Letter 122: Chrysostom praises Marcianus for supporting widows, orphans, and the poor during the crisis.

You are blessed, three times blessed, and more than that, for showing such generosity toward those in need amid so bitter a storm and such disorder in affairs. The greatness of your compassion has not escaped us. You have become a new harbor for everyone: supporting orphans, comforting widows in every way, bearing their poverty, repairing their need, and not letting them feel the weight of their distress. You have become everything to them, feeding an entire community with grain, wine, oil, and all else they need. May God repay you, in this life and in the age to come, for this greatness of soul, this abundance, eagerness, zeal, love for the poor, and genuine charity. You overflow with all of it, storing up enormous prizes for yourself in the age to come. We hear these things while sitting in such a wilderness, surrounded by many hardships: fear of the Isaurians, the desolation of the place, and the severity of winter. Yet when we hear of your honor's deeds, we hardly feel these painful things. We draw great consolation from them, leaping and rejoicing over your achievements and the unspeakable wealth you are gathering in heaven. Give us another joy as well: write often and send us good news of your health.

ΡΚΒʹ. Μαρκιανῷ. Μακάριος εἶ, καὶ τρισμακάριος, καὶ πολλάκις τοῦτο, ἐν οὕτω χειμῶνι χαλεπῷ, καὶ τοσαύτῃ τῶν πραγμάτων ζάλῃ, τοσαύτην ἐπιδεικνύμενος περὶ τοὺς δεομένους μεγαλοψυχίαν. Οὐ γὰρ ἔλαθεν ἡμᾶς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας σου τὸ μέγεθος, καὶ ὅτι καινὸς ἅπασι γέγονας λιμὴν, ὀρφανοῖς παριστάμενος, χήρας παντὶ τρόπῳ παραμυθούμενος, ἀνέχων αὐτῶν τὴν πενίαν, διορθούμενος τὴν πτωχείαν, οὐδὲ αἴσθησιν ἀφιεὶς λαμβάνειν τῆς στενοχωρίας ταύτης, ἀλλ' ἀντὶ πάντων αὐτοῖς γινόμενος, καὶ δῆμον ὁλόκληρον διατρέφων σίτῳ, καὶ οἴνῳ, καὶ ἐλαίῳ, καὶ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν. Ὁ Θεός σοι τὸν μισθὸν ἀποδῷ καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι τῆς μεγαλοψυχίας ταύτης, τῆς δαψιλείας, τῆς προθυμίας, τοῦ ζήλου, τῆς φιλοπτωχείας, τῆς γνησίας ἀγάπης· καὶ γὰρ ἐν ἅπασι τούτοις βρύεις καὶ κομᾷς, μέγιστα σεαυτῷ ἀποτιθέμενος βραβεῖα ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. Ταῦτα καὶ ἡμεῖς μανθάνοντες ἐν ἐρημίᾳ τοσαύτῃ καθήμενοι, καὶ πολλαῖς κυκλούμενοι περιστάσεσι· καὶ γὰρ Ἰσαυρικοῦ φόβου πολιορκία, καὶ χωρίου ἐρημία, καὶ χειμῶνος σφοδρότης ἡμᾶς θλίβει· ἀλλ' ὅμως ταῦτα ἀκούοντες περὶ τῆς σῆς τιμιότητος, οὐδὲ αἴσθησιν τούτων λαμβάνομεν τῶν λυπηρῶν, ἀλλὰ καὶ πολλὴν καρπούμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, σκιρτῶντες, εὐφραινόμενοι, χαίροντες ἐπὶ τοῖς τοσούτοις κατορθώμασιν, ἐπὶ τῷ πλούτῳ τῷ ἀφάτῳ, ὃν ἐν οὐρανοῖς συνάγεις σεαυτῷ. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ ἐν ἑτέρῳ εὐφραινώμεθα, γράφειν ἡμῖν συνεχῶς μὴ κατόκνει, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος. Σφόδρα γὰρ ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἀκούειν τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς. Καὶ τοῦτο οἶσθα καὶ αὐτὸς, ἐπειδήπερ κἀκεῖνο οἶσθα, ὅπως ἀεὶ τῆς ἀγάπης τῆς σῆς ἀντεχόμεθα.