Letter 200: Chrysostom thanks Callistratus for writing first and hopes for a visit when travel allows.

I wanted to see your Reverence come here, to delight in your company and enjoy your genuine and warm love. Since that is not possible for the moment, because of the season and the length of the road, I pay the greeting owed to you by letter. I am grateful to your Reverence because you were the first to hurry to us with letters. That is the mark of warm and genuine friendship. You did nothing unreasonable; you acted exactly as befits you. Give us this favor continually, then, and tell us more often about your health. If it becomes possible for your Reverence to take the trouble to come to us, you will fill us with great joy. Until that happens, contrive the pleasure of your presence by writing frequently.

Σʹ. Καλλιστράτῳ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἰσαυρίας. Ἐγὼ μέν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν καὶ ἐνταῦθα παραγενομένην ἐπεθύμουν ἰδεῖν, ὥστε ἐντρυφῆσαί σου τῇ συνουσίᾳ, καὶ ἀπολαῦσαί σου τῆς γνησίας καὶ θερμῆς ἀγάπης· ἐπειδὴ δὲ τοῦτο τέως οὐκ ἔνι, διά τε τὴν τοῦ ἔτους ὥραν, καὶ τὸ τῆς ὁδοῦ μῆκος, τὴν διὰ γραμμάτων ὀφειλομένην σοι πρόσρησιν ἀποδίδωμι, καὶ χάριν ἔχω σου τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ, ὅτι καὶ πρότερος τοῖς πρὸς ἡμᾶς ἐπεπήδησας γράμμασι. Θερμῆς γὰρ τοῦτο καὶ γνησίας φιλίας· καὶ οὐ μόνον οὐκ ἀπεικότως ἔπραξας, ἀλλὰ καὶ σφόδρα σοι προσηκόντως. Χαρίζου δὴ ταύτην συνεχῶς ἡμῖν τὴν χάριν, καὶ πυκνότερον ἡμῖν δήλου τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς. Ἂν δὲ καὶ δυνατὸν γένηται τῇ εὐλαβείᾳ τῇ σῇ σκυλῆναι ἕως ἡμῶν, τὰ μέγιστα ἡμῖν χαριῇ, καὶ πολλῆς ἡμᾶς ἐμπλήσεις εὐφροσύνης. Ἐννοήσας τοίνυν ὡς καὶ ἡμεῖς ἐπιθυμοῦμεν ἰδεῖν σου τὴν εὐλάβειαν, καὶ ὡς τὸ πρᾶγμα οὐ σφόδρα ἐργῶδες, εἰ γένοιτο καιρὸς ἐπιτήδειος πρὸς ὁδοιπορίαν, μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς ἡμᾶς τῆς συντυχίας τῆς σῆς. Ἕως δ' ἂν τοῦτο γένηται, τῇ πυκνότητι τῶν γραμμάτων τὴν ἐκ τῆς παρουσίας ἡδονὴν σοφίζεσθαι παρακλήθητι.