Pambo was one of those ancient hermit-y types who fasted, spoke little, and never stinted in applynig himself to manual labor. He was very thin, very quiet, and always busy.

But applying himself to these austerities and disciplines in his life did not actually reach into his heart. Like a stone in a river, Pambo’s heart was surrounded by a sea of godly, living but somehow its power did not penetrate to his inner soul. It wasn’t until he was summoned by St. Athanasius (one of those Super Saints) to come to the Big City (Alexandria) to confute some heretics (Arians) that Pambo’s heart was truly opened wide.

And what or who was the catalyst? An actress! A painted lady on her way to take the stage! 

Huh?

Here’s how Butler describes this amazing incident:

Our saint seeing in that city (Alexandria) an actress dressed up for the stage, wept bitterly; and being asked the reason for his tears, said he wept for the sinful condition of that unhappy woman (not the important part, folks), and also for his own sloth in the divine service; (the important part–>) because he did not take so much pains to please God as she did to ensnare men. (emphasis added)

I’m not convinced that Pambo was all that correct in assuming that this woman who made her own way in the world as an “actress” was, as a matter of course, unhappy. Whatever the truth of that might be, even Pambo recognized what a GREAT example of commitment, determination, clarity of purpose, and effort was present in this actress (in Butler’s usage, “actress” reads like a euphemism)! She did not merely put makeup on because there was some value in that discipline. She didn’t choose appropriate clothing because that checked another box on the right list. She didn’t leave her home to go to work just so she could mark another day off her calendar. She was not going through the motions because the motions were somehow inherently important. No, she had a goal in mind–and she was intent on achieving her objectives: giving everything she had, using her knowledge, her experience, her body, her wiles, and her power toward the end of her choosing!

Brava!! Encore!! Brava!!