Letter 171: Chrysostom says he is far from Montius in body but near through affection and memory.

We sit far from you in bodily presence, but near you in the disposition of the soul. Every day we are with you and bound to you, remembering your warm love for us, your hospitality, your kindness, and all the care and eagerness you showed in everything. We delight in the memory of your nobility and proclaim to everyone the sincerity of your affection. Distance has not weakened it; rather, it makes us feel it more sharply because we cannot enjoy your company face to face. Repay our longing with letters. Tell us about your health and about your affairs. A letter from you will make this wilderness less heavy and will give us something like your presence.

ΡΟΑʹ. Μοντίῳ. Πόῤῥω μέν σου καθήμεθα τῇ παρουσίᾳ τοῦ σώματος, ἐγγὺς δὲ τῇ διαθέσει τῆς ψυχῆς, καὶ σύνεσμέν σοι, καὶ συμπεπλέγμεθα καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν, τὸν θερμόν σου περὶ ἡμᾶς ἔρωτα, τὴν φιλοξενίαν, τὴν φιλοφροσύνην, τὴν τοσαύτην θεραπείαν καὶ σπουδὴν, ἣν διὰ πάντων ἐπεδείξω, καθ' ἑαυτοὺς ἀναλογιζόμενοι, καὶ ἐντρυφῶντες τῇ μνήμῃ τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς, καὶ πρὸς ἅπαντας ἀνακηρύττοντές σου τὴν εἰλικρινῆ διάθεσιν, καὶ δόλον οὐκ ἔχουσαν. ∆ιὸ καὶ γραμμάτων ἐπιθυμοῦμεν τῆς εὐγενείας τῆς σῆς, καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελίζεσθαι, ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τούτου πολλὴν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, μανθάνοντες τὰ περὶ τῆς ῥώσεως τῆς σῆς. Πάνυ γὰρ ἡμῖν τοῦτο περισπούδαστον εἰδέναι. Μὴ τοίνυν ἀποστερήσῃς ἡμᾶς ταύτης τῆς εὐφροσύνης· ἀλλ' ὁσάκις ἂν ἐξῇ γράφε, ταῦτα εὐαγγελιζόμενος.