Letter 146: Chrysostom says love makes the absent clergy present and asks them for prayers and letters.

You blame the Isaurian raid for your absence. I say that you are present and with us, and that nothing has blocked your arrival in that sense. Such are the wings of love: it comes everywhere at once and with great ease, even if countless obstacles stand in the way. If we have been deprived of your bodily presence, do not stop praying, and the God who loves humankind will grant that too. I carry you continually in mind and long for a face-to-face meeting; I know it will happen if you pray earnestly to the one who can dissolve every storm and bring all things into bright calm. So that you may rejoice to know our affairs: we enjoy much quiet and freedom from disturbance. Many things injure the body's health here: scarcity of physicians, lack of necessities, no medicines, bad air, summer as harsh in its way as winter, a hard and constant siege, and repeated fear of Isaurian attacks. Yet for now we have escaped serious danger and such illness, and we possess a moderate health. Do not stop writing to us often and sending good news of your health. We count your love as great consolation, medicine, and a treasure filled with many good things. Whenever we think of your genuine disposition and unshaken love, we sail from our many troubles into a broad and waveless harbor.

ΡΜʹ. Θεοδότῳ, Νικολάῳ, Χαιρέᾳ, πρεσβυτέροις καὶ μονάζουσι. Ὑμεῖς μὲν τῶν Ἰσαύρων αἰτιᾶσθε τὴν καταδρομὴν τῆς ἀπουσίας τῆς ὑμετέρας· ἐγὼ δὲ ὑμᾶς καὶ παρεῖναί φημι, καὶ σὺν ἡμῖν εἶναι, καὶ οὐδὲν οὐδὲ ἐντεῦθεν γενέσθαι κώλυμα πρὸς τὴν ἄφιξιν ὑμῶν. Τοιαῦτα γὰρ τῆς ἀγάπης τὰ πτερά· ἀθρόον καὶ μετὰ πολλῆς τῆς εὐκολίας πανταχοῦ παραγίνεται, κἂν μυρία τὰ κωλύματα ᾖ. Εἰ δὲ τῆς σωματικῆς ὑμῶν ἀπεστερήμεθα παρουσίας, μὴ διαλίπητε εὐχόμενοι, καὶ δώσει ταῦτα ὁ φιλάνθρωπος Θεός. Ἐπεὶ καὶ αὐτὸς διηνεκῶς ὑμᾶς ἐν διανοίᾳ περιφέρων, οὐχ ὡς ἔτυχε καὶ τῆς κατ' ὄψιν ἐρῶ συντυχίας, καὶ εὖ οἶδ' ὅτι καὶ αὐτὴ ἔσται, μετὰ ἐκτενείας ὑμῶν παρακαλούντων τὸν δυνάμενον πάντα λῦσαι χειμῶνα, καὶ εἰς γαλήνην λευκὴν ἅπαντα ἀγαγεῖν. Ἵνα δὲ καὶ τὰ ἡμέτερα μαθόντες εὐφραίνησθε, πολλῆς ἀπολαύομεν ἡσυχίας καὶ ἀπραγμοσύνης, τὸ σῶμα ἡμῖν, καίτοι πολλῶν ὄντων τῶν λυμαινομένων αὐτοῦ τὴν ὑγείαν· καὶ γὰρ ἰατρῶν σπάνις, καὶ ἀναγκαίων ἀπορία οὐδὲν γάρ ἐστιν ὤνιον ἐνταῦθα, οὐ φαρμάκων εὐπορία, καὶ ἀέρος δυσκρασία τοῦ κρυμοῦ γὰρ οὐκ ἔλαττον ἡμᾶς τὸ θέρος λυπεῖ, ἀπεναντίας τοῦ κρυμοῦ μιμούμενον τὴν σφοδρότητα, καὶ πολιορκία χαλεπὴ καὶ διηνεκὴς, καὶ συνεχεῖς καὶ ἐπάλληλοι φόβοι τῶν Ἰσαυρικῶν ἐφόδων· τούτων τοίνυν καὶ ἑτέρων πλειόνων ὄντων τῶν διαφθειρόντων τὴν ῥῶσιν ἡμῖν, τέως τοῦ μὲν κινδύνου τοῦ χαλεποῦ, καὶ τῆς τοιαύτης ἀπηλλάγμεθα ἀῤῥωστίας, ὑγιαίνομεν δέ τινα ὑγείαν σύμμετρον. Μὴ δὴ διαλίπητε καὶ αὐτοὶ συνεχῶς ἡμῖν ἐπιστέλλοντες, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγείας τῆς ὑμετέρας εὐαγγελιζόμενοι. Καὶ γὰρ παράκλησιν μεγίστην, καὶ παραμυθίαν, καὶ θησαυρὸν πολλῶν γέμοντα ἀγαθῶν, τὴν ὑμετέραν ἀγάπην εἶναι νομίζομεν· καὶ ὅταν τὴν διάθεσιν ὑμῶν τὴν γνησίαν, καὶ τὸ ἀπερίτρεπτον τῆς γνώμης, καὶ τὴν ἀκλινῆ καὶ στεῤῥὰν ὑμῶν ἐννοήσωμεν ἀγάπην ἀεὶ δὲ αὐτὴν ἐννοοῦντες οὐ παυόμεθα, ὥσπερ εἴς τινα λιμένα εὐρὺν καὶ ἀκύμαντον ἀπὸ τῶν πολλῶν καταπλέομεν θλίψεων.