Letter 220: The Lord has given great consolation to all who are deprived of personal intercourse in allowing them to communicate by letter. By this means, it is true, we cannot learn the express image of the body, but we can learn the disposition of the very soul. Thus on the present occasion, when I had received the letter of your reverences, I at the same...

The Lord has given great consolation to those who cannot meet in person: the ability to communicate by letter. Through letters we may not see the body, but we can perceive the soul's disposition. When I received your letter, I recognized you at once and took your love into my heart. I needed no long acquaintance to feel close to you -- the spirit of your letter was enough to kindle my affection for the beauty of your souls. Beyond the letter itself, I had an even clearer picture of your situation from the warmth of the brothers who carried it. The beloved and reverend presbyter Acacius told me much more than you wrote, bringing before my eyes the daily struggle you maintain and the firmness of your stand for the true faith. He stirred in me an admiration so deep, and a desire to know you personally so earnest, that I pray the Lord for a time when I may experience your good qualities firsthand. He told me of the exactitude of your ministers at the altar, the harmonious agreement of all your people, and the generous character and genuine devotion of your magistrates and leading citizens. I congratulate your Church on having such members, and I pray that spiritual peace may be given to you in ever greater abundance -- so that in quieter times you may look back and find pleasure in what you endured during these dark days. For now, I urge you: do not grow weary. Do not despair because your troubles follow one upon another. Your crowns are near. The Lord's help is near. Do not let everything you have endured so far go for nothing. Do not throw away a struggle that has been famous throughout the world. Human life is brief. "All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God shall stand forever." Let us hold fast to the commandment that endures, and despise the things that pass away. Many peoples and many cities will honor you. The Church will give thanks and pray for you. What answer will you give the Lord on the day of His coming, if you abandon your posts now?

ST. BASIL OF CAESAREA To the Beræans. The Lord has given great consolation to all who are deprived of personal intercourse in allowing them to communicate by letter. By this means, it is true, we cannot learn the express image of the body, but we can learn the disposition of the very soul. Thus on the present occasion, when I had received the letter of your reverences, I at the same moment recognised you, and took your love towards me into my heart, and needed no long time to create intimacy with you. The disposition shown in your letter was quite enough to enkindle in me affection for the beauty of your soul. And, besides your letter, excellent as it was, I had a yet plainer proof of how things are with you from the amiability of the brethren who have been the means of communication between us. The well-beloved and reverend presbyter Acacius, has told me much in addition to what you have written, and has brought before my eyes the conflict you have to keep up day by day, and the stoutness of the stand you are making for the true religion. He has thus so moved my admiration, and roused in me so earnest a desire of enjoying the good qualities in you, that I do pray the Lord that a time may come when I may know you and yours by personal experience. He has told me of the exactitude of those of you who are entrusted with the ministry of the altar, and moreover of the harmonious agreement of all the people, and the generous character and genuine love towards God of the magistrates and chief men of your city. I consequently congratulate the Church on consisting of such members, and pray that spiritual peace may be given to you in yet greater abundance, to the end that in quieter times you may derive enjoyment from your labours in the day of affliction. For sufferings that are painful while they are being experienced are naturally often remembered with pleasure. For the present I beseech you not to faint. Do not despair because your troubles follow so closely one upon another. Your crowns are near: the help of the Lord is near. Do not let all you have hitherto undergone go for nothing; do not nullify a struggle which has been famous over all the world. Human life is but of brief duration. All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field....The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God shall stand forever. Isaiah 40:6, 8 Let us hold fast to the commandment that abides, and despise the unreality that passes away. Many Churches have been cheered by your example. In calling new champions into the field you have won for yourselves a great reward, though you knew it not. The Giver of the prize is rich, and is able to reward you not unworthily for your brave deeds.

[Πρός: Πρὸς τοὺς ἐν Βεροίᾳ.] Μεγάλην ὁ Κύριος ἔδωκε παραμυθίαν τοῖς ἀπολιμπανομένοις τῆς κατʼ ὀφθαλμοὺς συντυχίας, τὴν διὰ τοῦ γράμματος ὁμιλίαν, ἐξ ἧς ἔστι μανθάνειν οὐ τὸν σωματικὸν χαρακτῆρα, ἀλλʼ αὐτῆς τῆς ψυχῆς τὴν διάθεσιν. ὅθεν καὶ νῦν δεξάμενοι τὰ γράμματα τῆς εὐλαβείας ὑμῶν, ὁμοῦ τε ἐγνωρίσαμεν ὑμᾶς, καὶ τὴν περὶ ὑμᾶς ἀγάπην ταῖς καρδίαις ἡμῶν ἀνελάβομεν, οὐ δεηθέντες χρόνου μακροῦ συνήθειαν ἐμποιοῦντος ἡμῖν. ἐξ αὐτῆς γὰρ τῆς ἐναποκειμένης τοῖς γράμμασι διανοίας εἰς τὸ φίλτρον τοῦ κάλλους τῆς ψυχῆς ὑμῶν ἐξεκαύθημεν. καὶ γὰρ πρὸς τοῖς ἐπεσταλμένοις, τοιούτοις οὖσιν, ἔτι καὶ ἡ τῶν μεσιτευόντων ἀδελφῶν ἐπιτηδειότης ἐναργέστερον ἡμῖν ἐδείκνυ τὰ καθʼ ὑμᾶς. ὁ γὰρ ποθεινότατος καὶ εὐλαβέστατος συμπρεσβύτερος ἡμῶν Ἀκάκιος, πλείονα τῶν ἐπεσταλμένων διηγούμενος, καὶ ὑπʼ ὄψιν ἄγων τὴν καθημερινὴν ὑμῶν ἄθλησιν καὶ τὴν εὔτονον ὑπὲρ τῆς εὐσεβείας ἔνστασιν, τοσοῦτον ἡμῖν ἐνεποίησε τὸ θαῦμα, καὶ τοσοῦτον ἤγειρε τὸν πόθον τῆς ἀπολαύσεως τῶν ἐν ὑμῖν καλῶν, ὥστε προσεύχεσθαι ἡμᾶς τῷ Κυρίῳ γενέσθαι ποτὲ καιρὸν καὶ διὰ τῆς οἰκείας πείρας γνωρίσαι τὰ καθʼ ὑμᾶς. καὶ γὰρ ἀπήγγειλεν ἡμῖν οὐ μόνον ὑμῶν τῶν τὴν λειτουργίαν τοῦ θυσιαστηρίου πεπιστευμένων τὴν ἀκρίβειαν, ἀλλὰ καὶ τοῦ δήμου παντὸς τὴν συμφωνίαν, καὶ τῶν καθηγουμένων τῆς πόλεως καὶ προπολιτευομένων αὐτῆς τὸ μεγαλοφυὲς τῶν τρόπων, καὶ τὸ γνήσιον τῆς περὶ Θεὸν διαθέσεως, ὥστε μακαρίσαι ἡμᾶς τὴν ἐκ τῶν τοιούτων συμπληρουμένην ἐκκλησίαν, καὶ εὔχεσθαι νῦν πλέον δοθῆναι ὑμῖν τὴν πνευματικὴν γαλήνην, ἵνα ἃ νῦν ἐν τῷ καιρῷ τῆς ἀθλήσεως ἐπεδείξασθε, τούτων ἐκ τῷ τῆς ἀνέσεως χρόνῳ κομίσησθε τὴν ἀπόλαυσιν. πέφυκε γάρ πως τὰ δυσχερῆ κατὰ τὴν πεῖραν ἡδονὴν φέρειν τοῖς ὑπομιμνησκομένοις. τὸ δὲ νῦν ἔχον παρακαλοῦμεν ὑμᾶς μὴ ἐκκακεῖν, μηδὲ ἀπαγορεύειν πρὸς τὴν συνέχειαν τῶν κακώσεων. ἐγγὺς γὰρ οἱ στέφανοι, καὶ ἐγγὺς ἡ ἀντίληψις τοῦ Κυρίου. μὴ ἐκχέητε τὰ προπεπονημένα ὑμῖν· μὴ ἀχρειώσητε τὸν κόπον τὸν διὰ πάσης τῆς οἰκουμένης βεβοημένον. ὀλιγοχρόνιοι τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων αἱ καταστάσεις· Πᾶσα σὰρξ χόρτος, καὶ πᾶσα δόξα ἀνθρώπου ὡς ἄνθος χόρτου. ἐξηράνθη ὁ χόρτος, καὶ τὸ ἄνθος ἐξέπεσε· τὸ δὲ ῥῆμα Κυρίου μένει εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα. Τῆς διαμενούσης ἐντολῆς ἀντεχόμενοι, τῆς παρερχομένης φαντασίας καταφρονήσωμεν. πολλὰς Ἐκκλησίας ἀνώρθωσε τὸ καθʼ ὑμᾶς ὑπόδειγμα. πολύν, κατὰ τὸ λανθάνον, ἑαυτοῖς συνηγάγετε τὸν μισθόν, δι’ ὧν τοὺς ἀπειροτέρους εἰς τὸν ὅμοιον ζῆλον προσεκαλέσασθε. πλούσιος ὁ μισθαποδότης, δυνάμενος ὑμῖν ἄξια χαρίσασθαι τῶν ἀγώνων τά ἔπαθλα.