Venerable Pambo of Nitria, Desert Father — July 18 / July 31 (Julian Calendar)

On this day, July 18 according to the Julian Calendar (July 31 civil calendar), the Georgian Orthodox Church commemorates the Venerable Pambo (Pamva), a great desert father of Egypt who lived in the fourth century.

The Venerable Pambo lived as an ascetic in the desert of Nitria in Egypt, one of the great centers of early Christian monasticism. He came from a humble background and in his youth had received little formal education. When he decided to renounce the world and enter the monastic life, he asked one of the monks to teach him a psalm.

The monk began to read Psalm 38 (39): ‘I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue.’ Hearing these words, Pambo stopped the monk and said: ‘That is enough. I will go and learn to practice this first.’ He then withdrew and spent six months in silence and prayer, striving to master control of his tongue before asking to hear more of the psalm.

Pambo became a great spiritual father in the desert, and many sought his guidance. He was known for his extraordinary discernment, his brevity of speech, and his refusal to answer a question carelessly or in haste. When asked for advice, he would often pray silently for days before responding, ensuring that his words came from God rather than from himself.

He was also known for his great humility. It is said that when the holy Melania the Elder came to him with a gift of silver to support the monks, Pambo accepted it without looking at the amount, saying that God, who cares for the whole world, does not need to know how much silver was in the basket.

The Venerable Pambo reposed in peace at a very advanced age, having spent decades in holy asceticism. He is venerated as one of the great Fathers of the Egyptian desert, and his sayings are preserved in the collections of the Desert Fathers (Apophthegmata Patrum).