Venerable Abramius the lover-of-labor of the Kiev Near Caves
It is hard to determine precisely when Saint Abraham and the other saints of the Caves lived because of the scarcity of written records. It is likely, though not certain, that they lived during the Mongol-Tatar invasions in the XIII century.
In the Teraturgim of Hieromonk Athanasius (Kalophoisky), dating back to the XVII century, Saint Abraham is called “Venerable Elder Abraham, the Lover of Labor.” Archbishop Philaret (Gumilevsky) said that “toward the end of his life, he toiled in a cave. After praying here he worked to prepare everything necessary for the Brotherhood of the Caves, which earned him the title ‘Lover of Labor.’”
Archbishop Sergius (Spassky) suggests that Saint Abraham lived during the XII-XIII centuries. On the other hand, the Orthodox Encyclopedia places his life between the second half of the XIII century and the beginning of the XIV century. His holy relics rest in the Near Caves of Saint Anthony.
On an ancient icon of the wonderworkers of the Near Caves Saint Anthony is called an Igoumen. He is described in the same way in a manuscript list of saints. If that is so, then he buried Prince Skirigail (John), who was killed by his own servants in Vyshgorod in 1396, near the tomb of Saint Theodosios (May 3).
Saint Abraham the Lover of Labor has long been commemorated on August 21, the same day as Saint Abraham of Smolensk.
Saint Abraham the Lover of Labor is also commemorated on September 28, the Synaxis of all the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves Monastery, whose relics lie in the Near Caves of Saint Anthony. We also remember Saint Abraham on the Second Sunday of Great Lent, the Synaxis of all the Venerable Fathers of the Kiev Caves (which is a movable Feast).