Abba Poemen
5th century · AD 450 · Eastern & Byzantine · 5 passages
In his own words on Titus
- Titus 1:15
"If a man has attained to that which the apostle speaks of 'to the pure, everything is pure,' he sees himself less than all creatures." The brother said, "How can I deem myself less than a murderer?" The old man said, "When a man has really comprehended this saying, if he sees a man committing a murder he says, 'He has only committed this one sin, but I commit sin every day.' "
SAYINGS OF THE FATHERS 97
Quoted verbatim from public-domain English translations of the fathers — Aquinas's Catena Aurea, the Ante-Nicene and Nicene & Post-Nicene Fathers, and related editions. Each quotation links to its source.