Mary, a proselyte of Jesus Christ, to Ignatius Theophorus, most blessed bishop of the apostolic church which is at Antioch, beloved in God the Father and in Jesus: greetings and good health. We always pray for you to have joy and health in him.
Since, O wondrous one, among us also Christ has been made known to be the Son of the living God, and to have become man in the last times through the virgin Mary, of the seed of David and Abraham, according to the words foretold concerning him by him through the chorus of the prophets— for this reason we beseech you, asking that there be sent to us by your prudence Maris our companion, bishop of our Neapolis near Zarbus, and Eulogius the presbyter of Cassobola, so that we may not be bereft of the leaders of the divine word.
As Moses also somewhere says: 'Let the Lord God look upon a man who will lead this people, that the congregation of the Lord may not be as sheep that have no shepherd.'
As for the youth of those mentioned above, fear nothing, O blessed one. For I want you to know that they hold the flesh in contempt and disregard its passions within themselves, shining with grey wisdom in the fresh youth of their priesthood.
Stir up your reasoning by the Spirit of God given to you through Christ, and you will know that Samuel, while a small child, was called the seer, and being numbered in the chorus of the prophets, convicted the aged Eli of lawlessness, because he had preferred his deranged sons before God the cause of all, and had left unpunished those who played with the priesthood and were licentious toward the people.
And Daniel the wise, while young, judged certain savage old men, showing them to be utterly wicked and not elders, and that, though Jews by race, they were Canaanites in their ways.
And Jeremiah, declining because of his youth the prophecy entrusted to him by God, hears: 'Do not say, I am too young, for to all to whom I send you, you shall go, and according to all that I command you, you shall speak, for I am with you.'
And Solomon the wise, being twelve years old, understood the great question of the women's ignorance concerning their own children, so that all the people were astonished at such wisdom in the boy, and feared him not as a youth but as a perfect man.
And the riddles of the queen of the Ethiopians, flowing like the streams of the Nile, he so resolved that the woman, wise as she was, was beside herself.
And Josiah, beloved of God, while still scarcely able to speak articulately, exposed those possessed by the evil spirit as being liars and deceivers of the people; he uncovered the deceit of demons, made a public example of the gods that are no gods, slew without penalty those consecrated to them, overturned their altars and defiled with dead remains their places of sacrifice, demolished their precincts, cut down the groves, broke in pieces the pillars, and dug up the graves of the impious, so that not even a trace of the wicked might remain— so great a zealot was he for godliness and an avenger of the impious, while still lisping with his tongue.
And David the prophet and at once king, the root according to the flesh of the Saviour, was anointed king by Samuel while still a youth; for he himself says somewhere: 'I was small among my brothers, and the youngest in my father's house.'
And time would fail me, if I should wish to trace out all who in their youth were well-pleasing to God and were entrusted by God with prophecy and priesthood and kingship. But for a reminder, what has been said suffices.
But I beseech you, let me not seem to you superfluous or self-important; for it was not to teach you, but to remind you, my father in God, that I have set forth these words. For I know my own measure and do not stretch myself to compare with persons as great as you.
I greet your holy clergy and your Christ-loving people who are shepherded under your care. All the faithful among us salute you. Pray that I may be in health according to God, O blessed shepherd.