Letter 106: I have many reasons for thanking God for mercies vouchsafed to me in my journey, but I count no blessing greater than the knowledge of your excellency, which has been permitted me by our good Lord's mercy. I have learned to know one who proves that even in a soldier's life it is possible to preserve the perfection of love to God, and that we mu...

Basil of Caesareaa soldier|c. 363 AD|basil caesarea
Travel & mobility; Military conflict

I have so many reasons to thank God for what happened on my journey, but the greatest blessing was getting to meet you.

You showed me that even a soldier can live out a deep love for God — that what makes someone a Christian isn't what they wear, but who they are inside. Meeting you was a real joy, and thinking of you still makes me glad.

Stay strong. Keep building your love for God, and he'll give you even greater blessings. You don't need to convince me that you remember me — your actions already have.

Modern English rendering for readability. See the 19th-century translation or original Latin/Greek for scholarly use.

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