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the archbishop, so that I may give letters again? The brothers greet you and desire to see you with us. greet d, th. May Christ be our helper. 122 {1To my child Gregory}1 Now is the time to write to you individually, my beloved son and soul-mate of the brothers, because you are isolated and are under guard for the name of Christ. What could be more beautiful, what more blessed, that you suffer for Christ, for his holy icon, for the Theotokos, for each of the saints, since the prototypes are not separated from their images? Truly, my brother, you have been deemed worthy of great gifts; bishops have fallen, abbots have slipped, and you, being one of the subordinates, have been condemned to imprisonment for the truth just like the chosen hierarchs and teachers. No one of the subordinates has been so glorified, except for your fellow cenobites. Leap for joy in these things, give glory with thanksgiving to God, who has called you to a share in his sufferings. The wretched Orestes has fallen away from you along with Aphrates. For they were not of us; for if they had been, they would have remained with us. Those whose former life was faithless in obedience, how could it not be stale toward Christ? I was surprised even at the little they endured. You, therefore, my child, be strengthened in the power of your faith, bearing the present things nobly, being eager for other things too for the love of God, awaiting day by day God, who saves you from faintheartedness and from the storm; and the Lord is near to those who wait for him. Pray also for me, a sinner, that I may be saved in the Lord. Brother Nicholas greets you. The grace of the Lord be with you, brother crown-bearer. 123 {1To my child Theoktistos}1 Even if I have been separated from you in body, my child Theoktistos, yet not in spirit; for I always see you in my mind, being anxious in your administration about your spiritual state, about your bodily state. And indeed a true sign of what I say is that seven times a day in my sinful prayer I remember you by name along with your community; such is my pain also for you. And I know that you are in need, and are in distress and afflicted, but the blessing of persecution is yours from Christ. Therefore rejoice in the hope of eternal good things, thereby lightening your sorrows; for how much joy you will have here after the release from trials, and how you will leap for joy in the age to come? You are now being persecuted for the Lord for a third time, you will have a threefold crown. Do not fall, my beloved child, into despondency, but stand yet more nobly. And if we must die, let us die with Christ, so that we may also live together forever; for we will all certainly die, even if we do not wish to. Yes, I beseech you, my child. And I rejoice that my good Methodios is also with you. May Christ be within, in your midst, protecting you, giving you courage and providing for all things. Pray also yourself for me, the humble one, that I may be saved with you. Brother Nicholas greets you. 124 {1To my child Dorotheos}1 It is time for me to write to you individually, beloved child, since you have been isolated from your brothers for God's sake. O your good confession, O your imprisonment for the Lord; what you have sought for a long time out of love for Christ, having now obtained it, rejoice, be glad. For what else could be more delightful than to suffer together with Christ? You have shone forth among your brothers, you struggle on a par with the true bishops and abbots; that which no subordinate has been deemed worthy of, except your fellow cenobites, you have been glorified with. The wretched Orestes and Aphrates have fallen away from you; and no wonder, since both were of old faithless, and the second indeed an apostate. You, therefore, my child, be strengthened in the Lord, as you began by God's call, and finish your course. Bear with good courage the hardships of prison, awaiting day by day the salvation of God. If it is necessary also to die for Christ, let us die, that we may live. O good Dorotheos, stand nobly as a gift of God. Pray also for me, the humble one, that I may be saved in the Lord. Brother Nicholas greets you. May the grace of the Lord be

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ἀρχιεπίσκοπον, ἵνα δῶ γράμματα πάλιν; Προσαγορεύουσιν οἱ ἀδελφοὶ καὶ ἐπιθυμοῦσί σε ἰδεῖν μεθ' ἡμῶν. προσαγόρευσον τὸ ˉδ, τὸ ˉθ. ὁ Χριστὸς βοηθὸς ἡμῶν εἴη. 122 {1Γρηγορίῳ τέκνῳ}1 Νῦν καιρὸς καὶ μονομερῶς σοι ἐπιστεῖλαι, υἱέ μου ἠγαπημένε καὶ ἀδελφῶν ὁμόψυχε, διὰ τὸ μεμονῶσθαί σε καὶ εἶναι ἐν φρουρᾷ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ὀνόματος τοῦ Χριστοῦ. τί καλλιώτερον, τί δὲ μακαριώτερον, ὅτι διὰ Χριστὸν πάσχεις, ὑπὲρ τῆς ἁγίας αὐτοῦ εἰκόνος, διὰ τὴν Θεοτόκον, ὑπὲρ ἑκάστου τῶν ἁγίων, οὐ μεριζομένων τῶν πρωτοτύπων ἀπὸ τῶν παραγώγων; ὄντως, ἀδελφέ μου, μεγάλων δωρεῶν ἠξιώθης· ἐπίσκοποι ἐκπέπτωκαν, ἡγούμενοι ὠλίσθησαν καὶ σύ, ἐν ὑποτακτίταις τελῶν, ἴσα τῶν ἐκλεκτῶν ἱεραρχῶν τε καὶ καθηγητῶν τὴν ὑπὲρ ἀληθείας φυλακὴν κατεκρίθης. οὐδεὶς ὑπηκόων τοιοῦτον ἐδοξάσθη, πλὴν τῶν συγκοινοβιωτῶν σου. σκίρτησον ἐν τούτοις, δόξασον ἀνθομολογούμενος τῷ θεῷ, τῷ καλέσαντί σε εἰς κοινωνίαν τῶν παθημάτων αὐτοῦ. ἐξέπεσεν ἐξ ὑμῶν ὁ ἐλεεινὸς Ὀρέστης σὺν τῷ Ἀφράτῃ. οὐ γὰρ ἦσαν ἐξ ἡμῶν· ἦ γὰρ ἂν μεμενήκεισαν μεθ' ὑμῶν. ὧν ὁ πρότερος βίος ἄπιστος εἰς ὑποταγήν, τούτων πῶς ἂν οὐκ ἕωλος εἰς Χριστόν; ἐγὼ ἐξενιζόμην καὶ εἰς ὃ μικρὸν ὑπέστησαν. σὺ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν τῷ κράτει τῆς πίστεώς σου, φέρων γενναίως τὰ παρόντα, προθυμούμενος καὶ ἕτερα δι' ἀγάπην θεοῦ, ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας προσδεχόμενος τὸν θεόν, τὸν σῴζοντά σε ἀπὸ ὀλιγοψυχίας καὶ ἀπὸ καταιγίδος· καὶ ἐγγὺς Κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν. Προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ἁμαρτωλοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι ἐν Κυρίῳ. προσαγορεύει σε ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος. ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου μετὰ σοῦ, ἀδελφὲ στεφανίτα. 123 {1Θεοκτίστῳ τέκνῳ}1 Εἰ καὶ τῷ σώματι ἐχωρίσθην σου, τέκνον μου Θεόκτιστε, ἀλλ' οὐ τῷ πνεύματι· ἀεὶ γάρ σε ὁρῶ κατὰ νοῦν, περιπονούμενος ἐν τῇ διοικήσει σου πῶς τὰ κατὰ ψυχήν, πῶς τὰ κατὰ σῶμα. καί γε σημεῖον ὧν λαλῶ ἀληθές, τὸ ἑπτάκις τῆς ἡμέρας ἐν τῇ ἁμαρτωλῇ μου εὐχῇ μνημονεύειν σου ἐξ ὀνόματος μετὰ τῆς συνοδίας σου· τοιοῦτός μοι ὁ πόνος καὶ περὶ σέ. καὶ οἶδα ὅτι ὑστερούμενος εἶ, στενοχωρούμενός τε καὶ θλιβόμενος, ἀλλ' ὁ μακαρισμός σοι τοῦ διωγμοῦ παρὰ Χριστοῦ. διὸ χαῖρε ἐν τῇ ἐλπίδι τῶν αἰωνίων ἀγαθῶν, κουφίζων ἐντεῦθεν τὰ λυπηρά· πόσον γὰρ καὶ ἐνταῦθα χαρήσῃ μετὰ τὴν ἀπαλλαγὴν τῶν πειρασμῶν καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι σκιρτήσεις; ἄρτι τρίτον διώκεσαι διὰ κύριον, τρίπλοκον ἕξεις τὸν στέφανον. μὴ καταπέσῃς, τέκνον μου ἀγαπητόν, τῇ ῥαθυμίᾳ, ἀλλὰ στῆθι ἔτι γενναίως. κἂν δεῖ ἀποθανεῖν, ἀποθάνωμεν σὺν τῷ Χριστῷ, ἵνα καὶ συζήσωμεν εἰς αἰῶνας· πάντως γὰρ ἀποθανούμεθα, κἂν μὴ βουλώμεθα. ναί, παρακαλῶ, τέκνον ἐμόν. Χαίρω δὲ ὅτι σύνεστί σοι καὶ ὁ καλὸς Μεθόδιός μου. ἔσω ὁ Χριστὸς μέσον ὑμῶν, σκέπων, εὐψυχῶν ὑμᾶς καὶ προνοῶν ἐπὶ πᾶσι. προσεύχου καὶ αὐτὸς περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ἵνα σωθῶ σὺν ὑμῖν. ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος προσαγορεύει. 124 {1∆ωροθέῳ τέκνῳ}1 Καιρός μοι μονοπροσώπως σοι ἐπιστεῖλαι, τέκνον ἠγαπημένον, ἐπὰν ἐμονώθης διὰ τὸν θεὸν ἀπὸ τῶν ἀδελφῶν σου. ὢ τῆς καλῆς σου ὁμολογίας, ὢ τῆς διὰ Κύριόν σου φυλακῆς· ὃ ἐζήτεις ἔκπαλαι φιλῶν τὸν Χριστόν, νῦν ἐπιτυχὼν ἀγάλλου, τέρπου. καὶ τί γὰρ εἴη ἄλλο τερπνότερον τοῦ μετὰ Χριστοῦ συμπάσχειν; ἐξέλαμψες ἐν τοῖς ἀδελφοῖς σου, ἀγωνίζῃ ἴσα τῶν ἀληθῶς ἐπισκόπων καὶ ἡγουμένων· ὃ οὐδεὶς ὑποτακτιτῶν ἠξίωται, πλὴν τῶν συγκοινοβιωτῶν σου, σὺ δεδόξασαι. ἐξέπεσαν ἀφ' ὑμῶν ὁ ἐλεεινὸς Ὀρέστης καὶ Ἀφράτης· καὶ οὐ θαῦμα, ἐπειδὴ ἀρχαῖοι ἄπιστοι ἀμφότεροι, καί γε ἀρνητὴς ὁ δεύτερος. σὺ οὖν, τέκνον μου, ἐνδυναμοῦ ἐν Κυρίῳ, καθὼς ἤρξω κλήσει θεοῦ, καὶ τελείωσόν σου τὸν δρόμον. φέρε εὐψύχως τὰ τῆς φυλακῆς δυσχερῆ, ἡμέραν ἐξ ἡμέρας προσδεχόμενος τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ. ἂν δεῖ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν διὰ Χριστόν, ἀποθάνωμεν, ἵνα ζήσωμεν. Ὦ καλὲ ∆ωρόθεε, στῆθι γενναίως ὡς δῶρον θεοῦ. προσεύχου καὶ περὶ ἐμοῦ τοῦ ταπεινοῦ ἵνα σῴζωμαι ἐν Κυρίῳ. προσαγορεύει σε ὁ ἀδελφὸς Νικόλαος. ἡ χάρις τοῦ Κυρίου εἴη