His Holiness Pope Shenouda speaks about the Book of the Shepherd by Hermas and presents personal memories about his translation: he mentions that he believed he translated the book around the year 1949 or 1948, and he gave the translation to Professor Habib Gerges, and he wrote the translation in green ink so the professor objected because black ink is easier to read at night, then the professor died and the translation was kept or lost. He also mentions that there are other translations of the book in the collection “The Apostolic Fathers” but they differ in style between the Lebanese and the Egyptian.

The book’s status and content

His Holiness clarifies that the Book of the Shepherd was famous and was included with old copies of the Holy Bible by some people. He describes Hermas as having seen visions and an angel appeared to him in the form of a shepherd, therefore the book was named “the Shepherd”. The central subject of the book is repentance and the good life.

Fathers’ witnesses and the book’s components

He mentions that Irenaeus, Origen, and Clement of Alexandria attested to the book. The book consists in part of five visions and another part of twelve commandments and a part of parables and similitudes.

Parables and spiritual applications

His Holiness gives examples from nature to explain the teachings: the parable of the vine and the wooden support (the sycamore) where the vine and the support complete each other; and the example of the rich and the poor who complete each other by mercy and prayer; and the example of trees in winter that look bare so the difference between the living and the dead does not appear except when each bears fruit according to its nature. These parables show that spiritual fruit may not be visible immediately but appears in its time.

A call to read and reflect

His Holiness concludes with an invitation to listen to and read the Book of the Shepherd and the Book of Clement of Rome, reminding of the value of ancient texts in teaching Christian life, repentance, and spiritual work.

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