Commemorated on September 28
Saint Pimen the Much-ailing attained the Kingdom of Heaven by
enduring grievous illness. This Russian ascetic was both born and grew
up sickly, but his illness preserved him from illness of the soul.
For
a long time he besought his parents to send him to the Kiev Caves
monastery. When they brought their son to the famed monastery, they then
began to pray for him to be healthy. But the sufferer himself,
conscious of the high value of suffering, instead asked the Lord both
for the continuation of his sickness, and also his tonsuring into
monasticism.
One night, radiant angels appeared in the guise of
monks, and tonsured him. They told him that he would receive his health
only on the day of his death. Several of the brethren heard the sound of
singing, and coming to St Pimen, they found him attired in monastic
garb. In his hand he held a lit candle, and his tonsured hair could be
seen at the crypt of St Theodosius. St Pimen spent many years in
sickness, so that those attending to him could not tolerate it. They
often left him without food and water for two or three days at a time,
but he endured everything with joy.
Compassionate towards the
brethren, St Pimen healed a certain crippled brother, who promised to
serve him until death if he were healed. But after a while the brother
grew lax in his service, and his former ailment overtook him. St Pimen
again healed him with the advice, that both the sick and those attending
the sick receive equal reward.
St Pimen spent twenty years in
grievous sufferings. One day, as the angels had predicted, he became
healthy. In church, the monk took leave of all the brethren and partook
of the Holy Mysteries. Then, having bowed down before the grave of Abba
Anthony, St Pimen indicated the place for his burial, and he himself
carried his bed there.
Pointing to those buried there, one after
the other of the monks, and he predicted that the brethren would find
one buried in the schema to be without it, since this monk had led a
life unworthy of it. Another monk, who had been buried without the
schema, would be found clothed in it after death, since he had greatly
desired it during his life, and he was worthy.
Then St Pimen lay down upon his bed and fell asleep in the Lord. The brethren buried him with great honor, glorifying God.
After
the death of St Pimen, the brethren were persuaded of the truth of his
words. On the day of St Pimen’s repose, three fiery columns appeared
over the trapeza, and moved atop the church. A similar event was
described in the chronicles under February 11, 1110 (See the August 5
commemoration of St Theoctistus of Chernigov), therefore the day of
demise of St Pimen is surmised as also occurring on February 11, 1110.
The relics of St Pimen rest in the Antoniev Cave.
A second commemoration of the saint is made on September 28, the Synaxis of the Monks of the Near Caves.
SOURCE:
SAINT OR FEAST POSTED THIS DATE 2015(with 2014's link here also and further: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2008 and even 2007!):