Letter 96: Chrysostom encourages Amproucla and her companions to rejoice in trials and write about their health.

Waves that crash against rocks cannot shake the rocks even a little; by the violence of their own rush they break themselves apart and disappear. You can see the same thing now in you and in those who plot against you pointlessly and in vain. From this, your freedom before God and your good name among people increase, while judgment, shame, and disgrace fall on them. That is what virtue is like, and what vice is like. Virtue blooms even more when it is attacked; vice becomes weaker even while it attacks, and in that very act is undone. So take great comfort from what is happening. Rejoice, be glad, and be strong. You know what prizes you entered the contest for when you took up this struggle of courage, and what good things wait for you if you endure what comes with patience and thanksgiving: things no eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no human heart has imagined. The painful things pass by and end with the present life; the prizes that come from them remain immortal. Even before those prizes, you already reap no small joy here, nourished by the hope of a good conscience and by the expectation of those crowns. I know you knew all this even before my letter. But to make the letter long, I have extended the consolation. I know well that you love my letters intensely, far beyond measure. I think this is why you keep reproaching me for not writing more often. Even if I sent a letter every day, I could not satisfy your desire, because you are so attached to my letters. May God give you the reward and recompense for such great love toward us, both in this present life and in the age to come. We, for our part, do not stop writing whenever chance allows. In doing this we give the greatest favor to ourselves, because through letters we are continually greeting your soul. The love you planted in us from the beginning we preserve always fresh. Even if we are separated from you for a longer time still, it will not grow dim. In thought we carry you everywhere, struck with wonder at the steadiness of your judgment and your great courage. So write to us often, giving good news of your health and that of your whole household, so that from this too we may gain much comfort.

ʹ. Ἀμπρούκλῃ διακόνῳ καὶ ταῖς σὺν αὐτῇ. Τὰ κύματα, ταῖς πέτραις προσρηγνύμενα, ἐκείνας μὲν οὐδὲ μικρὸν διασαλεῦσαι δύναται, ἑαυτὰ δὲ μειζόνως τῷ ῥαγδαίῳ τῆς ῥύμης διαλύοντα ἀφανίζει. Τοῦτο καὶ ἐφ' ὑμῶν ἔστιν ἰδεῖν νῦν, καὶ τῶν ἐπιβουλευόντων ὑμῖν εἰκῆ καὶ μάτην. Ὑμῖν μὲν γὰρ καὶ ἡ παρὰ τῷ Θεῷ παῤῥησία καὶ ἡ παρ' ἀνθρώποις δόξα πλείων ἐντεῦθεν γίνεται, ἐκείνοις δὲ κρῖμα, καὶ αἰσχύνη, καὶ ὄνειδος. Ἐπεὶ καὶ τοιοῦτον ἡ ἀρετὴ, καὶ τοιοῦτον ἡ κακία· ἡ μὲν καὶ πολεμουμένη μειζόνως ἀνθεῖ, αὐτὴ δὲ καὶ πολεμοῦσα ἀσθενεστέρα γίνεται, καὶ ταύτῃ μάλιστα καταλύεται. Μεγίστην τοίνυν ἔχουσαι παράκλησιν τῶν γινομένων τὴν ὑπόθεσιν, χαίρετε καὶ εὐφραίνεσθε, καὶ κραταιοῦσθε. Ἴστε γὰρ ἐφ' οἷς ἀπεδύσασθε ἐπάθλοις εἰς τὸν τῆς ἀνδρείας ταύτης ἀγῶνα, καὶ ποῖα ὑμᾶς καρτερούσας καὶ εὐχαρίστως φερούσας τὰ συμπίπτοντα ἀναμένει ἀγαθὰ, ἃ οὔτε ὀφθαλμὸς εἶδεν, οὔτε οὖς ἤκουσεν, οὔτε ἐπὶ καρδίαν ἀνθρώπου ἀνέβη. Καὶ τὰ μὲν λυπηρὰ τοιαῦτα παροδεύεται, καὶ τῷ παρόντι συγκαταλύεται βίῳ· τὰ δὲ ἐντεῦθεν ἔπαθλα ἀθάνατα μένει. Καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἐπάθλων δὲ ἐκείνων, οὐ μικρὰν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρποῦσθε ἡδονὴν, τῇ ἐλπίδι τοῦ χρηστοῦ συνειδότος, καὶ προσδοκίᾳ στεφάνων ἐκείνων τρεφόμεναι. Ταῦτα οἶδ' ὅτι καὶ πρὸ τῶν ἡμετέρων οἶσθα γραμμάτων· ἀλλ' ἵνα μακρὰν ποιήσωμεν τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, ἐξέτεινα τὴν παράκλησιν. Εὖ γε γὰρ οἶδ' ὅτι σφόδρα ἡμῶν τῶν γραμμάτων ἐρᾷς, καὶ μεθ' ὑπερβολῆς σφόδρα· καὶ τοῦτο οἶμαι αἴτιον εἶναι τοῦ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐγκαλεῖν, ὅτι μὴ πολλάκις ἐπεστάλκαμεν. Οὐ γὰρ δυνάμεθά σου κορέσαι τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, κἂν καθ' ἑκάστην πέμπωμεν γράμματα, διὰ τὸ σφόδρα ἡμῶν ἐκκρέμασθαι τῶν ἐπιστολῶν. Ὁ Θεός σοι τὸν μισθὸν δῷ καὶ τὴν ἀμοιβὴν τῆς τοσαύτης περὶ ἡμᾶς ἀγάπης, καὶ ἐν τῷ παρόντι βίῳ καὶ ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι αἰῶνι. Ἡμεῖς μέντοι οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν διὰ τῶν ἐμπιπτόντων συνεχῶς ἐπιστέλλοντες· ἡμῖν γὰρ αὐτοῖς τὰ μέγιστα χαριούμεθα τοῦτο ποιοῦντες, καὶ τῇ σῇ ψυχῇ συνεχῶς διὰ τῶν γραμμάτων προσαγορεύοντες. Καὶ γὰρ τὴν ἀγάπην, ἣν ἐνέθηκας ἡμῖν ἐξ ἀρχῆς, ταύτην διηνεκῶς ἀκμάζουσαν διατηροῦμεν· κἂν πλείονα τούτου πάλιν ἀπολειφθῶμεν ὑμῖν χρόνον, οὐδὲ ἐντεῦθεν αὐτὴ ἀμαυροτέρα γίνεται. Ἐν γὰρ διανοίᾳ πανταχοῦ περιφέρομεν ὑμᾶς, ἐκπληττόμενοι τὸ ἀπερίτρεπτον ὑμῶν τῆς γνώμης καὶ τὴν πολλὴν ἀνδρείαν. Γράφε δὴ καὶ αὐτὴ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν, τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζομένη καὶ τοῦ οἴκου σου παντὸς, ἵνα πολλὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν παράκλησιν.