The Venerable Abba Poimen The Shepherd Of Souls

Saint Poimen (Celebration Day - Grand 27)By His Station Community Hierotheos of Nafpaktos and Agiou VlasiouThe good Poimen, who is enormous by our Church today, belongs to the solid choral group of Admirable Ones and Ascetics, who existed as train of the Martyrs that were martyred concerning the shift of unfair treatment in the first centuries of Christianity. That is, for instance the persecutions on top of, then the martyric "spirit" of Christianity continued with the Admirable Ones and Ascetics, who tried their full amount lives to eyeball the commandments of Christ, even at the greatest immaculate part.The good Poimen was natural in Egypt ring-shaped 340 AD and from his lesser he lived spartanly. Having the status of he reached the age of fifteen he went to very last in a Sacred Monastery of Libya. At first he seemed "hard" to his mother, who had gone to welcome him at the Skete and he avoided her, but he did this in the context of soberness, which was embedded by his mother, and in so doing she withdrew with joy, even while she did not welcome him. In turn, the good Poimen came to know the full amount administration of the Degree stern life, having been purified of his passions with bountiful spiritual stern feats, and he acquired love for the full amount world. The love of the good Poimen was intimate, as out cold from his sayings which handhold been conserved in the book usual as "Gerontikon".I preference remark some of them which he told his guests, and reveal his spiritual middle age.Having the status of a brother asked him what is the hopefulness which purifies man of the passions, he answered: "Assume is for one to be led by reticence and to do works of blessing." Of course, hopefulness is the uncovered truth Christ gave to His Apostles and they to their successors who confident the Church with dogmas. But voguish is made-up empirical hopefulness, which is the affair of uncovered truth, which is reticence and love towards others.A constant brother had evil point of view and required to get rid of them. He asked Abba Poimen about this and he led him out in the air and told him to lengthen out and fix in place the winds, the same as point of view are nearing the winds. And for instance he responded that he could not do it, the good Poimen replied: "If you cannot fix in place the winds, neither could you arrive point of view from coming, but you could sway them," that is, do not do what they give it some thought you. How radically truth is covered in this advice of the good Poimen and how radically it helps us who are tossed about by mixed thoughts!Abba Poimen qualified that residents could be saved anywhere they were and no announce with what work they were occupied. He said: "If three residents are found together, and one is living in repose well [that is he is living the hesychastic administration, far from residents and praying unremittingly], the other is ill and favor God, and the third serves residents with ecological point of view [minus conceit and ulterior motives], then all three are ratifying the same work." From now, anywhere one lives and in whatever event they are in, they could be saved if they very last with hopefulness in God, love towards the brethren and ecological point of view.In spiritual struggles nearby desires to be a list, in order to suppress excesses. Abba Poimen, who was characterized by urbanity, which is why he was usual by the name "storm lantern of urbanity", and this was the make of bountiful years of struggles against the passions and the devil, assumed at one point: "Over-excess is always from the demons," that is, whatever is further than list is from the demons. Not later than apiece sin and spiritual clash the faction prerequisite direct the list, and not be occupied by either grief or conceit. Immoderation are always shameless.Abba Poimen gave solid significance to the apology of man. He knew the swing of at all nature and that man sins by fix from the devil and the locking up of his preference, which is why he showed solid love towards sinners and urged them towards apology. To a constant brother who asked him what apology from sin tool, he responded: "Sorrow signifies a decide standard not to return to a sin. For this reason prickly the reasonably are called virtuous, for they handhold forlorn sin and handhold been acknowledged reasonably."A attribute item of the solid love of the good Poimen towards residents is out cold in the comment detail to constant brethren who asked if they essential blow up the brothers who were dozing concerning the plan. He said: "If I see a express brother who is dozing, I preference place his intellect on my slurp up for his reduction."Such was the kind focus of Abba Poimen for the full amount world and this was the make of his native land refining, the conversion of his passions towards love for God and for the brethren. This is why the sacred hymnographer calls him "a resident in the midst of Angels and their converser", "a occupier in the metropolis supercilious", "a native land of qualities", and "a dean of the avoid".May we handhold his prayers and intercessions earlier God.Source: "Ekklesiastiki Paremvasi", , July 2006. Translated by John Sanidopoulos.