Letter 102: Chrysostom encourages Theodotus to rejoice in trials while caring for his weak eyes.

What are you saying? That waves greater than expected have risen against you, and that this grieves you? For that very reason you should rejoice. Blessed Paul did exactly this when he said, "We also glory in tribulations," and again, "I rejoice in my sufferings." The harsher the storm becomes, the greater the profit, the brighter the crowns of endurance, and the richer the prizes. As for you, I am confident, because I know your firm, unbending, and steadfast character. For those who plot against you I grieve and weep, because people who ought to stand among the healers are acting like enemies. Only one thing troubles me about you: the weakness of your eyes. Please take great care of them, both by consulting physicians and by doing whatever lies in your own power. As for the trials brought upon you, rejoice in them, as I said. Those who wrong you injure themselves most, while they are preparing crowns for you. Write to us and tell us both about your health and about your courage, so that we too may be comforted.

ΡΒʹ. Θεοδότῳ ἀναγνώστῃ. Τί φής; Πλείονά σοι τῶν προσδοκηθέντων τὰ κύματα ἐναπέστη νῦν, καὶ διὰ τοῦτο ἀλγεῖς; ∆ιὰ τοῦτο μὲν οὖν αὐτὸ χαίρειν χρὴ καὶ σκιρτᾷν. Ἐπεὶ καὶ ὁ μακάριος Παῦλος οὕτως ἐποίει, νῦν μὲν λέγων· Οὐ μόνον δὲ, ἀλλὰ καὶ καυχώμεθα ἐν ταῖς θλίψεσι· νῦν δὲ, ὅτι Χαίρω ἐν τοῖς παθήμασί μου. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν μείζων καὶ τραχύτερος ὁ χειμὼν γένηται, τοσούτῳ πλείων ἡ ἐμπορία, λαμπρότεροι τῆς ὑπομονῆς οἱ στέφανοι, πολλὰ τὰ βραβεῖα. Ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς σοῦ μὲν ἕνεκεν θαῤῥῶ· οἶδα γάρ σου τὸ ἀπερίτρεπτον, καὶ ἀκλινὲς, καὶ στεῤῥόν· τῶν δὲ ἐπιβουλευόντων ἕνεκεν ἀλγῶ καὶ δακρύω, ὅτι οὓς χρὴ ἐν τάξει εἶναι τῶν θεραπευόντων, τὰ τῶν ἐχθρῶν ἐπιδείκνυνται. Ἕν με λυπεῖ μόνον, τὸ τῆς τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν σου ἀσθενείας, ὧν καὶ σφόδρα ἀξιῶ πολύν σε ποιεῖσθαι λόγον, ἰατροῖς τε διαλεγόμενον, καὶ τὰ παρὰ σαυτοῦ συνεισφέροντα. Ὡς τῶν γε θλίψεων τῶν ἐπαγομένων σοι ὅπερ καὶ ἔμπροσθεν εἶπον, αὐτόν τε χαίρειν ἀξιῶ, καὶ ἐγὼ δέ σοι συνήδομαι. Οἶδα γὰρ ὅσος ἐκ τούτου τίκτεταί σοι τῆς ὑπομονῆς ὁ καρπός. Μηδὲν οὖν σε θορυβείτω, μηδὲ ταραττέτω τῶν παρεμπιπτόντων. Ἓν γάρ ἐστι χαλεπὸν ἁμαρτία μόνον. Ὡς τά γε ἄλλα πάντα ἀγρυπνοῦντί σοι καὶ νήφοντι καὶ κερδῶν ὑπόθεσις ἔσται μεγίστη, καὶ τὰ ἀπόῤῥητα ἐκεῖνα ἀγαθὰ, τὰ ἐν τοῖς οὐρανοῖς, μετὰ πολλῆς οἴσει σοι τῆς δαψιλείας. Τοιαύτην τοίνυν καθ' ἑκάστην ἡμέραν πραγματευόμενος πραγματείαν, χαῖρε καὶ εὐφραίνου, καὶ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλειν μὴ κατόκνει. Ἡμεῖς μὲν γάρ σε βουλόμεθα καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν εἶναι· ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐχ ἡ τοῦ χειμῶνος ὥρα μόνον, ἀλλὰ καὶ ἡ τοῦ θέρους ὁμοίως ἐστὶν ἐπαχθὴς, ἐδείσαμεν εἰς ἀέρων σε δυσκρασίαν ἐμβαλεῖν, μάλιστα διὰ τὸ τῶν ὀφθαλμῶν πάθος. Ἔργον τοίνυν ποιησάμενος τὸ πολλὴν τούτοις προσάγειν τὴν ἐπιμέλειαν, καὶ περὶ τούτων, ἡνίκα ἂν συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλῃς, δήλου, εἴγε κἂν μικρὸν ἄμεινόν σοι διατεθείειν, ἵνα καὶ ἐκ τοσούτου καθήμενοι διαστήματος, πολλὴν καὶ ἐντεῦθεν καρπωσώμεθα τὴν εὐφροσύνην.