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Our venerable and God-bearing father '''Mark the Ascetic''' was born in Athens in the fifth century, and lived in the Egyptian desert as a [[monk]]. His [[feast day]] is commemorated on [[March 5]]. == Life ==St. Mark was an [[ascetic]] and [[wonder-worker|miracle-worker]], sometimes known as ''Mark the Faster''. In his 40th year he was [[tonsure]]d a monk by his teacher, St. [[John Chrysostom]]. Mark then spent 60 more years in the wilderness of Nitria (a desert in Lower Egypt) in [[fast]]ing and [[prayer]], and in writing many spiritual works concerning the salvation of souls. He knew all the [[Holy Scriptures]] by heart. He was very merciful and kind, and wept much for the misfortunes that had befallen all of God's creation. On one occasion, when weeping over a hyena's blind whelp, he prayed to God and the whelp received its sight. In thanksgiving the mother hyena brought him a sheepskin. The [[saint]] forbade the hyena in the future to kill any more sheep belonging to poor people. He received [[Eucharist|Communion]] at the hands of [[angels]]. His [[homily|homilies]] concerned such topics as the spiritual law, repentance, sobriety, and are ranked among the preeminent literature of the Church. These works were praised by the [[Patriarch]] [[Photius the Great]] himself. ==Quotes=="Do not seek the perfection of the law in human virtues, for it is not found perfect in them. Its perfection is hidden in the Cross of Christ." == Source ==*St. [[Nikolai Velimirovic]], ''The [[Prologue of Ohrid]]'' ==External links==*[http://ocafs.oca.org/FeastSaintsViewer.asp?FSID=100669 St. Mark the Ascetic of Egypt] ([[OCA]])*[http://goarch.org/en/chapel/saints.asp?contentid=2352 Mark the Ascetic] ([[GOARCH]]) [[Category:Egyptian Saints]][[Category:Monastics]][[Category:Saints]] [[fr:Marc le Moine]]LOL INTERNET
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