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let us not be at all disheartened, even if we are separated from the world bodily, even if we are confined to desert and uninhabited places, even if we are afflicted, even if we are in want, even if we are shut up; by as much as the sufferings are recounted, by so much are the crowns multiplied. Who then is worthy both to be dismembered for God's sake and to die? For he will be more abundantly conformed to Christ. Know these things; in these is your meditation, your cheerfulness, your joy and your crown. Deliver the letters inside your letter by name. Greet D, L, Ignatius, your community which is longed for by me, all who guard the mystery. The three with me greet you most warmly, along with those of your community. The Lord be with your spirit, my most beloved child. 147 {1To an Abbess}1 Seeing how great and of what sort is the power of your precious letters toward my humility, arising from your extreme humility and compunction, it occurred to me to say, though it be bold, what Christ says: O woman, great is your faith; let it be to you as you have believed. For indeed the faith of the one receiving is tested by God, according to which He also grants the requests, even if they are addressed to an unworthy person. This contrite address and entreaty of yours, therefore, one might justly praise and justify; for, it says, a just man is his own accuser in the first instance. And again Christ, he who humbles himself will be exalted. And since you have chosen the monastic life, having exchanged perishable things for eternal ones, rejoice in your good counsel, always tracing and yearning for the paths that lead to the kingdom of heaven through the assumption of the deifying virtues, by which the ascent to God came to the holy fathers. And it is possible for us every day to be improved and to transform ourselves into better things. On these things, then, is my first discourse. But what worthy thing could we bring to you in return for what, out of confidence, you very painstakingly held toward our lowliness, so as to count blessed those who receive us as guests and to consider yourself wretched? The deed of those who received us is not yet as great as yours; for they provide nourishment from close by and at hand, but you, being as far away as possible, anticipate us on the wing of sympathy, nourishing, enriching, cherishing, in one way from Laodicea by your commands (for I have received them), in another from Bithynia by your dispatches. Thus you have utterly driven us out of our senses with all this ecstasy, almost surpassing the Shunammite woman in grace, even if she hosted a prophet, while you host a lawless man. And if I must add a word to the image, you will have very much the fear of God in the womb of your mind, and you would travail with heavenly love and give birth to a spirit of your most complete salvation. Do you see what sort of utterances I am collecting, having no way to repay you your rewards? But why do you so admire our word, being rustic and a rhapsody of the passion of love? We sinners are as far from those with whom you compare us as heaven is from earth, in deed and in word; but if our paltry words are pleasing to you, use them, but do not exalt them to others. You praise my lord the *spatharios* well (for he is most excellent), whom I also greet most warmly, as well as his branches, which have sprouted from a good root. The God of peace will be with you. 148 {1To Theodore the *spatharios*}1 I am just now writing this letter to your piety, when I received the report from the imperial official who visited concerning the re-assignment of our border, that is, the exile of us humble ones; and as much as I was hesitant to write because of the urgency, so much did I move my pen because of my longing. And indeed, longing has conquered manner; for your greatness holds in its hands this little letter, which contains at once a friendly greeting, and at the same time brings an account of thanksgiving for the gifts which I have received from your God-loving right hand. For I include also the honorable person of the lady, your mother-in-law, whose great goodwill toward me, a sinner, I have come to know. May the Lord, therefore, keep you both unharmed and prospering in the things that pertain to the Lord; for the things of this life have been graciously given to you. And I was pleased

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μηδαμῶς ἀθυμῶμεν, κἂν σωματικῶς ὑπὸ τοῦ κόσμου χωριζώμεθα, κἂν εἰς ἐρήμους τόπους καὶ ἀοικήτους περιοριζώμεθα, κἂν θλιβώμεθα, κἂν ὑστερούμεθα, κἂν κατακλειώμεθα· ὅσον τὰ πάθη καταλέγονται, τοσοῦτον οἱ στέφανοι πληθύνονται. τίς ἆρα ἄξιος καὶ μελοκοπηθῆναι ὑπὲρ θεοῦ καὶ ἀποθανεῖν; συμμορφωθήσεται γὰρ περισσοτέρως τῷ Χριστῷ. Ταῦτα ἴσθι, ἐν τούτοις σου ἡ μελέτη, ἡ εὐθυμία, ἡ χαρὰ καὶ ὁ στέφανος. τὰς ἔνδον τῆς ἐπιστολῆς σου ἐπιστολὰς ἀπόδος κατ' ὄνομα. ἄσπασαι τὸ ˉδ, τὸ ˉλ, τὸν Ἰγνάτιον, τὴν ποθητήν μοι συνοδίαν σου, πάντας τοὺς φυλάττοντας μυστήριον. οἱ σὺν ἐμοὶ τρεῖς πλεῖστά σε προσαγορεύουσι σὺν τοῖς τῆς συνοδίας σου. ὁ Κύριος μετὰ τοῦ πνεύματός σου, τέκνον μου ὑπεραγαπώμενον. 147 {1Ἡγουμένῃ}1 Ἐπιδὼν τὴν δύναμιν τῶν τιμίων σου γραμμάτων ὅση καὶ ἡλίκη πρὸς τὴν ἐμὴν ταπείνωσιν ἐξ ἄκρας σου ταπεινοφροσύνης καὶ κατανύξεως, ἐκεῖνό μοι ἐπῆλθεν εἰπεῖν, εἰ καὶ τολμηρόν, ὅ φησιν ὁ Χριστός· ὦ γύναι, μεγάλη σου ἡ πίστις, γενηθήτω σοι ὡς ἐπίστευσας. καὶ γὰρ ἡ τοῦ δεχομένου πίστις ἐστὶ δοκιμαζομένη παρὰ θεῷ, καθ' ἣν καὶ δίδωσι τὰ αἰτήματα, κἂν πρὸς ἀνάξιον ἀναφέρωνται. αὐτὴν μὲν οὖν ταύτην τὴν συντετριμμένην σου προσφώνησίν τε καὶ πρόσπτωσιν δικαίως ἄν τις ἐπαινέσειέν τε καὶ δικαιώσειεν· δίκαιος γάρ, φησίν, ἑαυτοῦ κατήγορος ἐν πρωτολογίαις. καὶ αὖθις ὁ Χριστός, ὁ ταπεινῶν ἑαυτὸν ὑψωθήσεται. ἐπειδὴ δὲ καὶ βίον εἵλου μοναδικόν, ἀντηλλάξασα τῶν φθειρομένων τὰ ἀΐδια, χαῖρε ἐπὶ τῇ καλῇ εὐβουλίᾳ σου, ἰχνηλατοῦσα καὶ ὀρεγομένη ἀεὶ τὰς εἰς βασιλείαν οὐρανῶν φερούσας τρίβους διὰ τῆς ἀναλήψεως τῶν θεοποιῶν ἀρετῶν, δι' ὧν προσγέγονε τοῖς ἁγίοις πατράσιν ἡ εἰς θεὸν ἄνοδος. δυνατὸν δὲ πᾶσαν ἡμέραν ἡμᾶς βελτιοῦσθαι καὶ μεταστοιχειοῦν ἑαυτοὺς εἰς τὰ κρείττονα. Ἐπὶ τούτοις οὖν μοι ὁ πρῶτος λόγος. ἡμεῖς δὲ τί σοι προσαγάγοιμεν ἐπάξιον ἀνθ' ὧν ἐκ πεποιθήσεως περιπόνως λίαν ἔσχες πρὸς τὴν εὐτέλειαν ἡμῶν, ὥστε μακαρίζειν τοὺς ξενίζοντας ἡμᾶς καὶ σαυτὴν ταλανίζειν; οὔπω μέγα τῶν ὑποδεξαμένων οἷον τὸ σόν· οἱ μὲν γὰρ ἄγχου καὶ ἐξ ἑτοίμου τροφοδοτοῦσι, σὺ δὲ πόρρωθεν ὅτι μάλιστα διισταμένη τῷ τῆς συμπαθείας πτερῷ προφθάζεις τρέφουσα, πιαίνουσα, θάλπουσα, πῇ μὲν ἀπὸ Λαοδικείας ταῖς προσταγαῖς (εἴληφα γάρ), πῇ δὲ ἀπὸ Βιθυνίας ταῖς ἀποστολαῖς. οὕτως ἡμᾶς κατὰ κράτος ἐξέστησας πᾶσαν τὴν ἔκστασιν ταύτην, τῆς Σουμανίτιδος πλεονάζουσα μικροῦ δεῖν κατὰ χάριν, κἂν ἡ μὲν προφήτην, ἡ δὲ ἀνομίτην ξενίζουσα. εἰ δὲ δεῖ προσθεῖναι τῇ ἐξεικονίσει καὶ λόγον, ἕξεις ἐν γαστρὶ διανοίας μάλα τὸν τοῦ θεοῦ φόβον, καὶ ὠδινήσειας τὸν οὐράνιον ἔρωτα καὶ τέξειας πνεῦμα σωτηρίας σου πληρεστάτης. Ὁρᾷς οἵας φωνὰς ἀναλέγομαι, μὴ ἔχων ὅπως ἀμείψομαί σοι τὰ γέρα; τί δὲ ἡμῶν ἀποθαυμάζεις τὸν λόγον, ἠγροικισμένον ὄντα καὶ ἐρραψῳδημένον τῆς ἀγάπης τὸ πάθος; μακρὰν ἡμεῖς οἱ ἁμαρτωλοὶ οἷς παραβάλλεις ἢ ὁ οὐρανὸς ἀπὸ τῆς γῆς ἔργῳ καὶ λόγῳ· εἰ δὲ τὰ λογύδρια ἡμῶν ἀρεστά σοι, χρῶ αὐτοῖς, εἰς δ' ἄλλους μὴ ὕψου. τὸν κύριόν μου τὸν σπαθάριον καλῶς ἐκθειάζεις (κάλλιστος γάρ ἐστιν), ὃν καὶ προσαγορεύω πλεῖστα, ἐπεὶ καὶ τοὺς αὐτοῦ κλάδους, ἐκ ῥίζης ἀγαθῆς ἀνατεθηλότας. ὁ θεὸς τῆς εἰρήνης ἔσται μετὰ σοῦ. 148 {1Θεοδώρῳ σπαθαρίῳ}1 Τὴν ἐπιστολὴν ἄρτι εἰμὶ χαράττων τῇ εὐσεβείᾳ σου, ὅτε τὴν φάσιν ἐδεξάμην παρὰ τοῦ ἐπιφοιτήσαντος βασιλικοῦ τῆς μεθορίσεως ἤγουν ἐξορίας ἡμῶν τῶν ταπεινῶν· καὶ ὅσον μὲν πρὸς τὴν ἐπίτασιν ὤκνουν τοῦ γράφειν, ὅσον δὲ πρὸς τὸν πόθον ἐκίνουν τὴν γραφίδα. καί γε νενίκηκεν ὁ πόθος τὸν τρόπον· ἔχει γὰρ ἐπὶ χεῖρας ἡ μεγαλωσύνη σου τὸ γραμματεῖον, ὁμοῦ μὲν προσηγορίαν φιλικὴν ἔχον, ὁμοῦ δὲ ἀπολογίαν εὐχαριστίας φέρον χάριν τῶν δωρεῶν, ὧν εἴληφα παρὰ τῆς φιλοθέου ὑμῶν δεξιᾶς. συλλαμβάνω γὰρ καὶ τὸ τίμιον πρόσωπον τῆς κυρίας τῆς πενθερᾶς, ἧς πολλὴν ἔγνων τὴν εἰς ἐμὲ τὸν ἁμαρτωλὸν προαίρεσιν. ἀμφοτέρους οὖν περιφυλάξειεν ὁ Κύριος ἀσινεῖς καὶ εὐθηνουμένους εἰς τὰ πρὸς Κύριον· τὰ γὰρ κατὰ βίον κεχάρισται ὑμῖν. ἥσθην δὲ