For the second year I have been anxious and thinking of sending a letter to your sacred head, and only now have I, humble, fulfilled my desire. But it is good that I have been honored with a letter to greet you, my father, the pillar of truth, the pillar of Orthodoxy, the guardian of piety, the strengthening of the Church, the victorious man, the Christ-bearing bishop, the martyr of the confession of God.

Truly, does not the crown of martyrdom belong to you? For you were expelled for Christ's sake, removed from your homeland, you endure much suffering, being weak in body by nature and, as I know, exhausted by an ascetic, God-pleasing life. A host of Orthodox Christians boast of Thee, rejoice in the region of Nicomedia, and exalt Thee, presenting Thee to the world, deflecting from themselves those reproaches which have been puttered from ancient times concerning the Primates there.

Saint Tarasius rejoices, looking at him who was formerly the sheep of his court and was under his hand, and then became a famous pastor, now struggling and in danger for Orthodoxy, for whom he also labored for his part conciliarly, by the grace of God, in the days of the Empress who was named after the world and gave peace, so that the deeds corresponded perfectly to the names. Such were the circumstances of that time, and the present circumstances are bitter and deplorable.

How is it not, when the altars are destroyed, the churches are destroyed, when heresy overthrows everything and persecutes Christ with His Mother and ministers? Verily, are they not persecuted when Their holy icons are destroyed? Can anyone contradict the fact that the Cross is overthrown at the same time, when the image of the Life-Giving Tree is destroyed? If in this case it is possible to say this at the same time, then how can we not agree with this with regard to the icon, for the icon is also an image?

But who am I, wretched and unenlightened, that I should prove this to a divine father and teacher? You, most holy, teach us the most perfect, as the divinely enlightened, and by your very deeds instruct us to patiently endure the present punishments and trials, the first for our sins, and the second for you for your divine love for Christ, Whom you do not cease to pray to that He would quickly replace the shadow of impiety with the dawn of peaceful Orthodoxy.

Notes

1. Written in 816.

2. I.e. Empress Irene (780-802).

Epistle 5 (64). To Naucratius the Son

News - after news, word - after word. What should I say and what should I talk about? How will I, unfortunate, feel about what happened? I have joy and sorrow, comfort and weeping. I found myself between two passions and I do not know which of the two I would prefer to talk about. However, He who has conquered Satan overcomes both the rulers and the tormentors of this world.

The lamb of Christ was slain for Christ, Thaddeus, my branch, my heart, the son of obedience, the branch of piety, the namesake of the Apostle. Immeasurable joy, extraordinary joy not only for me, the humble one, but also for the Angels and for people. How majestic are Thy works, O Lord (Psalm 91:6)! For even now, in this humble generation, Thou hast shown an indescribable witness of Thy truth, and moreover, not from among the wise and noble of this world, but from those contrary to them, so that the word of the Apostle may be fulfilled: "God hath chosen the ignoble and the lowly, that he might abolish the things that are" (1 Corinthians 1:28).

Whither hast thou departed from me, blessed son? Whither hast thou ascended so quickly, numbered among the martyrs? Oh, thy lot! Oh, thy nobility! Oh, thy prudence! In one day you gained endless life, and through excruciating sufferings you gained unspeakable joys. For one hundred and thirty strokes, for your feats you received a perfect reward together with the martyrs from the Holy Trinity, since the first of these numbers signifies perfection, and the second means the Trinity. Thus from the very punishment of thy God hath shewed thy greatness. Thy blood is myrrh; Your remains are a source of purification for those who touch them.

I beseech thee, holy Thaddeus of God, pray for me, thy unworthy servant; for I do not dare to call you a son. Look, my brethren, what has happened, what treasure, and what brother we have gained. To the glory of God, and to our praise, as well as to the joy of the whole Church, the Martyr of Christ Thaddeus serves.

What's more? "They shall be," says the Lord, "the first last, and the last first" (Matt. 19:30). This I am talking about James and Lucian, one of whom asceticized, and, oh, if he had struggled to the end together with Dorotheus and Bessarion! And another because of my sins was shipwrecked with those like himself. Oh, how they fell, wretched ones, among the luminaries! Thus they forgot Him Who said: "Do not be afraid of those who kill the body" (Matt. 10:28). Does not the only Mighty One know the measure of strength, Who strengthens the weak? And witnesses to this are close. Does He not pull out of trouble the weak by nature, and not by will? The witness Thaddeus in heaven is faithful (Psalm 88:38).