Letter 227: Chrysostom accepts Carteria's intention as presence and asks for news of her illness.

What do you say? That continual illnesses did not allow you to come to us? Yet you have come; you are with us. From your intention we have received everything, and you need no defense for this. Your warm and genuine love, always flourishing, is enough to bring us much joy. Still, because you have thrown us into no small anxiety by telling us about your illness, let us know from your own hand if you are free of it. God is able to release you and restore you to clear health, and this news will release us from worry. As I have always written, so I write now: wherever we are, even if we are carried to a place more desolate than this, we never stop caring for you and yours. The pledges of your warm and sincere love are stored in us and cannot be extinguished by time.

ΣΚΖʹ. Καρτερίᾳ. Τί φής; Αἱ συνεχεῖς ἀῤῥωστίαι οὐ συνεχώρησάν σοι παραγενέσθαι πρὸς ἡμᾶς; Καίτοι παραγέγονας, καὶ μεθ' ἡμῶν εἶ, καὶ ἀπὸ τῆς γνώμης σου τὸ πᾶν ἀπειλήφαμεν, καὶ οὐδέν σοι ὑπὲρ τούτων ἀπολογίας δεῖ. Ἀρκεῖ γὰρ ἡ θερμή σου καὶ γνησία ἀγάπη, ἡ οὕτως ἀκμάζουσα διηνεκῶς, ἀντὶ πολλῆς εὐφροσύνης ἡμῖν γενέσθαι. Ἀλλ' ἐπειδὴ οὐκ εἰς τὴν τυχοῦσαν φροντίδα ἡμᾶς ἐνέβαλες, περὶ τῆς ἀῤῥωστίας εἰποῦσα τῆς σῆς, εἴ γε ταύτης ἀπαλλαγείης ἱκανὸς γὰρ ὁ Θεὸς ἀπαλλάξαι σε, καὶ πρὸς ὑγείαν καθαρὰν ἐπαναγαγεῖν, ἐξ αὐτῆς ἡμῖν δήλωσον, ὥστε ἡμᾶς ἀπαλλαγῆναι τῆς φροντίδος. Ὅπερ γὰρ ἀεὶ γράφων ἐδήλωσα, τοῦτο καὶ νῦν δηλῶ, ὅτι, ὅπουπερ ἂν ὦμεν, κἂν εἰς ἐρημότερον τούτου χωρίον ἀπενεχθῶμεν, σὲ καὶ τὰ σὰ μεριμνῶντες οὐ διαλιμπάνομεν. Τοιαῦτα ἡμῖν ἐνέχυρα τῆς θερμῆς καὶ γνησίας σου ἀγάπης ἐναπέθου, ἅπερ οὐδέποτε σβεσθῆναι δύναται, οὐδὲ καταμαρανθῆναι τῷ χρόνῳ· ἀλλὰ κἂν πλησίον σου ὦμεν τῆς εὐγενείας, κἂν πόῤῥωθεν, ἀεὶ διαφυλάττομεν τὴν αὐτὴν ἀγάπην, εἰδότες τὸ γνήσιον καὶ εἰλικρινὲς τῆς διαθέσεώς σου, ἧς διαπαντὸς ἀπελαύσαμεν τοῦ χρόνου.