Vita Porphyrii episcopi Gazensis

 I was a witness to the man's virtue, having lived with him and sailed with him and suffered hardships with him until the last day of his life here. An

 Thessaloniki, and after showing the written instruction, I divided the property with his brothers. And I sold to them the estates allotted to me for t

 he distributed, so that he himself was in need of daily food. Therefore he gave himself to the shoemaker's craft, washing and stitching hides, in all

 a letter to the aforementioned holy Praulius, the bishop of Jerusalem, to send the blessed Porphyry to him for the sake of a certain question of scrip

 16 And on that night, the blessed John sends for the Gazans and says to them: Be ready for the departure for today you receive your priest, a man who

 of the orthodox faith, whose life and works are written in the paradise of delight. So, having come to the aforementioned church, we made so many pray

 23 But when the idol-worshippers saw him being carried, and thinking he was dead, they were turned to madness because they thought it was an abominati

 of the ordinations of the deacons, both I and the God-loving Barochas, I being very unworthy, but he worthily and justly having received this gift.

 29 And she had a faithful nurse, who, being in great distress, made prayers in the houses of prayer on her behalf. Therefore, on one day as she was pr

 33 And the most holy Porphyry answered and said to him: I adjure you before the invisible God and our hope Jesus Christ, the Lord of all creation, and

 the Lord has revealed to my humble self. When you go up to Byzantium, first meet with the most holy bishop John and together with him make prayers to

 39 On the next day, the Cubicularius Amantius sent for us by two deans to go to the palace, and rising up in haste we went. We found him waiting for u

 her face was red and beauty was added to her appearance beyond what she had for the visible things make manifest the invisible things.

 Having gone away, we made the supplication, arranging many things on the charter, not only that the temples of the idols be destroyed, but also that p

 Next I will send for the quaestor and in your sight I will command him that in accordance with the power of your petition a divine letter be made in t

 my child, and many and great are the things that have been granted to us. And immediately the emperor ordered the prefects to bequeath to them from th

 the sign of the precious cross, and they themselves chanting. And the people of the two places mingled, and became no small crowd for those from the

 63 But after the tenth day, the wonderful Cynegius arrived, having with him the consular and the duke and a great military and civil force. But many o

 leave the outer one with the enclosure. And after it is burned, having cleansed the place, build a holy church there. And he also said this: I adjure

 inner doors, and having made a prayer they set the fire, and immediately the whole temple caught and was burned. As many of the soldiers and the forei

 that if they are not found worthy of the faith, having already become settled in evil, those born of them are able to be saved by associating with the

 the former Marneion, and he himself followed carrying the holy gospel and having the devout clergy around him, truly imitating Christ with the discipl

 the Lord, for the three children are alive. And when the holy bishop among the saints and the people heard, they rejoiced, and sending a large basket,

 they speak of astrology, so that they may sin without fear, as if the power to sin is not in us, but from the necessity of fate.

 being glorified, will strike your tongue and muzzle your mouth, so that it may not speak blasphemies.

 of those in need of his gifts. And in the days of the fasts of the holy Pascha he supplied to each poor person 10 obols for forty days. Having command

 the blessed one again, being moved to compunction, wept, having foreseen the faith she was about to have in Christ. And rising and saying the customar

 a tongue, Photine to her he entrusted Salaphtha, giving her the monastic habit, and committing them to God he sent them away in peace. And she undert

a letter to the aforementioned holy Praulius, the bishop of Jerusalem, to send the blessed Porphyry to him for the sake of a certain question of scripture which ought to be resolved by him; for the blessed one was capable of resolving every supposed difficulty of the divine scripture, and this he had from a gift of the Holy Spirit. And believing the letters of the blessed John, the God-loving Praulius sent him away, instructing him not to delay longer than seven days.

13 But when the blessed Porphyry heard the import of what had been written by the most holy John, at first he was troubled, but after this he said: May the will of God be done. And having summoned me on that evening, he says to me: Brother Mark, let us go and venerate the holy places and the precious cross, for a long time will pass before we venerate them again. And I said: Why do you speak thus, father? And he answered and said: Last night I saw the Savior saying to me: The deposit which I entrusted to you, restore. For I wish to join you to a woman, humble but well-disposed, and you, taking her, adorn her, so that she may forget her former poverty. For even if she happens to be humble, she is not alien to me, but my true sister; And take care for this, that you do not, as one who has a wife and is concerned for a household, gather wealth from injustice or violence or lawlessness, since in angering me you also grieve her; for she too is displeased by such things. But you, only have good eagerness, and all things will be supplied to you from where you do not expect. These things the Lord Christ revealed to me last night, and I fear lest, while wishing to atone for my own sins, I should also atone for those of many others. But nevertheless it is not possible to speak against the will of God.

14 Having said these things he went, and I with him, and after we venerated the holy places and the precious cross, and he prayed much and wept, he placed it in the golden coffer, and having secured it, he went out, and having gone to the blessed Praulius the bishop, he handed over the keys to him, and having received a prayer with a commendation he departed. And having come to the lodging, we made preparations. And having hired three animals and having taken the provisions for the journey we set out; and the provisions were everything in the house. And we were five on the road, the blessed man himself and I and two donkey-drivers and another younger servant named Barochas, whom the blessed man had found a short time before cast out in the public square, being in extreme danger, and taking him in, he brought him home, and having spent much on him with the help of Christ he made him well. From then on, therefore, he remained with him, serving him along with me. And the things concerning the God-fearing Barochas, as the account proceeds, I shall relate. And having traveled on that day, on the next we came to Caesarea. And the news of our arrival was spread through the whole city; for the blessed man was also renowned on account of his blameless life, and much more because he was a lover of the poor. And we made for the inn there; for it was evening.

15 But when the blessed John the archbishop heard, he came running to us, and having greeted one another and having prayed, they sat for a little while. And the archbishop said to him: Arise, brother, for the Lord's sake and taste food with me, so that we may quickly rise for the vigil of the holy Lord's Day. For we had entered late on Saturday. But the blessed Porphyry besought him to excuse him for the evening on account of the weariness of the journey; and he said he would rise for the vigil after the first sleep. But since the archbishop was not persuaded, the blessed one arose and went with him, taking me as well (for we left brother Barochas at the inn near the garments), and being urged by him we dined. And having spoken of many spiritual things and having slept a little, we arose for the vigil.

ἐπιστολὴν τῷ μνημονευθέντι ὁσίῳ Πραϋλίῳ τῷ ἐπισκόπῳ Ἱεροσολύμων τὸν μακάριον Πορφύριον πέμψαι πρὸς αὐτὸν χάριν ζητήματός τινος τῆς γραφῆς ὀφείλοντος ὑπ' αὐτοῦ ἐπιλυθῆναι· ἦν γὰρ ἱκανὸς ὁ μακάριος πᾶν νομιζόμενον εἶναι δυσχερὲς τῶν τῆς θείας γραφῆς ἐπιλῦσαι, τοῦτο δὲ εἶχεν ἀπὸ χαρίσματος πνεύματος ἁγίου. Καὶ πιστεύσας τοῖς γράμμασι τοῦ μακαρίου Ἰωάννου ὁ θεοφιλὴς Πραΰλιος τοῦτον ἀπέλυσεν, παραγγείλας αὐτῷ περαιτέρω ἑπτὰ ἡμερῶν μὴ χρονίσαι.

13 Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ μακάριος Πορφύριος τὴν δύναμιν τῶν γραφέντων ὑπὸ τοῦ ὁσιωτάτου Ἰωάννου τὰ μὲν πρῶτα ἐθορυβήθη, μετὰ δὲ ταῦτα εἶπεν· Τὸ θέλημα τοῦ θεοῦ γενέσθω. Καὶ προσκαλεσάμενός με ἐν τῇ ἑσπέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ λέγει μοι· Ἀδελφὲ Μάρκε, πορευθῶμεν καὶ προσκυνήσωμεν τοὺς ἁγίους τόπους καὶ τὸν τίμιον σταυρόν, πολὺς γὰρ χρόνος ἔχει παρελθεῖν ἕως οὗ πάλιν προσκυνήσωμεν. Ἐγὼ δὲ εἶπον· ∆ιὰ τί οὕτως λέγεις, πάτερ; Ὃ δὲ ἀποκριθεὶς εἶπεν· Τῇ παρελθούσῃ νυκτὶ εἶδον τὸν σωτῆρα λέγοντά μοι· Τὴν παραθήκην ἣν παρεθέμην σοι ἀποκατάστησον. Ζεῦξαι γάρ σε θέλω γυναικὶ ταπεινῇ μὲν ἀλλ' εὐτρόπῳ, σὺ δὲ λαμβάνων αὐτὴν κόσμησον, ἵνα ἐπιλάθηται τῆς προτέρας αὐτῆς πτωχείας. Εἰ γὰρ καὶ ταπεινὴ τυγχάνει ἀλλ' οὐκ ἔστι μου ἀλλοτρία, ἀλλὰ γνησία μου ἀδελφή· Τοῦτο δὲ παραφύλαξαι ἵνα μή, ὡς ἔχων γυναῖκα καὶ φροντίζων οἴκου, ἐξ ἀδικίας ἢ βίας ἢ παρανομίας συναγάγῃς, ἐπεὶ κἀμὲ παροργίσας κἀκείνην λυπεῖς· ἀπαρέσκεται γὰρ καὶ αὕτη τοῖς τοιούτοις. Σὺ δὲ μόνον ἔχε προθυμίαν ἀγαθήν, καὶ πάντα σοι χορηγηθήσεται ὅθεν οὐ προσδοκᾷς. Ταῦτά μοι ὁ δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐδήλωσεν ἐν τῇ παρελθούσῃ νυκτί, καὶ φοβοῦμαι μή πως θέλων ἐξιλάσασθαι τὰς ἐμὰς ἁμαρτίας ἐξιλάσωμαι καὶ ἄλλων πολλῶν. Ἀλλ' ὅμως οὐκ ἔστιν ἀντειπεῖν τῷ βουλήματι τοῦ θεοῦ.

14 Ταῦτα εἰπὼν ἐπορεύθη, κἀγὼ δὲ σὺν αὐτῷ, καὶ προσκυνήσαντες τοὺς ἁγίους τόπους καὶ τὸν τίμιον σταυρὸν καὶ πολλὰ εὐξάμενος καὶ δακρύσας, ἔθηκεν ἐν τῷ χρυσῷ γλωσσοκόμῳ, καὶ ἀσφαλισάμενος ἐξῆλθεν, καὶ ἀπελθὼν πρὸς τὸν μακάριον Πραΰλιον τὸν ἐπίσκοπον, παρέδωκεν αὐτῷ τὰς κλεῖς, καὶ λαβὼν εὐχὴν μετὰ παραθέσεως ἐξῆλθεν. Ἐλθόντες δὲ εἰς τὸ καταγώγιον εὐτρεπιζόμεθα. Μισθωσάμενοι δὲ κτήνη τρία καὶ λαβόντες τὰ ἐνόδια ἐξήλθομεν· τὰ δὲ ἐνόδια ἦν πάντα τὰ ἐν τῷ οἴκῳ. Ἦμεν δὲ ἐν τῇ ὁδῷ πέντε, αὐτός τε ὁ μακάριος κἀγὼ καὶ δύο ὀνηλάται καὶ ἄλλος ὑπηρέτης νεώτερος ὀνόματι Βαρωχᾶς, ὅντινα εὗρεν ὁ μακάριος πρὸ ὀλίγου χρόνου ἐρριμμένον ἐν τῇ πλατείᾳ, ὄντα ἐν ἐσχάτῳ κινδύνῳ, καὶ λαβὼν συνήγαγεν, καὶ ἀναλώσας πολλὰ εἰς αὐτὸν τῇ βοηθείᾳ τοῦ Χριστοῦ τοῦτον ὑγιῆ ἐποίησεν. Ἐξ ἐκείνου οὖν ἔμεινεν παρ' αὐτῷ ἐξυπηρετούμενος αὐτῷ ἅμα ἐμοί. Τὰ δὲ κατὰ τὸν θεοσεβῆ Βαρωχᾶν, τοῦ λόγου προϊόντος, φράσω. Ὁδεύσαντες δὲ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἐκείνῃ, τῇ ἑξῆς ἤλθομεν εἰς Καισάρειαν. ∆ιεδόθη δὲ εἰς πᾶσαν τὴν πόλιν ἡ παρουσία τῆς εἰσόδου ἡμῶν· ἦν γὰρ καὶ ὀνομαστὸς ὁ μακάριος διὰ τὸν ἄμεμπτον αὐτοῦ βίον, πολλῷ μᾶλλον διὰ τὸ εἶναι αὐτὸν φιλόπτωχον. Ὡρμήσαμεν δὲ εἰς τὸν ἐκεῖ ξενῶνα· ἦν γὰρ ἑσπέρα.

15 Ἀκούσας δὲ ὁ μακάριος Ἰωάννης ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, δρομαῖος παρεγένετο πρὸς ἡμᾶς, καὶ ἀσπασάμενοι ἀλλήλους καὶ εὐξάμενοι μικρὸν ἐκάθισαν. Εἶπεν δὲ αὐτῷ ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος· Ἀνάστα, ἀδελφέ, διὰ τὸν κύριον καὶ γεῦσαι μετ' ἐμοῦ, ἵνα ταχέως ἀναστῶμεν εἰς τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν τῆς ἁγίας κυριακῆς. Ὀψὲ γὰρ σαββάτῳ εἰσήλθομεν. Ὁ δὲ μακάριος Πορφύριος παρεκάλει αὐτὸν συγχωρῆσαι αὐτῷ τὴν ἑσπέραν διὰ τὸν κόπον τῆς ὁδοῦ· ἔλεγεν δὲ μετὰ τὸν πρῶτον ὕπνον ἀνίστασθαι εἰς τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν. Ὡς δὲ οὐκ ἐπείσθη ὁ ἀρχιεπίσκοπος, ἀναστὰς ὁ μακάριος συνεπορεύθη αὐτῷ λαβὼν κἀμέ (τὸν γὰρ ἀδελφὸν Βαρωχᾶν εἰάσαμεν ἐν τῷ ξενῶνι ἐγγὺς τῶν ἱματίων), καὶ προτραπέντες παρ' αὐτοῦ ἐδειπνήσαμεν. Πολλὰ δὲ ὁμιλήσαντες πνευματικὰ καὶ μικρὸν ὑπνώσαντες, ἀνέστημεν εἰς τὴν ἀγρυπνίαν.