¹ Thanks be to the Lord, who, by His universal providence, has granted that the mind may travel freely and be bound by no laws of absence, even among those whom the distance of places separates, so that nothing is so impenetrable that it is not open to the sight of the soul. Rather, through the vision of the heart, with the grace of affection passing between them, they behold one another where love itself dwells. Indeed, our inner self has its own eyes, by which it looks within as a witness to its own conscience, by which, when turning inward, it considers what is shameful or what is a cause for joy, by which it foresees the last day, by which, through God’s granting, it arranges in advance the entire account of its life—whether for shame or for praise—before the face of its soul with foresight for the future. In the present moment, with anxious concern, it brings to mind the time when it must give an account and, in the hidden page of its heart, paints with hopeful imagination the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.

² The eyes of the wise are in his head, and I believe you yourself always lift these eyes to the command of the dreadful Judge, so that this prophetic saying may rightly be spoken of you. From there, my son, I hold your betrayers exposed. From there, I say, it comes that you, like an eager moneylender, entrust the wealth of present things to the bosom of the Rewarder, as if sowing them in expectation of a return, offering the price of captives in exchange, turning mere use into true ownership, and converting what is perishable into everlasting treasures. From there, it comes that, with your most faithful Sarra under the one yoke of Christ, striving toward a shared crown, you scorn earthly things and seek heavenly ones; as a pilgrim in this world and a candidate for paradise, you mock in secret the world that now has nothing left with which to deceive or seduce you, standing as a soldier of Christ. With your companion in the eternal kingdom, through fasting and prayers, and by the hand of faith, you knock upon the door of life with a holy accord, that you may both receive a double victory in the salvation you share.

³ But amid all these things, it is not enough that incurable afflictions are healed here, that unquenchable fires are extinguished here, that inescapable necessities are overcome here, that here the arrows of sin are pulled out from the depths of the soul, that here wounds deeply imprinted in the very marrow are cured, that here invisible stains are washed away, that here eternal joys are attained through the labor of faithful devotion. That life will indeed be the reward of this one, but it is necessary that this life be the price of that one.

⁴ Therefore, having offered due respects, I ask that, when a fitting opportunity presents itself, you allow us to rejoice in your well-being and personal prosperity. I offer abundant thanks for my sons and deacons, and with due reverence, I greet my lady daughter, the mirror of devotion and the example of piety. May the Lord our God grant that your goodness, which is to be honored by me, be filled with present blessings and made worthy of eternal ones, my most devoted lord and son, to be especially esteemed with the highest honor.