the construction of churches, and the care of souls; and let not the difficulty of affairs make you despondent. For neither does a pilot, seeing the sea raging and stirred up, depart from the helm; nor does a physician, seeing the sick man gripped by disease, withdraw from the treatment, but rather at that time especially does each of them employ his art. You too, therefore, my most honorable and pious master, use much zeal now, and let not what is happening make you despondent; for we shall not give an account for the evils which others do to us, but we shall even receive a reward. But if we ourselves do not bring forward what is ours, but become faint-hearted, the tumult of affairs will not stand in our way at all in this matter; since even Paul, while inhabiting a prison and bound to the stocks, was doing his own work, and Jonah was carried in the belly of the sea monster, and the three children were spending time in the furnace; and none of these were made more faint-hearted by these diverse prisons. Thinking on these things, therefore, my master, do not cease taking care of the Churches of Phoenicia, and Arabia, and those in the East, knowing that you will receive a greater reward, by how much, with such great obstructions existing, you contribute your own share. And do not be slow to write to us continually, but even most frequently. For as we have learned now, we have been ordered to go no longer to Sebaste, but to Cucusus, where it is also easier for you to write to us. Write to us, therefore, how many churches were built per year, and which holy men moved to Phoenicia, and if any further progress has been made. For having found someone from Nicaea living as a recluse, I persuaded him to go to your piety, and to go off to Phoenicia. If he has arrived, therefore, endeavor to inform me. Concerning the village of Salamis, which is situated in Cyprus, which is being besieged by the heresy of the Marcionites, I had been discussing with those whom it behooved, and I had brought the whole matter to a successful conclusion, but I was forestalled by being driven out. If, then, you should learn that my master Cyriacus the bishop is staying at Constantinople, send a letter to him concerning this matter, and he will be able to accomplish the whole. And especially exhort those who have boldness before God to use much prayer, much intensity, so that this shipwreck of the world may cease. For intolerable evils have seized Asia, and other cities and churches, which, so that I may not seem to be making a nuisance of myself, I will leave off mentioning one by one, and state only this: that there is need of many prayers and intense supplications.
CCXXII. To Castus, Valerius, Diophantus, and Cyriacus, Presbyters of Antioch.
Both your writing, and your being the first to rush to send us letters, and your requesting letters from us, and your commanding us to exceed the measure of a letter, has shown our insatiable and maddened lovers. This does not allow the desert in which we are staying to appear a desert; this consoles our diverse and continuous difficulties. For what is equal to love? There is nothing. This is the root, and the source, and the mother of good things, a virtue which involves no labor, a virtue joined with pleasure, and bringing much cheerfulness to those who genuinely practice it. For these reasons we owe you much thanks, because you have so genuinely preserved your affection for us; and we, wherever we may be, even if we are carried off to the very ends of the world, even if to a place more desert than this, we shall go carrying you about, having engraved you in our understanding, and stored you up in our conscience, and neither the length of the road, nor the multitude of time, nor the crowd of difficulties has made us more faint-hearted regarding your affection, but as if we were with you yesterday and the day before, or rather as if we were always with you, just as we truly are, so we see you, and perceive you with the eyes of love. For such is loving; it is not divided by distances of road, it is not withered by the multitude of days, it is not overcome by a succession of afflictions, but is raised to a height at all times, and imitates the course of a flame. And you know this most of all, since you also know how to love most of all; and for this we greatly bless you. For even if we are wretched and cheap, yet God is able to give you a reward for this love greater and much more abundant; for He always overcomes with great excess in His repayments those who do or say anything good. I for my part wished to see you with my very own eyes, and to enjoy the interaction face to face, and to be sated with this manner of your love; but since this is not possible, not through malice or faint-heartedness, but through being shackled by the necessity of exile, do not at least deprive us of the second voyage, but send us snowfalls of letters, informing us about your health. For if we receive such letters continually, we shall reap much consolation, even while staying in a foreign land. Knowing, then, how great a favor you will grant us, and in how much cheerfulness you will place us, do not grudge us such pleasure. For by conversing with your letters, we shall consider that you yourselves are present here, and we shall receive from them a clearer vision of your presence.
CCXXIII. To Hesychius.
I for my part desired, even without writing to your gentleness first, to receive a letter; for this is characteristic of a most ardent lover; but we have not awaited your letters, but have rushed to write first, showing the warm love which we have for your gentleness, even in this. Nevertheless, we owe you thanks for this too; for I know well that it is not out of neglect, but out of your great modesty, that you have been moved to this. Show, then, in the future with full confidence your love for us, sending us snowfalls of letters, informing us about your health. For if we receive such...