Letter 192: Chrysostom consoles Onesicratia after the death of her daughter.

We too were deeply pained to hear about your blessed daughter. Yet knowing the trained strength of your mind and the greatness of your spirit, we are confident that you will rise above such waves. It is impossible not to grieve, but we urge you to set a measure to grief, remembering how brief human affairs are, how common such sufferings are to all, and how they belong to the law of nature and the decree of God, the Master of us all. This is not death, but a journey, a movement from worse things to better. Bearing this in mind, endure what has happened nobly and give thanks to the God who loves humanity. The blow is heavier because it came while the earlier wound was still fresh, but the crown of your endurance will be brighter. Write and tell us that the cloud of despondency has begun to scatter; then we too will not grieve beyond measure.

ΡΒʹ. Ὀνησικρατίᾳ. Σφόδρα ἠλγήσαμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς ἀκούσαντες περὶ τῆς μακαρίας θυγατρός σου. Ἀλλ' ὅμως εἰδότες τὸ φιλόσοφόν σου τῆς διανοίας, καὶ τὸ ὑψηλὸν τῆς γνώμης, πάνυ θαῤῥοῦμεν ὡς ἀνωτέρα στήσῃ τῶν τοιούτων κυμάτων. Μὴ λυπεῖσθαι μὲν γὰρ ἀμήχανον, παρακαλοῦμεν δὲ συμμέτρως τοῦτο ποιεῖν εἰδυῖαν τὸ ἐπίκηρον τῶν ἀνθρωπίνων πραγμάτων, καὶ ὡς κοινὰ ταῦτα πᾶσι τὰ πάθη, καὶ ὡς φύσεως νόμος κοινὸς, καὶ τοῦ πάντων ἡμῶν ∆εσπότου Θεοῦ ἀπόφασις. Οὐ γὰρ δὴ θάνατος τοῦτο, ἀλλ' ἀποδημία καὶ μετάστασις ἀπὸ τῶν χειρόνων πρὸς τὰ βελτίω. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογιζομένη, φέρε γενναίως τὸ συμβὰν, καὶ εὐχαρίστει τῷ φιλανθρώπῳ Θεῷ. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ χαλεπωτέρα ἡ πληγὴ γέγονε, πρὸς τὸ νεαρὰν οὖσαν τὴν προτέραν καταλαβεῖν, ἀλλὰ καὶ λαμπρότερός σοι ὁ στέφανος τῆς ὑπομονῆς, καὶ μείζω τὰ βραβεῖα, μετ' εὐχαριστίας καὶ δοξολογίας φερούσῃ τὸ πάθος. Ἵν' οὖν καὶ ἡμεῖς μὴ σφόδρα ἀλγῶμεν, ἀλλ' εἰδῶμεν σαφῶς ὅτι γέγονέ σοί τι πλέον ἀπὸ τῶν γραμμάτων τῶν ἡμετέρων, μὴ κατοκνήσῃς ἡμῖν γράψαι τοῦτο αὐτὸ, δηλοῦσα ὅτι σοι τῆς ἀθυμίας διεσκεδάσθη τὸ νέφος, καὶ τὸ πολὺ τῆς ὀδύνης τοῦ ἕλκους ὑποτέτμηται. Εἰ γὰρ ταῦτα μάθοιμεν, οὐ παυσόμεθα νιφάδας ἐπιστολῶν πέμπειν σοι· καὶ γὰρ οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχεν ἀντεχόμεθά σου τῆς εὐγενείας, γνησίας ἀεὶ καὶ εἰλικρινοῦς καὶ τιμῆς, καὶ αἰδοῦς, καὶ ἀγάπης ἀπολαύσαντες παρὰ τῆς σῆς κοσμιότητος. Ὧν συνεχῶς μεμνημένοι, ἀκμάζουσαν τὴν περὶ σὲ διάθεσιν τηροῦμεν, κἂν πρὸς αὐτὰς ἀφικώμεθα τῆς οἰκουμένης τὰς ἐσχατιάς.