The prince with the black-robed people, taking the body of the monk, carried it to the cave and with his own hands placed it in the coffin. Then he set out on a campaign and gained a great victory over the godless Hagarites, captured all the Polovtsian regions and brought the captives to his land. This victory, granted by God to the Russian land, was won according to the prediction of the merciful blessed Prokhor. And from that time Prince Svyatopolk, going on a campaign or hunting, always came to the Pechersk monastery for a blessing and with great zeal and gratitude bowed down in the God-created church before the miraculous icon of the MostHoly Theotokos and before the grave of the Monk Theodosius, also in the cave before the grave of the Monks Anthony and Prokhor and all the other monks, and only then did he set off. And happily proceeded his reign, which after many punishments received God's blessing through the Monk Prokhor, and the Christ-loving prince Svyatopolk Izyaslavich himself, being himself a witness, clearly confessed to everyone the miracles and signs of this saint of God.

Through His holy prayers, even now, in the midst of a constant struggle, may the Russian people not be deprived of the will of God, especially the eternal and earthly creation of God's will, and the heavenly nourishment of the soul, when His glory appears. And may we enjoy this holy brush with the Monk Prokhor; no longer by eating quinoa leaves and ashes, but by seeing the nature of God blossoming before the ages and human nature taken from the earth, which are united in Christ God and man. To Him, with His Father without beginning, and with His most holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, is due all glory, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. Amen.

The Life of Our Venerable Father Mark the Cave Dweller,

whose commands the dead obeyed,

and with him the Monk Theophilus,

to whom the dead John gave the highest place, and with whose tears two vessels were filled.

(December 29)

In the ancient and more intimate visions, first to Ezekiel the Prophet, and then to Christ's confidant, one animal appeared among the angels, having the likeness of a lion (Ezekiel 1:10; Rev. 4:7). This mysterious sign is characteristic of the holy Evangelist Mark and our Pechersk Mark. For just as a lion awakens his dead offspring with his voice, so God gave such power to the voice of this monk that even the dead brothers awoke and obeyed him. That is why it is worthy to mention him among the angelic face. For, bearing in the rank of angel the monastic image, he lived a life equal to that of the angels, as his holy life testifies. So, let's begin to tell about it.

The time of the exploits of this blessed Mark is best defined by the laudable event that during his reign the honorable relics of our venerable father Theodosius were transferred from the cave to the holy great church. Blessed Mark, having taken monastic form, lived in a cave, searching for many places in it with his own hands, not only in order to hide there for prayer, but also for the burial of the dead brethren, and he carried the earth on his shoulders. And so he labored constantly in this God-pleasing work, expecting a rich reward in heaven, but not wanting to take it on earth. If someone forcibly, out of love, gave him any thing for digging a grave, he gave it to the poor.

In addition, the blessed one put iron on his belt, which he wore all his life; he was awake day and night in prayer, but from constant prayer he did not separate strict fasting, as God combined them (Matt. 19:6). And he drank the water by the measure of his own measure, and the copper cross served him as this measure. And so he conquered the inner enemy, who raises lusts in the soul, not only by prison, but also by labor, and fetters, sleep deprivation and hunger. He mortified his flesh not only by silence in a dark cave, but also by digging, and girdling with iron, by vigilance and fasting. Appearing in the form of an angel as bodiless, he was not afraid of death, but death rather feared his voice, like the trumpets of an archangel. Our venerable father Mark received from the Lord the power to perform such miracles, that even the dead obeyed his commands. This was confirmed by many signs.

Once, when, according to custom, he was digging a grave, laboring, he became exhausted and left the place cramped and unexpanded. It happened that one of the sick brethren died; and there was no other place for burial. The dead man was brought into the cave, and they could hardly put him in the cave because of the crowding. Then the brethren began to murmur against Mark, that they could neither heal the dead man, nor pour oil on him for the sake of the narrowness of the place. The cave-dweller, bowing down to everyone with humility, said: "Forgive me, fathers, because of my infirmity I have not finished." And they annoyed him, reproaching him even more. Then the blessed one said to the dead man: "Since the place is cramped, brother, move yourself and, taking oil, pour it on you." The dead man, straightening up a little, stretched out his hand and, taking the oil, poured it on himself in the form of a cross on his face and on his chest, and again gave the vessel; recovering himself, he lay down and fell asleep. After this miracle, everyone was seized with horror and trembling.

And another brother died after a long illness; and one of his friends, wiping it with his lip according to custom, went into the cave to see the place where the body of his friend was to be laid, and asked the blessed cave-dweller Mark about it. The blessed one answered him: "Go tell your brother to wait until morning, until I dig a place, and then he will depart to the rest of this life." And the brother said to the cave-dweller: "Father, I have already wiped his dead body with my lip, to whom do you command me to say this?" I say unto thee, Go and say to the dead thus: Sinful Mark saith unto thee, Brother, stay here this day longer, until I prepare a place and inform thee, and in the morning thou shalt depart to the desired Christ.

Having listened to him, the brother went to the monastery and found all the brethren performing the usual singing over the dead. Then he said to the dead man, "Brother, Mark says that the place for you is not yet ready, wait here until morning." When he said this in general amazement, suddenly the dead man opened his eyes, and his soul returned to him, and he was alive that day and night, saying nothing to anyone and only looking with open eyes. In the morning, the brother, who had come before, again went to the cave to inquire about the place, whether it was prepared. And the saint said to him: "Go, say to him who is alive: Mark says to you: leave this temporal life and pass into eternal; give thy spirit to God, and let thy body be laid in a cave with the holy fathers. For the place is ready." The brother came and said all this to the revived man. And he, closing his eyes, gave up his spirit into the hands of God. And so, with honor, he was laid in the cave on the prepared place. And everyone was amazed at this most glorious miracle, how at the word of the blessed one the dead man came to life and died again at his word, and glorified God.

And one more thing. In the same Pechersk monastery there were two brothers, united by heartfelt love from their very youth, who thought about everything in the same way and had the same zeal for God, John and Theophilus. They besought Blessed Mark to arrange for them one common place for the burial of the bodies of both of them, when the Lord commanded. Having lived together for a long time, the eldest of them, Theophilus, went somewhere on monastic business, and the youngest, John, pleasing God, fell ill, died and was laid in a cave on a prepared place. After a few days Theophilus returned from the road and, learning of the death of his brother, began to grieve greatly and, taking with him several monks, went into the cave, wishing to see where the dead man was laid. And when he saw that he was laid in that common grave in the upper place, he was indignant and murmured against Mark, saying, "Why hast thou laid him here in my place? I'm older than him." The cave-dweller, as if humble, bowing to him, said: "Forgive me, brother, I have sinned!" Then, turning to the deceased, he said: "Get up, brother, give that place to your elder brother, and lie down on the lower place." And suddenly, at the word of the blessed one, the dead man arose and lay down in the lower place, and all those who came there saw this, and the miracle was frightening and full of horror for them.