To Theodore the Physician, on His Gift for the Poor

Gregory to Theodore, physician at Constantinople. My most beloved son the deacon Sabinianus, on his return to me, brought me no letter from your glory; but he brought here what had been sent for the poor and the captives, and from that I understood the reason. You did not want to speak to a man by letter, since by a good deed you had addressed yourself to Almighty God. For this same deed of yours has a voice of its own, which calls to the secret ears of God, as it is written, “Hide your alms in the bosom of the poor, and it will plead for you” (Sirach 29, verse 15). And indeed, I confess, it saddens me to spend what is not my own, and to add to the accounts I keep of the church’s property the accounts of the property of my most sweet son the lord Theodore as well. And yet I rejoice with you, in your kindness, that you carefully attend to and keep what the Truth says: “Give alms, and see, all things are clean to you” (Luke 11, verse 41); and what is written, “As water puts out fire, so alms put out sin” (Sirach 3, verse 33). Paul the apostle also says, “Let your abundance supply their need, so that their abundance also may supply your need” (Second Corinthians 8, verse 14). Tobit urges his son, saying, “If you have much, give generously; but if you have little, share willingly even from that little” (Tobit 4, verse 9). You, then, keep all these precepts. But we beg you to pray for us, so that we may not distribute the fruits of your labors without discernment, and not as need requires, and so that from the very thing by which you lessen sins we may not heap up sins. Now may Almighty God keep you under his protection, and so give you favor with men in an earthly court that after a long life he may bring you to the eternal joys of a heavenly court. [a] We send you, as the blessing of Saint Peter, prince of the apostles, whom you greatly love, a key from his most sacred body, in which iron from his chains is enclosed, so that what bound his neck for martyrdom may loose yours from all sins. [c]