St. Pambo of Nitria, Abbot (6 September): Butler's Lives of the Saints

About this sermon

Discover the remarkable life and wisdom of St. Pambo of Nitria, the fourth-century Desert Father and disciple of St. Anthony the Great. St. Anthony taught him to live in penance, abandon self-conceit, distrust his own righteousness, guard his actions, restrain his tongue, and master his appetite. Pambo devoted himself wholeheartedly to these lessons, becoming renowned for fasting, silence, manual labor, humility, and spiritual wisdom. Upon hearing the opening of Psalm 38—“I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue”—Pambo stopped the reader and withdrew to practice that single lesson. He weighed every word carefully and sometimes prayed for days before answering those who sought his counsel. St. Pambo combined prayer with constant work, following the angelic instruction given to St. Anthony: work, rise to pray, and then return to work. He distributed St. Melania’s enormous gift without even looking at the silver, reminding her that God already knew its weight. Near death, he declared that he had never eaten bread not earned by his labor or spoken a word he later regretted—yet he approached God as one who had not even begun to serve Him. His life proves that sanctity is possible not only in the desert but in every vocation. Through prayer, work, self-denial, and love, every duty can become a step toward eternal glory. St. Pambo, pray for us! 00:00 St. Pambo of Nitria 00:19 Lessons from St. Anthony 00:49 Restraining the tongue and appetite 00:57 Fasting and mastery of the passions 01:29 A warning to sensual Christians 01:53 Guarding every word 02:02 One verse that changed his life 02:25 Praying before speaking 02:57 Fasting, silence, and manual labor 03:30 St. Anthony’s vision of work and prayer 04:18 Pambo’s battle against vainglory 04:42 His radiant countenance 05:07 The monastery at Mount Nitria 05:18 St. Melania’s gift of silver 06:04 God already knows its weight 06:30 Confronting Arianism in Alexandria 06:39 Why Pambo wept over an actress 06:53 Practice mercy and charity 07:16 His final testimony 07:33 “I have not yet begun to serve God” 07:41 His peaceful death 07:56 “If you have a heart, you may be saved” 08:14 Sanctity for those living in the world 08:38 Practical steps toward holiness 09:02 Every vocation can lead to sainthood https://sensusfidelium.com/the-lives-of-the-fathers-martyrs-and-other-principal-saints/september/st-pambo-of-nitria/ Get Butler's Lives of the Saints here: https://loretopublications.idevaffiliate.com/idevaffiliate.php?id=102&url=1 #SaintPambo #LivesOfTheSaints #CatholicSaints #DesertFathers #ChristianSpirituality #CatholicFaith #MonasticLife #SaintAnthony #CatholicYouTube #ChristianWisdom #FaithAndPenance #DailySaint 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴 ✝️ SUPPORT THE MISSION 🙏 Donate https://sensusfidelium.com/donate-support/ 📬 Free Catholic Newsletter https://sensusfidelium.com/newsletter/ 📰 Read on Substack https://sensusfidelium.substack.com/ ──────────────────── 📺 WATCH & READ 📺 Sensus Fidelium App https://sensusfidelium.tv/ 📚 Sensus Fidelium Press https://sensusfideliumpress.com/ 👕 Official Merchandise https://sensusfidelium.com/merchandise/ ──────────────────── 🤝 PARTNER WITH US 📣 Advertise on Sensus Fidelium https://sensusfidelium.com/advertise-with-sensus-fidelium/ 🎤 Invite Steve Cunningham to Speak https://sensusfidelium.com/speaking/ ⛪ Parish Formation & Consultation https://sensusfidelium.com/for-parishes/ ──────────────────── 🌎 CATHOLIC COMMUNITY ✝️ Trusted Catholic Businesses https://sensusfidelium.com/catholic-businesses/ 🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴🔴