Letter 117: Chrysostom asks Theodora to forgive Eustathius and receive spiritual profit from mercy.

I write to your Modesty rarely, because letter-carriers are hard to find, but I remember you constantly. Remembering is in our power; carrying letters is not. So one happens always, and the other only when possible. My earlier letters contained greetings; this one also asks a favor, a favor that benefits the one who grants it even more than the one who receives it. We have heard that Eustathius has offended your Honor, fallen out of your household, and been excluded from your sight. I do not know the details or why he has drawn such anger. But because we care greatly for your salvation, hear this from us. You know that the present life is nothing: it is like spring flowers, weak shadows, and the deceit of dreams. The true, fixed, and immovable things are those that receive us after we depart from here. If others have acted insolently and cast him out unjustly, then honor justice and correct what happened. If he was cast out justly, then honor mercy and do the same thing anyway; in that case you will reap even greater fruit than he does. The servant who demanded the hundred denarii from his fellow servant harmed himself more than the other man, overturning the forgiveness of ten thousand talents by his severity. Whoever overlooks a neighbor's sins makes the future accounting gentler for himself. The greater the sins forgiven, the greater the forgiveness one may receive. So do not tell me that he did this or that wrong. The more serious you show his faults to be, the more necessary you make forgiveness, because you store up for yourself a greater claim on mercy. Release your anger, even if it is just. Master your wrath by wise reflection, and offer this sacrifice to God. Grant this to us who love you, and grant yourself the calm of a soul freed from disturbance and the boldness to ask the merciful God for entrance into the kingdom. Send us a letter showing what our letter has accomplished.

ΡΙΖʹ. Θεοδώρᾳ. Γράφω μὲν ὀλιγάκις τῇ κοσμιότητί σου, διὰ τὸ μὴ ῥᾳδίως ἐπιτυγχάνειν τῶν κομιζόντων τὰ γράμματα· μέμνημαι δέ σου οὐκ ὀλιγάκις, ἀλλὰ καὶ διηνεκῶς. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἐφ' ἡμῖν κεῖται, τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐφ' ἡμῖν· ἀλλὰ τοῦ μὲν μεμνῆσθαι διηνεκῶς, αὐτοὶ κύριοι, τοῦ δὲ κομίζειν τὰς ἐπιστολὰς, οὐκ ἔτι. ∆ιὰ τοῦτο τὸ μὲν ἀεὶ γίνεται, τὸ δὲ, ἡνίκα ἂν ἐξῇ. Τὰς μὲν οὖν ἄλλας ἐπιστολὰς πρόσρησιν ἐχούσας ἐπέμπομεν, ταύτην δὲ καὶ χάριτος αἴτησιν. Τίς δὲ ἡ χάρις; Σοὶ τῇ παρεχούσῃ μᾶλλον, ἢ τῷ δεχομένῳ τὸ κέρδος φέρουσα, καὶ πρὸ τοῦ λαμβάνοντος τὸν διδόντα ὠφελοῦσα. Καὶ γὰρ ἦλθεν εἰς ἡμᾶς, ὅτι δὴ Εὐστάθιος τῶν προσκεκρουκότων ἐστὶ τῇ τιμιότητί σου, καὶ τῆς οἰκίας τῆς σῆς ἐξέπεσε, καὶ ἀπὸ ὄψεως γέγονεν. Ὅπως μὲν οὖν ἔχει τοῦ πράγματος ἡ φύσις, καὶ τίνος ἕνεκεν τοσαύτην ὑπέμεινεν ὀργὴν, εἰπεῖν οὐκ ἔχω· ἐκεῖνο γὰρ ἔγνων μόνον· ἃ δὲ χρή σε παρ' ἡμῶν ἀκοῦσαι τῶν σφόδρα σου τῆς σωτηρίας ἀντεχομένων, ἐστὶ ταῦτα. Οἶσθα ὡς οὐδὲν ὁ παρὼν βίος, ἀλλ' ἢ ἄνθη μιμεῖται ἠρινὰ, καὶ σκιὰς ἀδρανεῖς, καὶ ὀνειράτων ἐστὶν ἀπάτη· τὰ δὲ ἀληθῆ πράγματα, καὶ πεπηγότα, καὶ ἀμετακίνητα, τὰ μετὰ τὴν ἐντεῦθεν ἀποδημίαν ἡμᾶς διαδεξόμενά ἐστι. Ταῦτα καὶ παρ' ἡμῶν πολλάκις ἤκουσας, καὶ οἴκοθεν φιλοσοφοῦσα διατελεῖς. ∆ιόπερ οὐδὲ μακρὰν ποιοῦμαι τὴν ἐπιστολὴν, ἀλλ' ἐκεῖνό φαμεν· εἰ μὲν ἀδίκως τινὲς ἐπηρεάσαντες ἐξέβαλον, αἰδουμένη τοῦ δικαίου τὴν φύσιν, διόρθωσον τὸ γεγενημένον· εἰ δὲ δικαίως, τοὺς τῆς φιλανθρωπίας τιμῶσα νόμους, τὸ αὐτὸ δὴ τοῦτο πάλιν ποίησον, ἔνθα καὶ αὐτὴ τὸ πλέον καρπώσῃ μᾶλλον ἢ ἐκεῖνος. Ὥσπερ γὰρ ὁ τὸν ὁμόδουλον ἀπαιτῶν τὰ ἑκατὸν δηνάρια, οὐκ ἐκεῖνον τοσοῦτον ἔβλαψεν, ὅσον ἑαυτῷ καιρίαν ἔδωκε τὴν πληγὴν, διὰ τῆς πρὸς τὸν σύνδουλον ἀκριβολογίας μυρίων ταλάντων συγχώρησιν ἀνατρέψας· οὕτως ὁ παρατρέχων τὰ τοῦ πλησίον ἁμαρτήματα ἡμερωτέρας ἑαυτῷ ποιεῖ τὰς ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι εὐθύνας, καὶ ὅσῳ ἂν μείζονα τὰ ἁμαρτήματα ἀφῇ, τοσούτῳ καὶ αὐτὸς πλείονος τεύξεται τῆς συγχωρήσεως. Οὐ ταύτῃ δὲ μόνον ἐστὶ τὸ διάφορον, ἀλλὰ καὶ τῷ δουλικὴν διδόντα χάριν, δεσποτικὴν λαμβάνειν δωρεάν. Μὴ τοίνυν μοι λέγε, ὅτι τὸ καὶ τὸ αὐτῷ πεπλημμέληται. Ὅσῳ γὰρ ἂν δείξῃς χαλεπώτερα τὰ γεγενημένα, τοσούτῳ τῆς συγχωρήσεως ἀναγκαιοτέραν ἀποφαίνεις τὴν πρόφασιν, ἐπειδήπερ πολλῷ πλείονα φιλανθρωπίας ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι προαποθήσῃ σαυτῇ τὴν ὑπόθεσιν. Λῦσον τοίνυν τὴν ὀργὴν, κἂν δικαία ᾖ, δάμασον λογισμῷ φιλοσόφῳ τὸν θυμὸν, ἀνένεγκε τοῦτο θυσίαν τῷ Θεῷ· χάρισαι καὶ ἡμῖν τοῖς ἀγαπῶσί σε, καὶ δεῖξον πῶς καὶ ἀπὸ βραχείας ἐπιστολῆς τοσαύτην ἔχομεν δύναμιν. Χάρισαι καὶ σαυτῇ τὰ μεγάλα ταῦτα, ἅπερ εἶπον ἐγὼ, τὸ ἀτάραχον, τὸ ἐξοικίσαι τῆς ψυχῆς τὸν ἐντεῦθεν θόρυβον, τὸ μετὰ πολλῆς παῤῥησίας καὶ ἐντεῦθεν αἰτεῖν παρὰ τοῦ φιλανθρώπου Θεοῦ τὴν εἰς τὴν βασιλείαν εἴσοδον. Καὶ γὰρ μέγα καθάρσιον ἁμαρτημάτων ἡ εἰς τὸν πλησίον φιλοφροσύνη· Ἐὰν γὰρ ἀφῆτε τοῖς ἀνθρώποις, φησὶ, τὰ παραπτώματα αὐτῶν, ἀφήσει καὶ ὑμῖν ὁ Πατὴρ ὑμῶν ὁ οὐράνιος. Ταῦτ' οὖν ἅπαντα λογισαμένη πέμψον ἡμῖν ἐπιστολὴν, δηλοῦσαν ὅ τι ἤνυσαν τὰ γράμματα ἡμῶν. Τὸ μὲν γὰρ ἡμέτερον ἀπήρτισται, καὶ πεποιήκαμεν οὗπέρ ἐσμεν κύριοι παρεκαλέσαμεν, ἐδεήθημεν, χάριν ᾐτήσαμεν, συνεβουλεύσαμεν ἅπερ ἐχρῆν. Πᾶσα δέ ἐστιν ὑπὲρ σοῦ λοιπὸν ἡ σπουδή. Ἡμῖν μὲν γὰρ ὁ μισθὸς, ἄν τε γένηταί τι πλέον, ἄν τε μὴ γένηται, τῆς παρακλήσεως ταύτης ἀποκείσεται· ἔστι γὰρ καὶ ῥημάτων λαβεῖν ἀμοιβήν. Ὁ δὲ κάματος ἡμῖν ἅπας, διὰ τοῦ ἔργου καὶ τὴν σὴν κερδᾶναι κοσμιότητα, καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν παρόντων κατορθωμάτων τὰ μέλλοντα καὶ ἀθάνατα ἀγαθὰ μετὰ πολλῆς καρπώσασθαι τῆς εὐκολίας.