily presence, but he desires most of all to see their face. “For,” he says, “we were the more exceedingly eager to see your face.” Do you then love sight, tell me, and desire to see a face? “Very much so,” he says, “where the senses are gathered together. For a soul, naked in itself, in communion with another soul, will be able neither to say nor to hear anything; but if I enjoy a bodily presence, I will both say something and hear from those who are loved. For this reason I desire to see your face, where there is also a tongue sending forth a voice and announcing to us the things within, and hearing receiving words, and eyes portraying the movements of the soul; for through these it is possible to enjoy more accurately the company of the desired soul.” 8.13 And that you might learn how he is kindled for this sight, having said, “we were the more exceedingly eager,” he was not satisfied with this expression, but added, “with great desire.” Then, not bearing to include himself with the others, but showing that he loves more vehemently than the others, having said that “We were the more exceedingly eager and wished to come to you,” he separated himself from the rest and, setting himself alone, added: “I, Paul, both once and twice,” showing that he was more eager than the others. Then, since he did not achieve this, he is not content with letters but sends the chief person, Timothy who was with him, who would be to him in place of letters; wherefore he also adds, saying, “Therefore when we could no longer endure it.” O again the nobility of the expression! O the power of the saying, showing his irrepressible and unendurable love. And as one being set on fire and as one being burned and seeking to find some comfort for the conflagration, moves everything, so indeed he also, being inflamed, being choked, being burned, devised the possible comfort as far as was feasible. “For when we could no longer endure it,” he says, “we sent Timothy the minister of the gospel and our fellow worker, tearing away the most necessary member of our company and exchanging grief for grief.” For that he did not even bear that one's absence easily, but for their sake chose this most heavy thing, he himself also showed, saying: “We were well-pleased to be left behind alone.” O soul made with exactness for love itself! For since he was separated from one brother, he says he was left alone, and this though having so many with him. Meditate on these things continuously yourself, and the more painful the matter is to you, so much the more profitable consider it to be, if you bear it with thanksgiving. For indeed not only blows inflicted on the body but also pain of soul brings unspeakable crowns, and pain of soul more than of body, when those who are smitten bear it with thanksgiving. Just as, therefore, if your body were being torn and scourged you bore it nobly, glorifying God for these things, you would have received a great reward, so now that your soul is suffering these things, expect many recompenses. But expect also that we shall certainly see each other again and be delivered from this pain, and that we shall receive much profit from the pain both then and now. These things are sufficient for your comfort, or rather not for you only, but also if one were foolish and stone itself in

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ἑωρακέναι, ἀλλ' οὐδὲν τούτων ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλάττει τῆς ἀθυμίας.» Ἀλλὰ τί βούλει καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖς, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ ἐπιθυμεῖς μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς; Αὐτὴν αὐτῶν τὴν ὄψιν. «Περισσοτέρως γάρ, φησίν, ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὸ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν.» Τί φῄς, ὁ ὑψηλὸς καὶ μέγας; Ὁ τὸν κόσμον ἔχων ἐσταυρωμένον καὶ τῷ κόσμῳ σταυρωθείς, ὁ πάντων ἀπαλλαγεὶς τῶν σαρκικῶν, ὁ σχεδὸν ἀσώματος γενόμενος, οὕτως αἰχμάλωτος ὑπὸ τῆς ἀγάπης ἐγένου ὡς εἰς σάρκα κατενεχθῆναι τὴν πηλίνην, τὴν ἀπὸ γῆς, τὴν αἰσθητήν; «Ναί, φησί, καὶ οὐκ αἰσχύνομαι ταῦτα λέγων, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἐγκαλλωπίζομαι· τὴν γὰρ μητέρα τῶν ἀγαθῶν ἔχων ἐμοὶ βρύουσαν τὴν ἀγάπην, ταῦτα ἐπιζητῶ.» Καὶ οὐδὲ ἁπλῶς σωματικὴν ἐπιζητεῖ παρουσίαν, ἀλλὰ τὸ πρόσωπον αὐτῶν μάλιστα ἐπιθυμεῖ θεάσασθαι. «Περισσοτέρως γάρ, φησίν, ἐσπουδάσαμεν τὸ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν.» Ὄψεως οὖν ἐρᾷς, εἰπέ μοι, καὶ προσώπου θεωρίας ἐπιθυμεῖς; «Καὶ σφόδρα, φησίν, ἔνθα τῶν αἰσθητηρίων ἡ συναγωγή. Ψυχὴ γὰρ γυμνὴ καθ' ἑαυτὴν ἑτέρᾳ ψυχῇ συγγενομένη οὔτε εἰπεῖν τι οὔτε ἀκοῦσαι δυνήσεται· σωματικῆς δὲ ἂν ἀπολαύσω παρουσίας καὶ ἐρῶ τι καὶ ἀκούσομαι παρὰ τῶν ἀγαπωμένων. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ἐπιθυμῶ τὸ πρόσωπον ὑμῶν ἰδεῖν, ἔνθα καὶ γλῶσσά ἐστι φωνὴν ἀφιεῖσα καὶ τὰ ἔνδον ἡμῖν ἀπαγγέλλουσα καὶ ἀκοὴ ῥήματα δεχομένη καὶ ὀφθαλμοὶ κινήματα ψυχῆς διαζωγραφοῦντες· καὶ γὰρ τῆς ποθουμένης ψυχῆς διὰ τούτων ἀκριβέστερον τῆς συνουσίας ἔστιν ἀπολαῦσαι.» 8.13 Καὶ ἵνα μάθῃς πῶς ἐκκαίεται εἰς τὴν θεωρίαν ταύτην εἰπών· «περισσοτέρως ἐσπουδάσαμεν», οὐκ ἠρκέσθη τῇ λέξει ταύτῃ, ἀλλ' ἐπήγαγεν· «ἐν πολλῇ ἐπιθυμίᾳ». Εἶτα οὐκ ἀνεχόμενος ἑαυτὸν μετὰ τῶν ἄλλων ἐγκαταμίξαι, ἀλλὰ δεικνὺς ὅτι σφοδρότερον τῶν ἄλλων φιλεῖ, εἰπὼν ὅτι «Περισσοτέρως ἐσπουδάσαμεν καὶ ἠθελήσαμεν ἐλθεῖν πρὸς ὑμᾶς», ἀπέρρηξεν ἑαυτὸν τῶν λοιπῶν καὶ μόνον στήσας ἐπήγαγεν· «Ἐγὼ μὲν Παῦλος καὶ ἅπαξ καὶ δίς», δεικνὺς ὅτι πλέον τῶν ἄλλων ἐσπούδαζεν. Εἶτα ἐπειδὴ οὐκ ἐπέτυχε τούτου, οὐκ ἀρκεῖται τοῖς γράμμασιν ἀλλὰ πέμπει τὸ κεφάλαιον, τὸν σὺν αὐτῷ Τιμόθεον, τὸν ἀντὶ γραμμάτων ἐσόμενον αὐτῷ· διὸ καὶ ἐπάγει λέγων· «∆ιὸ μηκέτι στέγοντες.» Ὢ πάλιν λέξεως εὐγένεια· ὢ ῥήσεως δύναμις τὴν ἀκάθεκτον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἀκαρτέρητον ἀγάπην δηλοῦσα. Καὶ ὡς ἄν τις ἐμπυριζόμενος καὶ ὡς ἄν τις καιόμενος καὶ ζητῶν τοῦ ἐμπυρισμοῦ παραμυθίαν τινὰ εὑρεῖν, πάντα κινεῖ, οὕτω δὴ καὶ οὗτος ἀναπτόμενος, ἀγχόμενος, καιόμενος, κατὰ τὸ ἐγχωροῦν τὴν δυνατὴν ἐπενόησε παραμυθίαν. «Μηκέτι γὰρ στέγοντες, φησίν, ἐπέμψαμεν Τιμόθεον τὸν διάκονον τοῦ εὐαγγελίου καὶ συνεργὸν ἡμῶν, τὸ ἀναγκαιότατον μέλος διασπάσαντες ἡμῶν τῆς συνουσίας καὶ λύπην ἀλλαξάμενοι λύπης.» Ὅτι γὰρ οὐδὲ τὴν ἐκείνου ἀπουσίαν εὐκόλως ἔφερεν, ἀλλὰ διὰ τούτους εἵλετο τὸ βαρύτατον τοῦτο καὶ τοῦτο αὐτὸς ἐδήλωσεν εἰπών· «Ηὐδοκήσαμεν καταλειφθῆναι μόνοι.» Ὢ ψυχῆς μετὰ ἀκριβείας πρὸς αὐτὴν ποιωθείσης τὴν ἀγάπην. Ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἀδελφοῦ ἐχωρίσθη ἑνός, μεμονῶσθαί φησι καὶ ταῦτα τοσούτους ἔχων μεθ' ἑαυτοῦ. Ταῦτα δὴ συνεχῶς μελέτα καὶ αὐτὴ καὶ ὅσῳ σοι τὸ πρᾶγμα ὀδυνηρόν, τοσούτῳ κερδαλεώτερον εἶναι νόμιζε εὐχαρίστως φερούσῃ. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ μόνον σώματι πληγαὶ ἐπαγόμεναι ἀλλὰ καὶ ψυχῆς ὀδύνη ἀφάτους φέρει τοὺς στεφάνους καὶ ψυχῆς ὀδύνη μᾶλλον ἢ σώματος, ὅταν οἱ πληττόμενοι φέρωσιν εὐχαρίστως. Ὥσπερ οὖν εἰ καταξαινομένη τὸ σῶμα καὶ μαστιγουμένη γενναίως ἔφερες τὸν Θεὸν ὑπὲρ τούτων δοξάζουσα, πολλὴν ἂν ἀπέλαβες τὴν ἀμοιβήν, οὕτω ψυχῆς ταῦτα πασχούσης νῦν πολλὰς ἀνάμενε τὰς ἀντιδόσεις. Προσδόκα δὲ καὶ τὸ πάντως ἡμᾶς ὄψεσθαι πάλιν καὶ τῆς ὀδύνης ἀπαλλαγήσεσθαι ταύτης καὶ τὴν ἐκ τῆς ὀδύνης γενομένην ἐμπορίαν πολλὴν ἀπολήψεσθαι καὶ τότε καὶ νῦν. Ἀρκεῖ ταῦτά σοι πρὸς παραμυθίαν μᾶλλον δὲ οὐχὶ σοὶ μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ εἴ τις ἀνόητος εἴη καὶ αὐτολίθινος τὴν