From: richarra@gmail.com   
      
   Beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees   
      
   "The Lord taught me in the Gospel what leaven is when He said `Do ye   
   not understand that I said not concerning bread, Beware of the leaven   
   of the Pharisees and Sadducees?' Then, it is said, they understood   
   that He spake not of bread, but that they should beware of the   
   doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees. This leaven, then--that is,   
   the doctrine of the Pharisees and the contentiousness of the   
   Sadducees--the Church hides in her meal, when she softened the hard   
   letter of the Law by a spiritual interpretation, and ground it as it   
   were in the mill of her explanations, bringing out as it were from the   
   husks of the letter the inner secrets of the Resurrection, wherein the   
   mercy of God is proclaimed, and wherein it is believed that the life   
   of those who are dead is restored."   
   --St. Ambrose of Milan.   
      
   ================   
   August 27th - St. Poemen, abbot   
   (Also known as Pastor, Shepherd)   
      
   The abbot Poemen was one of the most celebrated of the fathers of the   
   desert. He forsook the world and went into the Egyptian desert of   
   Skete, one elder and several younger brothers of his accompanying him.   
   In 408 they were driven away from their first settlement by raids of   
   Berbers, and took refuge in the ruins of a temple at Terenuthis.   
   Anubis, the eldest, and Poemen governed the little community of   
   hermits by turns.  Of the 12 hours of the night, four were allotted to   
   work, four to singing office, and four to sleep; in the day they   
   worked till noon, read till three in the afternoon, and then went to   
   gather firing, food and other necessaries.   
      
   St. Poemen often passed several days, sometimes a whole week, without   
   eating, but it was his constant advice to others that their fasts   
   should be moderate, and that they should take sufficient nourishment   
   every day:  "We fast", he said, "to control our bodies, not to kill   
   them."  But he taught that no monk ought ever to taste wine or to seek   
   any deliberate gratification of the senses:  "for sensuality expels   
   the spirit of penance and the holy fear of God from the heart as smoke   
   drives away bees; it extinguishes grace, and deprives a soul of the   
   comfort and presence of the Holy Ghost".   
      
   St. Poemen feared the least occasion that could interrupt his   
   solitude, or make the distractions of the world break in upon him; and   
   on one occasion he even went so far as to refuse to see his mother,   
   foregoing that happiness then that they might enjoy it more hereafter.   
   He is chiefly remembered for his "sayings". Among them it is related   
   that, when one who had committed a fault told him he would do penance   
   for it three years, the saint advised him to confine his penance to   
   three days, but to be very fervent about it. A monk was grievously   
   molested with thoughts of blasphemy; Poemen comforted him, and bade   
   him confidently say to the Devil, whenever he suggested any abominable   
   thought, "May your blasphemy fall on you; it is not mine, for my heart   
   detests it". But to another who spoke of the Devil he said, "Devil!   
   It's always the Devil that's blamed. I say that it's self-will." And   
   another time, "Never try to have your own way. Those who are   
   self-willed are their own worst tempters, and require no devil to   
   tempt them."  St. Poemen used strongly to exhort to frequent communion   
   and to a great desire for that divine food, as the stag pants after   
   the water-brooks.  "Some aver", said he, "that stags feel a violent   
   inward heat and thirst because in the desert they eat serpents and   
   their bowels are parched with the poison.  Thus souls in the   
   wilderness of this world always suck in something of its poison, and   
   so need perpetually to approach the body and blood of Jesus Christ,   
   which fortifies them against all such venom."  To one who complained   
   that his neighbour was a monk of whom derogatory tales were told, and   
   gave the authority of another monk to prove their truth, he said,   
   "There could not be worse evidence than scandalous stories told by a   
   monk; by telling them he shows himself unworthy of credence".  It was   
   another saying of this abbot that "silence is no virtue when charity   
   requires speech"; that "people should not waste other people's time by   
   asking advice when no advice is necessary or wanted" ; and that "a   
   living faith consists in thinking little of oneself and having   
   tenderness towards others".   
      
      St. Poemen took over complete control of the community on the death   
   of Anubis. "We lived together", he said, "in complete unity and   
   unbroken peace till death broke up our association. We followed the   
   rule Anubis made for us; one was appointed steward, and he had care of   
   our meals.  We ate such things as were set before us, and no one said,   
    "Give me something else; I cannot eat this."  He returned from   
   Terenuthis to Skete but was again driven out by raids.  Later he was   
   present at the death of St. Arsenius on the rock of Troe, near Memphis   
   "Happy Arsenius!"   he cried, "who had the gift of tears in this life!   
    For he who does not weep for his sins on earth will bewail them for   
   ever in eternity."  St. Poemen himself died very soon afterwards.  He   
   is named in the Roman Martyrology and in the Byzantine liturgical   
   books is referred to as "the lamp of the universe and pattern of   
   monks". Noted for his saintly demeanor, his wisdom, and his insistence   
   upon frequent Communion.   
      
   A short Greek life with other miscellaneous references will be found   
   in the Acta Sanctorum, August vol. vi; but the most convenient source   
   of information concerning Poemen and the other fathers of the desert   
   is the Vitae Patrum of Father Rosweyde.  His "sayings" are printed in   
   Migne, PG., vol. lxv, cc. 317-368.   
      
      
   Saint Quote:   
   A man may seem to be silent, but if his heart is condemning others, he   
   is babbling ceaselessly. But there may be another who talks from   
   morning till night and yet he is truly silent, that is, he says   
   nothing that is not profitable.   
   --Abba Poemen (an early Desert Father)   
      
   Bible Quote:   
   The eyes of the Lord are in every place,   
       keeping watch on the evil and the good.  (Prov 15-3)   RSVCE   
      
   <><><><>   
   Prayer for Acceptance of God’s Will   
      
   Lord, teach me to be patient - with life, with people, and with   
   myself. I sometimes try to hurry things along too much, and I push for   
   answers before the time is right. Teach me to trust Your sense of   
   timing rather than my own and to surrender my will to Your greater and   
   wiser plan. Help me let life unfold slowly, like the small rosebud   
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)