93. К Асинкритии и находящимся с ней 63

I know your love and affection that you, due to your zeal, have for us, and I would like to write to you constantly; but the fear caused by the Isaurians, blocking all the roads, often takes away the opportunity to find people who could provide us with the necessary service in this matter. At least, whenever we meet an opportunity, we make it our duty to send you our greetings, urging you, as usual, not to be at all embarrassed or alarmed by these constant and continuous trials. If merchants and seafarers engaged in maritime trade, for insignificant goods, sail such vast seas and boldly go to meet such waves; if military people, for a small and temporary pay, are ready to sacrifice even their lives; if throughout their lives they are often forced to endure the struggle with hunger, make difficult, long journeys, live constantly in foreign lands, and finally many of them actually suffer premature and violent death, without having acquired any payment for this, no matter how large or small, then what excuse can there be for the faint-hearted, unable to sacrifice their lives, when a heavenly reward lies before their eyes and an incomparably greater and higher reward awaits them for their death? Reflecting on all this and knowing that the present is smoke and a dream, that all human well-being is in no way stronger than spring leaves that grow and immediately dry up, be above all this kind of arrows. You can even completely trample on the charm of life if you want. Look at only one thing, how to complete with lively zeal the narrow path that leads to Him. The paragraphs in the text were arranged by us. – Editorial staff of “ABC of Faith” You might be interested in: