Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Wisdom from Abba Poimen

A brother once visited Abba Poimen. As they were sitting with some other people, the visitor praised a certain brother, saying that he was a hater of evil. "What does it mean to hate evil? Abba Poimen asked him. The brother was at a loss and could not find a suitable answer. He got up at once, made a prostration to the Elder, and said to him: "Abba, what is hatred of evil?" And the Elder replied: "He who hates his own sins and justifies his neighbor has attained to hatred of evil."
The Evergetinos, Chrysostomons and Patapios, et al., trs., volume 2. Center for Traditionalist Orthodox Studies (2008) p. 326 [Hypothesis XLI: "That we should not hate any man"].