Letter 12: To the brothers of Mt. Izla on the delayed response and report of an opponent

Letter 12: To the brothers of Mount Izla on the delayed response and report of an opponent. To the servants of God and the zealous laborers of virtue. The holy father, my beloved lord, together with the blessed fathers and the holy brothers who are united on Mount Izla in the inheritance of our father Abraham, who is glorified in the service of the Spirit. The son of the inner womb of the love of your fatherhood, Ishoʿyahb, in the Lord, salutes. I confess that I have been negligent, O holy ones of God, since I was eager, but the burden of love was heavy upon me, while I speak with pain. Concerning that which was possible, the help of the opponents who arose to cut off the zeal of my will from the encounter of your persons. While within, the pain was divided. For even by letters from a distance, it was possible to strike together the discord of the sacrifice. From then on, however, and now, from when I was in pain, you remained silent. Only toward me, as if I were a bearer, the weight of the pain was secretly increased. Because of mutual encouragement and because of enmity. Moreover, also because of the excessive smallness of the vessel. And when thus, for the hope of your activity, I was able in the past year, O holy ones of God, the chain of my sins snatched me down to the abyss of perdition. And the heavy year until now has hindered me there from continuing. And not from anything else, but thus as from the law of love. For the increase of daily affections was an increase that became a cause for my delay there. Especially when, in the hope of benefit, my activity was being directed before him. When, however, I appeared to you, zealously.