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.

Then the brother, who had grumbled against the blessed one, fell down at his feet, saying: "I have sinned, father, in moving my brother from his place. I pray you to order him to lie there again." The blessed one said to him: "The Lord Himself, destroying the enmity between us, which arose because of your murmuring, did this, so that in your enmity you would not have a grudge against me; The body of this dead man showed that his love for you is alive and after death, submitted to your seniority, rising from the top of the common grave prepared for you. Raising the dead is God's work. But I am a sinful man, and now, when there is no need, I can no longer say of my own accord to this dead man: "Get up and lie down again in the upper place," for if you order him to do so, he will not listen to you. But know also that you should not have left the monastery in order to inherit your seniority, and at that hour you would have been laid here. But since you are not ready for the end, go and think about the salvation of your soul, and in a few days you yourself will be brought here."

Hearing these words, Theophilus was very saddened and terrified, thinking that he would immediately fall down and die; he did not hope to reach the monastery. Barely remembering himself, he came to his cell and wept inconsolably. Then he gave away all that he had, kept for himself only a cassock and a mantle, and every day awaited the hour of death. No one could calm him in his bitter weeping, but those who wanted to console him made him weep even more. They could not force him to partake of sweet dishes, but his tears were his bread day and night. When the day came, he said to himself, "I do not know whether I shall reach the evening," and when night came, he again darkened the light of his eyes with tears, saying, "Who knows whether I will live to see the morning? For many, having risen in the morning from sleep, did not reach the evening and no other sleep but death, and many, having fallen asleep, did not rise from their beds. But in order that the Lord, in His immeasurable mercies, would give him time for repentance, he always prayed to Him, abiding in fasting and weeping. Leading such a life for many years, Theophilus thinned his flesh to such an extent that it was possible to count his joints, and from much weeping he lost his sight.

Our venerable father Mark, when he learned the hour of his departure to God, summoned Theophilus and said to him: "Forgive me, brother, that I have grieved you for many years, and pray to God for me, for I am already departing from this world. If I receive boldness, I will not forget to pray for you, that the Lord would vouchsafe us both to see His most radiant face, and to see each other there, and to be there in the place of our venerable fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves."

Theophilus answered him with tears: "Why, father, do you leave me? Take me with you, or give me an epiphany here. I know that when you raised my dead brother, and I fell down before you in the cave, I had to die for my sins. But the Lord, for the sake of your holy prayers, spared me, waiting for my repentance. And now you can give me what I ask of you, either to depart with you to God, or to regain my sight."

The Monk Mark said to him: "Do not grieve, brother, that for the Lord's sake you have become blind with your bodily eyes, for with your spiritual eyes you have seen to true reason. I wished to be the fault of your blindness; I have prophesied death for you, wishing to benefit your soul and to humble your carnal arrogance, for God will not despise the heart of the contrite and humble (Psalm 50:19), and not of the heart that boasts of seniority. Therefore, you do not need to see this short-lived light; ask the Lord that you may see His glory in the everlasting light; Do not desire death: it will come, even if you did not want it. Behold, it will be a sign of thy departure: three days before thy death thou shalt see, and so thou shalt depart to the Lord, and there thou shalt see an endless light and ineffable glory." Abandoning this true prophecy of his about the death of Theophilus, our venerable father Mark himself ended his temporal life on earth in the Lord, and began in heaven, as the ruler of the dead and a prophet, with the author of the resurrection Jesus Himself and with all the holy prophets, eternal life.

His miraculous relics are placed in the cave where he himself dug himself a coffin, and give inexhaustible healing to all who come with faith to his honorable shrine. There lie the chains which the monk wore upon himself, and the copper cross, from which he drank water. With his lips he so sanctified it that it became miraculous. Whoever comes with faith and after fasting and drinks water from that precious cross, receives sooner than from any medical waters, a true supernatural healing for his ailments.

Blessed Theophilus, having received a new wound in his heart, began to weep fervently, weeping over the bitter separation from his father and mentor, the Monk Mark, and his own end, which he awaited every day, remembering the prophecy of that departed cave-dweller. He shed fountains of tears, and they multiplied even more.