Poemen, The Good Shepherd

Last updated on: December 24, 2022 at 6:27 am by Henry Karlson

Poemen, The Good Shepherd 2022-12-24T06:27:17-05:00 Henry Karlson

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

Lawrence OP: The Good Shepherd / flickr

Abba Poemen, whose name means, “shepherd,” was well regarded and remembered in the Alphabetical Sayings of the Desert Fathers, as can be seen in the fact that one seventh of the sayings in that collection are those attributed to him. It should not be surprising that this was, in part, because of how good a spiritual director he was; he could be said to have been a good shepherd, who helped and cared for all the monks who came to him for advice. He led his monastic community with wisdom and grace. Following the example of Jesus, he showed more concern for the well-being of others than his own personal desires. We must keep in mind that he joined the desert community like the other monks, looking for a place to live in order to engage a life of ascetic discipline and peaceful contemplation. To be sure, thanks to the way early monastic communities were formed, he had plenty of time to do so, but he still had to make sure he took the time to deal with others, indeed, putting their interests above his own. He knew, like Abraham, that hospitality was key, which is why, even if he wanted to live in solitude, and engage in it a strict fasting regime as a part of his own discipline, he let the expectations placed upon him by the rules of hospitality overrule his discipline, even if it saddened him: “It was said of Abba Poemen that if he was invited to eat against his will, he wept but went, so as not to refuse to obey his brother and cause him pain.” [1]

Similarly, as a shepherd, Poemen knew he was to encourage those who came to him for spiritual direction. While he knew how easy it is for many to become over-scrupulous, or worse, to fall into despair, he also knew these temptations were especially common ones for those who entered into the religious life. This was especially true for those who went into the desert, living mostly alone. For then, they had little to stand between themselves and their own internal demons. Indeed, he understood how such solitude helped people become much more aware of their own failures, so that, as they sought perfection, they would become so focused on their failures instead of their successes, and focus on them instead of their successes. Such a focus would have them become stuck, unable to overcome their personal demons. Because they felt they should do all things by themselves, to prove themselves to be superior spiritual athletes, they would find themselves denying the help from others which they needed.

Poemen didn’t deny the problems of sin, and the way sin could and did cause harm, but he also knew that God’s love and grace was greater. No matter what someone had done, God’s grace could lift them up, and heal them, so that even the greatest sinner has hope for their salvation. Everyone can be welcomed back by God. Since the monastic community used penance as a part of their own spiritual development, as a way to help purify themselves from all kinds of harmful inclinations, many monks thought they had to be pure, had to be perfect, before they could be received by God, and so they followed strict rules of penance, thinking they had to fulfill many great feats before God would save them. It is a misguided understanding many, even outside the religious life, have today. Poemen knew he had to confront that attitude when he saw it, which is why, when some monks asked him what they needed to do in order to receive God’s forgiveness, his reply, his wisdom was such that he reminded them that the answer did not lie in excessive penance:

A brother questioned Abba Poemen saying, ‘I have committed a great sin and I want to do penance for three years.’ The old man said to him, ‘That is a lot.’ The brother said, ‘For one year?’ The old man said again, ‘That is a lot.’ Those who were present said, ‘For forty days?’ He said again, ‘That is a lot.’ He added, ‘I myself say that if a man repents with his whole heart and does not intend to commit the sin any more, God will accept him after only three days.’[2]

In reality, God can forgive anyone in an instant. Poemen is not disputing that. And so, while we can read him as saying that it could take as little as three days of penance to be totally absolved for sin, we can also see this as a subtle indication of the relationship between Jesus’ work for us and forgiveness, for it can be said that God accepts all of us after three days because it was after three days Jesus rose from the dead. It is Jesus’ work, and the work done in those three days of his passion, which reconciles the world to God. While monastic communities, and with it, the church, will often expect all kinds of penance to be done to make sure someone reforms enough to find their relationship with their community restored, we must remember that this is secondary, and all we need for forgiveness is a contrite heart which readily receives God’s love and mercy in return.

Abba Poemen represents what a good spiritual guide should be like. They should not be excessively concerned about themselves. They should not to be interested in self-promotion. Rather, they should be concerned about the needs, the real needs, of the people around them. They will not focus on themselves, on their own wants and desires (though, of course, they will not neglect their own personal needs). They will lift people up, finding ways to help them so that they do not give into despair. Good shepherds will know the way to do this is to focus on grace, to show people the great love God has for them, indeed to remind them what Jesus did for them so as to make sure they know God has not and will not give up on them. And, just as we should want this in our leaders, even if we are not to become one ourselves, we should take these principles upon ourselves, to live them out, perhaps in a lesser form. We should show love to our neighbors, remembering that we are expected to be as concerned about them as we are for ourselves. We are to look after them, and try to help them when they are down, exhorting them and encouraging them rather than making them feel worse when they down. And thus, though we are not always expected to be spiritual leaders or guides, we should all follow the example of Jesus, the good shepherd, looking at how we can best represent him and his love to the world.

[1] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers. trans. Benedicta Ward (Kalamazoo, MI: Cistercian Publications, 1984), 169 [Saying of Abba Poemen #17].

[2] The Sayings of the Desert Fathers, 169 [Saying of Abba Poemen #12].

Stay in touch! Like A Little Bit of Nothing on Facebook.
If you liked what you read, please consider sharing it with your friends and family!

Relationships and Religion

History and Religion

Sayings of the Desert Fathers

Previous Post

December 11, 2022

All Are Called To The Eschatological Feast

Next Post

December 14, 2022 Law, Order, And The Common Good

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Abortion Abraham abuse Aesthetics AI Aliens Ambrose Ancestors and Everything Andrew Angels Animals Anne Anthony Antisemitism apologetics Apophatic Apostle John Aquinas Artificial Intelligence Asanga Ascension Asceticism Assumption Atheism Attachment Augustine Authority Avarice Balthasar Baptism Beauty Biden birthright citizenship Bishops Black History Books Buddhism Bulgakov Byzantine Calendar C.S. Lewis Calcidius Catholic Catholicism Catholicism Celibacy Charity Chastity children Chrismation Christ Christmas Christology Church Climate Change Common Good Communion Confession Confirmation Conscience Constantine conventions conversion councils Covid Creation Cross Dead Death Death Penalty Debate Deception Demagogues Demons Desert Monks Desert Mothers Desire destruction development Dialogue Dignity Dionsyius Dionysius Discipline Diversity Division Doctor Who doctrine dogma Dormition Dualism Easter Easter Series Ecumenical Councils Ecumenism Education Election Empathy Environment Error Eschatology eschaton Eternity Ethics Eucharist Evangelism Eve Evil evolution Faeries Faith Fear femininity Ficino Florence Florensky Folktale Fools Forgiveness Freedom Future gender Gentile Gentiles Glory Gnostic God gods Good Samaritan Goodness Gospel Government Grace Great Fast Guns Hate healing Health Heaven Hell Hellenism Heresy Hierarchy Hildegard Hinduism History Holiness Holy Spirit Holy Week Hope Horror Human rights humanity Humility hypocrisy ICE icon icons Identification Identity Idol II Nicea Immigration incarnation Individualism Informal Reflections Inklings Intention Inter-Religious Interfaith Internet Interpretation Intrinsic evil Irenaeus Islam Israel Jacob Jerome Jesus Jews John Chrysostom John of Damascus John the Baptist Joseph Judaism justice Justification kenosis Kindnesss Kingdom of God Kingdom of Heaven Law Law of Moses Lazarus Leaf by Niggle Lent Lenten Reflection Liberation Theology Lies Life Listen Literature Liturgy locutions Logic Logos Love Marriage Martyrs Mary Mass Maximos The Confessor Meanness Meditation Mercy Middle Path Migrants Mind Miracles Miriam Morals Moses Movies Music Muslims Myths Names Nationalism Native Americans New Year Nicea Nicholas Nothing Novatian Obedience Occam's Razor Ordination Origen Original Sin Orthodox orthopraxis Pagans Palamas Palm Sunday Paradise Paschaltide Paul Peace Pentecost person Peter piety PKD Plato pluralism Plurality Poem Poetry Poiltics Politics Poor Pope Pope Francis Pope Leo XIV Post Office Prayer Pride Pro-life Prodigal Son propaganda Prophecy Prophets Providence Putin Racism Reading Reason Reflection Refugees Relationships Religion Religion Series Religious Liberty Repent Republicans Rest Resurrection Rich Rites Russia Sacraments Saints Salvation Salvian Santa Science Scripture Self-Giving Sexuality Sibyl Sick Silence Sin Singlehood Social Justice Society Sodom Solovyov Speculations Spiritual Reflection St. Cyril of Alexandria St. Justin Martyr Suffering Sunday of the Paralytic Man Sunday of the Samaritan Woman Superhero Supreme Court Teaching Technology Thanksgiving The Father the Universe Theological Reflection Theology Theosis Theotokos Thomas Timaeus Time Tolerenace Tolkien Tradition Transfiguration Trinity Trump Truth Uncategorized Unity Universities USCCB Value Vatican II Vegetarian Vices Violence Virtue Vocations War Water Welcome Wisdom Womanhood Women Work World View Worship Writing Zacchaeus

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz