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Our venerable mother '''Mary of Egypt''' was a desert ascetic who [[repentance|repented]] of a life of prostitutiondebauchery. She lived during the sixth century, and passed away in a remarkable manner in 522. The Church celebrates her [[feast day]] on the day of her repose, [[April 1]]; additionally, she is commemorated on the [[Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt]], the fifth Sunday in [[Great Lent]].

Zosima did exactly this, though he began to doubt his experience as the sun began to go set that night. Then Mary appeared on the opposite side of the Jordan; crossing herself, she miraculously walked across the water and met Zosima. When he attempted to bow, she rebuked him, saying that as a priest he was far superior, and furthermore, he was holding the [[Eucharist|Holy Mysteries]]. Mary then received communion and walked back across the Jordan after giving Zosima instructions about his [[monastery]] and that he should return to where they first met exactly a year later. When he did so, he found Mary's body with a message written on the sand asking him for burial and revealing that she had died immediately after receiving the Holy Mysteries the year before (and thus had been miraculously transported to the spot where she now lay). So Zosima, amazed, began to dig, but soon tired; then a lion approached and began to help him, that is, after Zosima had recovered from his fear of the creature. Thus St. Mary of Egypt was buried.

Later, the story of Mary's life was written down by St. [[Sophronios Sophronius I of Jerusalem|Sophronius]], [[Patriarch of Jerusalem]](cf. "External links").