(10 February)

From the grass called quinoa, by his prayer he created sweet bread, and from ashes salt.

Rich in generosity and merciful, God often allows evil to fall upon the human race, in order to draw it to sound reason and compel it to good deeds. But even if he executes and inflicts wounds, then he certainly has mercy and does not hesitate to heal the wounds, as can be seen from the life of this Monk Prokhor. The following story has been preserved about him.

During the reign of Svyatopolk Izyaslavich in Kiev, a lot of violence was inflicted by the prince on the people. Without guilt he destroyed the houses of the strong and took away the possessions of many. For this reason God allowed the vile to overpower it, and during its reign there were many attacks by the Polovtsians and, in addition, internecine strife, so that there was more than once famine and great poverty in the Russian land.

During these days Blessed Prokhor came from Smolensk to the Pechersk monastery to the hegumen John and received from him the holy angelic image. He began to strive hard in virtue and accustomed himself to great abstinence, so that he deprived himself of the usual bread, but he gathered the grass of quinoa, and, rubbing it with his own hands, made bread for himself and ate it. In the summer time he prepared it for the whole year, and when summer came again, he did the same for the next year, so that for the rest of his life he did not need ordinary bread, and he was called "the swanman" because, apart from the prosphora in the church, he never ate even vegetables in his cell, but only quinoa, and drank nothing, except water.

God, seeing the patience of the saint in such abstinence, created for him that bitterness of bread made of quinoa into sweetness. And there was joy instead of sorrow for him. This blessed one never grieved, but worked for God in joy. He was never afraid of the raids of the enemy, because he lived like a bird, having nothing but quinoa, so that he could not compare with the rich man of the Gospel, who said: "Soul! Much good lies with you for many years: rest, eat, drink, be merry!" (Luke 12:19). But he reproached himself for the herb prepared for the year, saying: "Prochorus, this night they will take your soul from you, but what hast you prepared for whom?" Imitating the birds, the monk easily passed to where the quinoa grew, and from there he brought it to the monastery on his shoulders, as on wings. And so he ate unsown food from the unplowed land, like a bird.

During these feats of the saint, a great famine began in the Russian land from constant wars, so that death threatened people. God, wishing to glorify His saint and have mercy on His people, then increased the growth of quinoa more than in other years; and so Blessed Prochorus labored more and more, incessantly gathering this herb, rubbing it with his hands and making bread from it, which he distributed to the poor and perishing from hunger. Some, seeing how he was gathering quinoa, began to gather it also in order to feed themselves in time of famine, but they could not eat because of bitterness. Then all the needy turned to the saint, and he did not refuse anyone his bread from quinoa. And to all the taste of this bread seemed sweet, as if it had been mixed with honey, so that more willingly than bread baked from wheat they took this bread baked from grass by the hands of Blessed Prochorus. But it is also remarkable that this bread, only if given to the blessed with a blessing, seemed bright, pure and tasted sweet; and if anyone took it secretly, he became black as the earth, and bitter as wormwood. One of the brethren took bread from the blessed one secretly, without a blessing, and began to eat. And it was in his hand like earth, and in his mouth bitter beyond measure, so that he could not eat it. This happened several times. He was ashamed to reveal this sin to the blessed one and ask him for bread with a blessing. But, being very hungry, and unable to endure the urge of hunger, seeing death before his eyes, he came to the hegumen John and told him what had happened, asking forgiveness. The hegumen, not believing the story, ordered another brother to secretly take bread from the saint, in order to see the truth, whether this was so. When the bread was brought, it turned out to be the same as the first brother had said: no one could eat it out of bitterness. This bread was still in their hands, when the hegumen again sent to the saint to ask for bread from his blessing. "Leaving him," said the hegumen, "secretly take another bread as well." When these loaves were brought, the bread taken secretly changed before them and became black as earth and bitter as wormwood, like the first loaf; and the bread taken out of his hands seemed pure and was sweet as honey. After this miracle, Prokhor became famous everywhere and, having fed the hungry, benefited many.

After that, Svyatopolk Izyaslavich, Prince of Kiev, began an internecine battle with David Igorevich, Prince of Vladimir, for blinding Prince Vasilko Rostislavich at Trebovlya, who was ordered to be blinded by Svyatopolk, seduced by David Igorevich; also with Volodar Rostislavich, Vasilko's brother, Prince of Przemyshl, and with Vasilko himself for the region of his father Izyaslav, which was captured by the Rostislavichs. And Svyatopolk himself returned from the campaign to Kiev, driving David to the Poles and placing his son Mstislav in his city of Vladimir, but he did not defeat Volodar and Vasilko and sent his other son Yaroslav against them with the Ugrians. At that time, with great disorder and lawless robberies, merchants from Galich and Przemysl were not allowed to reach Kiev, and there was no salt in the entire Russian land, and then the people were in great sorrow.

Blessed Prochorus, seeing this poverty, gathered into his cell a multitude of ashes from all the cells and, having prayed to the Lord, began to distribute to all those in need of salt the ashes from which pure salt was formed for all by the prayers of the blessed.

And the more he distributed it, the more it multiplied, so that it was enough not only for the monastery, but also lay people, coming to him, sorted it out in great numbers for the needs of their households. The saint did not take anything for this, but distributed it freely to all who demanded. And you could see how the bazaar was emptying, and the monastery was full of people coming to get salt.

Then the enemy aroused great envy in the merchants who sold salt at the market, deprived of the suddenly expected profits. For in those days they expected to buy the wealth of the whole world for salt, but they were greatly mistaken in this, because before they sold too dearly, then no one bought cheap. Gathering together, all the salt merchants came to Prince Svyatopolk with a complaint about the blessed: "Prokhor, the black-robed monk of the Pechersk monastery, has taken a lot of money from us: he has relentlessly attracted everyone to him for salt, and we, who pay taxes to you, cannot sell our salt and have gone bankrupt through him." The prince, having listened to them, planned two things: to stop their complaints, and to make money for himself. And he and his advisers decided to raise the price of salt, and, taking it away from Prokhor, to be its seller himself through his people. And he promised those seditious people: "For your sake I will rob the monk." And he concealed the thought of his gain, wishing to please them, and chiefly prepared to lead them into greater losses out of envy, because envy cannot reconcile itself to that which is useful to others. Svyatopolk sent to take all the salt from Prokhor. When it was transported, he came to see it himself with those seditious people who complained about the blessed one, and everyone saw that there were ashes before their eyes. The prince ordered some to taste, and there were ashes in their mouths as well. They were much amazed at this change and were perplexed. Wanting to know more surely how it would all end, the prince ordered the ashes to be preserved for up to three days. And according to custom, a multitude of people came to the blessed one to receive salt, but when they learned about its plundering, they returned empty-handed, cursing the one who had done it. The blessed one said to them: "When the salt is poured out from the prince, then go and gather it for yourselves." The prince, having kept it for up to three days and received nothing but ashes, ordered it to be poured out at night. And the ashes that were poured out turned into salt again. Upon learning of this, the citizens began to flock and happily collected it. When this wondrous miracle took place, the prince was horrified, allowing himself violence. And since he could not conceal this deed, for it had been done before the whole city, he began to inquire into what it was. Then they told him all that Blessed Prochorus had done: not only about the salt that was made of the ashes, but also about the loaves of quinoa, with which he had impregnated a multitude of people, and how they turned out to be sweet when someone received them from his hands with a blessing, and bitter when someone took them secretly.

Learning of this, Prince Svyatopolk was ashamed of his deed, went to the Pechersk monastery and was reconciled with the hegumen John. And before that he had enmity with the hegumen for denouncing him of insatiable greed and of insulting the people, so that he even imprisoned him in Turov; but, fearing to incur the enmity of the pious prince Vladimir Monomakh, he soon returned him with honor to the Pechersk monastery.

Because of these miracles, Svyatopolk began from that time to have a great love for the Most Holy Mother of God and the Venerable Fathers Anthony and Theodosius of the Caves. And he greatly revered and pleased Blessed Prokhor, knowing that he was a true servant of God. Before him he made a promise to God not to commit violence against anyone else, and he strengthened this word, saying to the blessed one: "If I, by the will of God, depart from this world before you, you put me in the grave with your own hands, in order to show me your kindness. But if you depart before me, I will take you on my shoulders and carry you into the cave, so that the Lord may grant me forgiveness of my grievous sin before you."

After this conversation, Blessed Prokhor lived many years pleasing to God in a blameless and cruel life, and then fell ill. Prince Svyatopolk was on a campaign against the Polovtsians. Then the blessed one sent to him with the news: "The hour of my departure from the body has already approached; if you want to fulfill your promise and receive from God the forgiveness of sins, come to receive permission and put me in the tomb with your own hands. I await your coming. But if you tarry, and I depart without you, it will not be my fault, and the campaign will not end as if you had come to me." Having received this news, Svyatopolk left the army and soon came to the sick Prokhor. The monk taught the prince much about almsgiving, about future judgment, about eternal life and about endless torments, gave him forgiveness and blessing and took leave of all those around the prince. Then, raising his hands to heaven, he gave up his spirit into the hands of God.