Pimen the Great Memorial Day: history and traditions

Every year on September 9, Orthodox believers remember St. Pimen the Great. His life, based on strict asceticism and wise teachings, influenced Byzantine and Slavic monasticism. Details can be found in the Izvestia article.

Who is Pimen the Great

St. Pimen the Great is one of the most revered ascetics of early Christianity. He was born in Egypt around the 340s and, together with his brothers Anuvius and Paisius, chose the monastic path, settling in one of the monasteries of the hermitage. Their lives were based on work, reading and prayer, and strict discipline became a model for other hermits.

Later lives note that Pimen reached a state of dispassion and became a spiritual mentor to many. His short sayings and teachings were carefully recorded by his students and passed down from generation to generation.

The events of his life were often fraught with difficulties: for example, in 407, due to the raids of the Berbers, the brethren had to leave their cells and move to the ruins of an ancient temple in Terenufis. There, the ascetic strictness has only intensified.

Saint Pimen is revered not only for his personal feat, but also as a wise teacher. He was called "the great one" not because of his age or rank, but because of his spiritual authority and experience. He became the embodiment of the ideal of a silent monk, whose teachings were perceived as a path to perfection. After his death (around 450), the memory of Pimen was fixed in church calendars, and his image was widely revered.

What do they pray to Pimen for?

Those who seek humility and peace of mind turn to the saint. He is asked for victory over pride and passions, for family reconciliation and spiritual firmness. In church texts, Pimen is referred to as "the image of monks," "the inhabitant of the desert," "the giver of healings," and "the extirpator of passions."

Nowadays, prayers to the monk remain relevant: they ask him for help in fighting bad habits, support in difficult circumstances, and blessings for humble service.

A strong prayer to Pimen the Great

"O wondrous saint, our Venerable Father Pimene, we sinners will fail in our duty to praise you. For you were the image of monks, the giver of healing, the inhabitant of the desert, the steward of silence, the extirpator of passions, and the teacher of all virtues. For this reason, we tenderly fall down to you and humbly ask: from your treasury, give to our misery. By thy humility, cast down our pride; by thy dispassion, our passions have fallen; by thy wakefulness, the spirit of laziness has been wrung from us; by thy tears, awaken our insensitivity; by thy vigil, raise us from neglect; by thy prayers, kindle the flame of prayer in us; by thy love, make us brotherly; grant us the spirit of meekness and humility, the spirit of purity and piety; free us from passions, therefore and lead me to true repentance. For in your mind you unceasingly had the Son of God crucified on the Cross for us. Incessantly mark His sweetest Name in mind and heart, and grant us, the wretched, that through His love, burning and reflecting on our sins, we may meet that terrible Day of Judgment and enter the Kingdom of heaven with you and all the saints, glorifying the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit forever and ever. Amen to that."

Traditions and folk customs

On September 9, divine services dedicated to the memory of the saint are held in the church: troparion and kontakion are read, prayer services are served. In monasteries, where Egyptian ascetics are especially revered, this day is often associated with the memory of other hermitage elders.

Among the people, the holiday was called "rowan Tree Day." On this day, they picked berries, made jam and made supplies for the winter. It was believed that a rich harvest of mountain ash promises a cold autumn. Some of the berries were left to the birds — it was perceived as a talisman for home and family. Joint meals and commemorations were also held in the villages.

Bans on September 9th

Folk tradition associates this day with a number of warnings. It was considered unfavorable to borrow and lend money, make large purchases, and start new businesses. It was also not recommended to woo, play weddings and break mountain ash. They were afraid to pick up things at an intersection or linger on the threshold — such actions could bring setbacks.

From the point of view of the church, there are no strict prohibitions: the main thing is to devote time to worship and prayer, and everything else belongs to the field of popular beliefs.