Letter 217: Chrysostom asks Valentinus to aid widows and virgins threatened by famine.

I know your generous soul and the warm love you have for protecting the poor. I know the desire you always show for this good work, both by giving and by doing it with pleasure. That gives your charity a double crown: one for your generosity, and one for the spirit from which the generosity comes. The honored presbyter Domitian, who has charge there of the widows and virgins, has told us that they are almost in famine. So we run to your hands as to a harbor, asking you to end this shipwreck of hunger. I beg you, earnestly: summon the presbyter and help as much as you can. Almsgiving at any time has its reward, but help given now brings a greater return because those in need are caught in a harsher storm and do not have the usual abundance.

ΣΙΖʹ. Βαλεντίνῳ. Οἶδά σου τὴν φιλότιμον ψυχὴν, τὸν ἔρωτα τὸν θερμὸν, ὃν περὶ τὰς τῶν πενήτων ἔχεις προστασίας, τὴν ἐπιθυμίαν, ἣν ἀεὶ περὶ τὴν καλὴν ταύτην ἐπιδείκνυσαι πραγματείαν, καὶ παρέχων, καὶ μεθ' ἡδονῆς τοῦτο ποιῶν, καὶ διπλοῦν σοι τὸν στέφανον τὸν τῆς φιλανθρωπίας καὶ λαμπρότερον καθιστὰς, καὶ τῇ δαψιλείᾳ, καὶ τῇ γνώμῃ ἀφ' ἧς καὶ ἡ δαψίλεια γίνεται. Ἐπεὶ οὖν ἐδήλωσεν ἡμῖν ὁ τιμιώτατος πρεσβύτερος ∆ομετιανὸς, ὁ τῶν χηρῶν καὶ παρθένων τῶν αὐτόθι τὴν προστασίαν ἔχων, ὅτι σχεδὸν ἐν λιμῷ καθεστήκασιν, ὥσπερ εἰς λιμένα τὰς σὰς καταφεύγομεν χεῖρας, ὥστε τουτὶ λῦσαι τοῦ λιμοῦ τὸ ναυάγιον. ∆έομαι οὖν σου, καὶ σφόδρα δέομαι, μεταπεμψάμενος τὸν πρεσβύτερον, ὅπερ ἂν ᾖ δυνατὸν, ἐπικουρῆσαι παρακλήθητι. Τῆς γὰρ ἐν ἄλλῳ καιρῷ ἐλεημοσύνης ἡ νῦν παρεχομένη πολλῷ πλείονα παρέχει τὴν ἀμοιβὴν, ὅσῳπερ ἐν χαλεπωτέρῳ χειμῶνι καὶ ζάλῃ καθεστήκασιν οἱ δεόμενοι λαβεῖν, οὐ τῆς εἰωθυίας ἀπολαύοντες ἀφθονίας. Ἐννοήσας τοίνυν καὶ τοῦ πράγματος τὸ κέρδος, καὶ τὴν ἀπὸ τοῦ καιροῦ γενομένην προσθήκην, τὰ σαυτοῦ ποιῆσαι παρακλήθητι. Οὐδὲν γὰρ δεῖ πλέον εἰπεῖν πρὸς φιλάνθρωπον οὕτω καὶ ἡμερωτάτην γράφοντες ψυχήν. Οἶδας γὰρ, ὅτι καὶ σπόρτουλα ἡμῖν χρεωστεῖς· ἀλλ' ὅμως καὶ ἐκείνων ἕνεκεν εἰς τοῦτό σοι διαλυόμεθα. Καὶ γράψαι δὲ ἡμῖν παρακλήθητι, ὅτι ἐπένευσας ἡμῶν τῇ αἰτήσει, καὶ τὰ περὶ τῆς ὑγιείας τῆς σῆς εὐαγγελιζόμενος, καὶ παντὸς τοῦ εὐλογημένου σου οἴκου.