There was a monk by the name of Athanasius. He was a pious monastic and passed away after a long-lasting illness. Two brothers washed his dead body, prepared it for burial, and then left. Other brothers came to visit him, but when they saw that Athanasius was dead, they left as well. Thus, the body of the deceased was lying there all day long without being buried because he was quite poor and had no property, he was neglected by others. People always serve to the rich, the ones both living and the ones who are near death, in order to get or inherit something from them.
The next night, father superior saw a stranger who appeared to him and said: “You live without any worries while the man of God is lying unburied for the second day”. When father superior learned of this, he went with all the brethren to Athanasius. When they came in, they found him sitting and crying. They all were horrified and asked him: “How could you come back to life?”, “What did you see?” He answered nothing, but kept repeating one phrase over and over: “Save yourselves!” The brethren begged him to answer: “Tell us, so that it will be useful for us too”. Then he asked: “Would you observe what I say?” The brethren answered: “We will abide by everything you will say”. Athanasius said them: “Obey your father superior, always repent and pray to Jesus Christ, to the Mother of God, and to the Holy Fathers: Antonius and Theodosius, so that you will be allowed to end your life here and be buried in the caves near the Holy Fathers. These are the three most important things for you. Follow them properly and do not boast. Now do not ask me anymore, but forgive me”. Then he entered the cave, blocked the entrance and lived in that cave for another 12 years. During all that time he never spoke to anyone. When the time came, he called the brethren and repeated one more time what he had told them about repentance and obedience. After that he passed away.One of the monks suffered from pain in his legs for many years. The brothers brought him to the relics of St. Athanasius. When the monk hugged the body of pious Athanasius, he was instantly healed. After that he never suffered from pain in his body again. His name was Babylas. After his healing he told the brothers what happened to him: “I was lying in my bed moaning in pain. Suddenly that pious man appeared to me and said: “Come, and I will heal you”. I wanted to ask him, how and when could he come to me, but he disappeared”. The brethren understood that pious Athanasius pleased God with his feats: he lived in the cave for 12 years and did not see the sunlight. He was always crying and praying, ate only bread and water – in small portions and not every day.
If someone considers these events to be impossible, the let them read the life stories of the Holy Fathers Antonius and Theodosius, the founders of monasticism in Kiev. The parable told by God has to come true: “A sower went out to sow his seed: and as he sowed, some fell by the way side, but some fell among thorns…” – people are just loaded with their life troubles. It is said about such people: “For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed”. “Lord, Who hath believed our report?”
