E01907: Gregory of Nazianzus addresses his Letter 223, of the 380s, to the ascetic lady Thekla who lives with her children next to a shrine of martyrs. Written in Greek in Arianzos (central Asia Minor).

Gregory of Nazianzus, Letters (CPG 3032), Letter 223

ΤΗΙ ΑΥΤΗΙ

(1.) Ἀλγεῖς ἀπολειφθέντων ἡμῶν, ὡς εἰκός· ἡμεῖς δὲ πλέον ἐπὶ τῷ χωρισμῷ τῆς σῆς εὐλαβείας. Πλὴν εὐχαριστοῦμεν τῷ Θεῷ μέχρι σοῦ φθάσαντες, καὶ οὐκ ἐμεμψάμεθα τῷ κόπῳ.  (2.)  Εἴδομεν γάρ σου τὸ στερέωμα τῆς εἰς Χριστὸν πίστεως καὶ τὴν ἐπαινετὴν ἐρημίαν καὶ τὸν φιλόσοφον ἰδιασμόν, ὅτι πάντων χωρισθεῖσα τῶν τοῦ κόσμου τερπνῶν Θεῷ μόνῳ συνέκλεισας ἑαυτὴν καὶ τοῖς ἁγίοις μάρτυσιν, οἷς παροικεῖς, καὶ προσήγαγες τῷ Θεῷ καὶ προσάγεις μετὰ τῶν ἀγαπητῶν σου τέκνων θυσίαν ζῶσαν, εὐάρεστον.

'To the same [Thekla]

Quite naturally, you suffer for our absence, and we even more on our separation from your piety. Yet we give thanks to God for having met you, and we have not deemed the effort wasted. For we have seen the steadfastness of your faith in Christ, and your praiseworthy solitude and ascetic isolation, and that, separated from all the pleasures of the world, you have confined yourself to God alone and to the holy martyrs, at whose dwelling you sojourn. And you have offered, and are still offering together with your dear children, a living and pleasing sacrifice to God.'

Text: Gallay 1964.
Translation: E. Rizos.