The Monk Pimen the Much-Sick (XI Century)
Commemorated on August 7, September 28
The Monk Pimen the
Much-Sick (XI Century) attained the Kingdom of Heaven by way of grievous
illness. This Russian ascetic was both born and grew up sickly. For a long
while he besought his parents to send him off to the Kievo-Pechersk monastery.
And when they brought their son to the famed monastery, they then began in
prayer to beseech health for him. But the sufferer himself, conscious of the
high value of suffering, instead besought of the Lord both the continuation of
sickness, and likewise his tonsuring into monasticism. And herewith Angels in
the guise of monks made over him the rite of tonsure. Several of the brethren
heard the sound of singing, and coming to the Monk Pimen, they found him
attired in monastic garb. In his hand he held a blazing candle, and his
tonsured hair could be seen at the crypt of the Monk Theodosii (Feodosii). The
Monk Pimen spent many a year in grievous illness, such that those attending to
him were bothered by it and often they left him without bread and water, but he
endured everything with joy. Compassionate towards the brethren, the Monk Pimen
healed a certain crippled brother, having taken his word to be of service to
the point of death. But after a while the brother grew lax in his service, and
his former ailment overtook him. The Monk Pimen again healed him with the
advice, that both the sick and those attending the sick receive equal reward.
The Monk Pimen spent twenty years in grievous sufferings. But three days before
his death, as also an Angel had earlier predicted, he became healthy. In church
the monk took leave of all the brethren and communed the Holy Mysteries. Then,
having bowed down before the grave of Abba Antonii, the Monk Pimen pointed out
the place for his burial and he himself carried to it an earlier prepared
coffin. He pointed out there to the buried, one after the other of the monks,
and he predicted, that the brethren would find buried one in schema-garb to be
without it, since this monk had led a life unworthy of it; this other monk, who
had been buried without the schema, would however be attired in it after death,
since he had much wished this during his life and he was worthy. After the
death of the Monk Pimen, the brethren became persuaded of the perspicacity of
his words. On the day of the repose of the Monk Pimen, three fiery columns
appeared over the refectory, and moved atop the church. A similar event was
described in the chronicles under 11 February 1110 (Vide the 5 August
commemoration of Sainted Theoktist of Chernigov), wherefore also the day of
demise of the Monk Pimen is surmised as occurring on 11 February 1110.
The relics of the
Monk Pimen rest in the Antoniev Cave.
A second
commemoration of the saint is made on 28 September, together with the
Sobor-Assemblage of the Monks of the Nearer Caves.
© 1996-2001 by translator Fr. S. Janos.