Letter 228: Chrysostom tells Theodore the physician that love makes him present despite his busyness.

You take refuge in the busyness of affairs and weave from it an apology for not coming. I do not think you need such words. You have come, and in the account of love you lack nothing compared with those who have actually reached us. Judging you by your intention, we enroll you among our first friends and thank you because, though you spent only a short time with us, you show no less love than those raised with us over many years. For this we thank you often, and we ask you to write to us continually. We long to see you here in person, but we do not dare draw you away and wrong the many people who need your hands and your voice. Whenever you can, then, write to us and send the good news of your health. Even from far away, we will draw great consolation from such letters from your Kindness.

ΣΚΗʹ. Θεοδώρῳ ἰατρῷ. Αὐτὸς μὲν εἰς τὴν τῶν πραγμάτων ἀσχολίαν καταφεύγεις, καὶ ἀπολογίαν ἐντεῦθεν ὑφαίνεις τοῦ μὴ παραγενέσθαι· ἐγὼ δὲ οἶμαι οὐδὲν τούτων σε δεῖσθαι τῶν λόγων. Καὶ γὰρ παραγέγονας, καὶ τῶν ἀφικομένων πρὸς ἡμᾶς οὐδὲν ἔλαττον ἔχεις κατὰ τὸν τῆς ἀγάπης λόγον· ἀπὸ γὰρ τῆς γνώμης σε ἀνακηρύττοντες ὁμοίως ἐκείνοις, εἰς τοὺς πρώτους σε τῶν φίλων γράφομεν, καί σοι χάριτας ἴσμεν, ὅτι ὀλίγα συγγενόμενος ἡμῖν, τάχα δὲ οὐδ' ὀλίγα, τῶν πολὺν ἡμῖν συντραφέντων χρόνον οὐκ ἐλάττονα περὶ ἡμᾶς ἐπιδείκνυσαι ἔρωτα. ∆ιὰ ταῦτά σοι χάριτας ἴσμεν πολλὰς, καί σε παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν. Ἐπιθυμοῦμεν γὰρ αὐτὸν παρόντα σε θεάσασθαι· ἀλλ' ἵνα μὴ πολλοὺς ἀδικήσωμεν τοὺς καὶ τῶν χειρῶν τῶν σῶν καὶ τῆς γλώττης δεομένους τῆς σῆς, καὶ τοσοῦτον αὐτοῖς προσχώσωμεν λιμένα, οὐ τολμῶμεν ἐνταῦθά σε ἑλκύσαι. Ἀλλ' ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ, παρακαλοῦμεν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελίζεσθαι. Οὕτω γὰρ καὶ πόῤῥωθεν ὄντες πολλὴν καρπωσόμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν, ἂν τοιαύτας δεχώμεθα παρὰ τῆς σῆς ἐμμελείας ἐπιστολάς.