Letter 160: Chrysostom thanks a western bishop for laboring at home and across the sea for the churches.

Whenever I think of the sweat you have poured out, first while staying at home and then by undertaking so long a journey across the sea for the churches, I receive great consolation. You have not treated the sufferings of others as foreign to you. This is the mark of genuine love: to share the wounds of those far away and to leave one's own quiet for the sake of peace. For such zeal God himself becomes the debtor, not because he owes anything by necessity, but because he has promised great rewards to those who labor for truth. Do not stop now. Add the end that fits such a beginning. Continue helping the churches until the disturbance is corrected as far as possible. And write to us, so that your letters may bring comfort to those who live in this wilderness.

ΡΞʹ. Ἐπισκόπῳ ἐλθόντι ἀπὸ ∆ύσεως. Ὅταν ἐννοήσω τὸν ἱδρῶτα, ὃν ἵδρωσας, καὶ οἴκοι καθήμενος, καὶ μακρὰν οὕτω καὶ διαπόντιον ἀποδημίαν στειλάμενος, ὑπὲρ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις συμφερόντων πραγμάτων, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ τέλους σε στεφανῶν καὶ ἀνακηρύττων καὶ μακαρίζων οὐ παύομαι. Ἄν τε γὰρ γένηταί τι πλέον ἀπὸ τῆς ὑμετέρας σπουδῆς, δέσποτά μου τιμιώτατε, ἄν τε ἐπὶ τῆς αὐτῆς μένωσι φιλονεικίας οἱ τὰς ταραχὰς παρὰ τὴν ἀρχὴν ἐμβαλόντες, ἀνίατα νοσοῦντες, ὑμῖν ὁ μισθός ἐστιν ἀπηρτισμένος ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης καὶ τοῦ τὰ παρ' ἑαυτῶν ἅπαντα εἰσενεγκεῖν. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο ὑμᾶς μακαρίζομεν, θαυμάζομεν, χάριτας ὑμῖν ὁμολογοῦντες οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν. Καὶ ἐβουλόμεθα μὲν καὶ συνεχέστερον ἐπιστέλλειν· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο ἡμᾶς παρείλετο ἡ τοῦ χωρίου τούτου, ἐν ᾧ καθείργμεθα, ἐρημία, νῦν ὅτε ἐπετύχομεν τοῦ κυρίου μου τοῦ τιμιωτάτου καὶ εὐλαβεστάτου πρεσβυτέρου, καὶ γράφομεν, καὶ τὴν ὀφειλομένην ὑμῖν ἀποδιδόαμεν πρόσρησιν. Γνώμῃ μὲν γὰρ καὶ διαθέσει πολλάκις ἐπεστάλκαμεν, χάρτῃ δὲ καὶ μέλανι πρῶτον νῦν, ἐπειδὴ καὶ νῦν πρῶτον τὸν πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἀφικνούμενον εὑρήκαμεν. ∆εξάμενοι τοίνυν αὐτὸν ὡς ὑμῖν πρέπον ἐστὶ, καὶ τὴν προσήκουσαν περὶ αὐτὸν ἐπιδειξάμενοι ἀγάπην, δότε ἐντρυφῆσαι ὑμῶν τῇ διαθέσει. Οὐ γὰρ μικρὰν ἕξει τῆς τοσαύτης ταλαιπωρίας, τῆς κατὰ τὴν ὁδοιπορίαν, παραμυθίαν καὶ παράκλησιν, τὸ τῆς εὐνοίας ἀπολαῦσαι τῆς ὑμετέρας. Ὅτι γὰρ ὑπὲρ τοῦ ἐῤῥωμενεστάτῃ χρήσασθαι τῇ σπουδῇ τῶν ταῖς Ἐκκλησίαις ἕνεκεν συμφερόντων οὐδὲν δεήσεσθε τῆς ἑτέρων ὑπομνήσεως, ἐδείξατε διὰ τῶν πραγμάτων αὐτῶν.