659learn about your health and the security of your whole household, we beseech you—something which we are accustomed to do even without being asked—to write to us more frequently concerning your own health, and that of your whole household and all your kin. For you know how much we are concerned for you and for your blessed household.
XCV. To Paanius.
Grave are the things that have occurred; but it is not necessary to mourn for those who have suffered and stood bravely, but rather for those who have perpetrated them. For just as the most intractable of wild beasts, rushing with great fury upon the tips of spears, drive the blades into their own vitals; in the same way, those who do not hesitate to commit these transgressions gather the grave and bitter fire of Gehenna upon their own heads. But if they even glory in what they do, they are on that very account most miserable and worthy of more tears, because by this means they prepare for themselves heavier penalties. Therefore, it is right to mourn for them ceaselessly; but as for those who are so cruelly martyred by them, it is fitting to rejoice for the prizes and crowns reserved for them in heaven, and to consider this the greatest and most manifest proof of the deadly blow inflicted upon the devil. For if he had not received a mortal wound, he would never have uttered such blasts through those who obey him. Considering all these things, then, my most admirable lord, receive the greatest consolation, and write to us frequently concerning your own health. For we desire to see you and to embrace that dear head of ours; but since this is not possible, I ask and beseech you that you yourself write to us frequently concerning your health, and thereby afford us great relief.XCVI. To Amprucla the deaconess and those with her.
Waves, when dashed against rocks, cannot move them even in the slightest, but they themselves are rather shattered and destroyed by the violence of the impact. This is something that can now be seen in your case, and in the case of those who plot against you in vain. For from this, you gain greater confidence before God and greater glory among men, while they, on the contrary, earn condemnation, ignominy, and shame. For such is the nature of virtue and wickedness: the former flourishes all the more when it is beset by war, while the latter, even when it wages war, becomes weaker, and is in this way most effectively suppressed. Since, therefore, you have from what is happening a great source of consolation, rejoice and be glad, and act bravely. For it does not escape your notice for what prizes you have girded yourselves for this grave struggle, nor what good things remain for you if you endure what is happening with fortitude—things which “eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man” (1 Cor. 2:9). And those afflictions flow past and are extinguished along with the present life; but the rewards which are obtained from these things are immortal. And before those rewards, you experience no small pleasure even from this life, as you are nourished by the hope of a good conscience and the expectation of those crowns. I know well that you were aware of this even before our letter; but in order to make the letter longer, I have extended the exhortation. For I know clearly that you are held by a great longing for our letters; and I think that is the cause for why you complain against us on this account, that we have not written to you more often. For we cannot satisfy your desire, even if we were to send letters every day, because you seem to hang upon our epistles. May God repay to you the reward of this love for us, both in this life and in the future age. We certainly, whenever those who can carry them occur, never cease to write to you; and truly we do ourselves a great service when we do this, saluting you as frequently as possible through letters. For we maintain in perpetual vigor that love which you first infused in us, so that even if it should happen that we be absent from you for a longer time, even then it could not be made weaker. For we carry you about everywhere in our mind, marveling to the point of astonishment at the constancy of your purpose and your great fortitude. Therefore, do you yourself write to us frequently concerning your health and that of all your household, so that we may obtain great consolation from this as well.XCVII. To Hypatius the Presbyter.
You know, my most reverend lord, how much merit, how many rewards, and how many crowns the calamities which are undergone for the sake of God bring to you; therefore, let none of those things that are happening disturb you, since it is fitting to mourn only for those who act wickedly. For they are the ones who heap up a thousand penalties upon their own heads. Do you, therefore, as is worthy of you, display the fortitude that is fitting; and rend asunder their machinations and plots more easily than a spider’s web, and write to us as frequently as possible concerning your health. For although we are living and staying in a foreign region, we shall receive great consolation if we receive such a letter from you.XCVIII. To Chalcidia.
We were affected with no ordinary sorrow when we learned that you were held by such a severe illness. For you know, my most distinguished and most religious lady, how great is our concern for your health. Therefore, so that we may not be anxious and worried, I wish that you would take care, through whomever might first arrive here from there, to signify this to us—that is, whether the illness has been entirely removed and you have been restored to complete health. For we derive no small pleasure, even situated in so desert a place, when we hear anything concerning your health and cheerfulness of mind, as you are a woman who loves us.