Venerable Pimen the Fool-for-Christ and Anthony Meskhi (XIII)

Saint Pimen the Fool-for-Christ was born in the 1260s. The saint came of a family of princes of Kakheti — “of the well-born”. Saint Pimen was brought up in the fear of God from childhood. Pimen, a peerless master of the sacred and secular sciences, of “speculative and theological wisdom”, laboured in a life pleasing to God at the monastery of David Gareja.

Saint Pimen hid his “speculative and theological wisdom” under feigned folly, “and he became a fool for Christ’s sake”. The saint fearlessly rebuked the injustice and lawlessness of the mighty of this world, of kings and lords. The deeply learned holy father was “a rebuker of the injustice and lawlessness of kings and lords, not only by word but by letters too”.

Saint Anthony Meskhi, a deeply learned holy father, “an ascetic and perfect in governing”, laboured in the lavra of David Gareja; no biographical information about Saint Anthony has been preserved, but the single fact that “they named him the Sun of the Georgians” says a great deal.

The holy fathers laboured together for the glory of God and the good of the country, while the country at this time had fallen astonishingly low and was laid waste: unbelief had grown strong among a people embittered by the Mongol invasions; even the holy King Demetrius the Self-sacrificing himself (commemorated 12 March) had fallen into lawlessness; but there were those devoted to God and the nation who strove in every way to turn the people back to Christ. Catholicos Nicholas rebuked King Demetrius for his lawlessness. The king’s disobedience obliged the catholicos to give up the patriarchal throne of his own will and to live the life of a simple hermit monk. From the Holy Mountain of Athos came Basil the monk (commemorated 18 April), and he too fearlessly rebuked the king.

The fathers Pimen and Anthony, made radiant by divine grace, knew well that if the king and the lords repented, the people would repent too, and so they began their care for the nation by instructing and rebuking the king. It is written in “The Life of Kartli” that the holy elders rebuked “the king and all the people, but they heeded nothing”.

To the wonderfully great and daring labour of holy folly and of rebuking the king and the people the elders added preaching among the pagans as well. The Chronicler (Zhamtaaghmtsereli) tells us that Saint Pimen “converted from paganism the nation of the Leks, who abide in the faith of Christ”.

By the will of God and the prayers of the saints the great desire of Saints Pimen the Fool-for-Christ and Anthony Meskhi was fulfilled: King Demetrius not only repented of his lawlessness but ended his life by a martyr’s death. The nation rose up, numbered the elders who had given themselves for it among the choir of the saints, and appointed that they be commemorated together.