168. К епископам 122

The turmoil that has engulfed the Eastern churches is cruel and varied, but the zeal brought by your reverence to eliminate it is also great and abundant. Let there be no success yet; We can only feel sorry for the terminally ill who cannot be cured, but nevertheless we will always extol and please you for the fact that, despite such long-term failure to improve matters, you do not retreat in the face of difficulties and do not give up hope, but even intensify your efforts, with the liveliest care providing the help that depends on you, to condemnation of those who do not want to listen to you and to the glory, the great merit of your own zeal. Not only we, but everyone in the universe glorify and magnify you because, despite the remoteness of your place of residence, neither because of the distance, nor because of the length of time, you turned out to be comparatively indifferent than others, but took such full participation on your part, as if you were in contact with the place of events, and saw with your own eyes the iniquities that were committed. Let, I say, the original culprits of these troubles not yet want to give up their reprehensible zeal and their unreasonable struggle: this should not confuse you and deprive you of courage. The more work you do, the higher the crown will be when God determines for you those ineffable, inexplicable rewards that exceed every word. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” In all likelihood, it was written in 406, like the next three letters. You might be interested in: