The precise dates of the lives of hermit

Hermit

A hermit is a person who lives, to some degree, in seclusion from society.In Christianity, the term was originally applied to a Christian who lives the eremitic life out of a religious conviction, namely the Desert Theology of the Old Testament .In the...

 Saint Mark of the Caves, (also known as St. Mark the Grave-digger) and the two sainted brothers Theophil and John are not recorded, however, their story is preserved in the Kiev Caves Paterikon.

Saint Mark is noted for his service to Theophil and John in the paterikon because of his gift of discernment

Discernment

Discernment is a term used to describe the activity of determining the value and quality of a certain subject or event. Typically, it is used to describe the activity of going past the mere perception of something, to making detailed judgments about that thing...

 and powerful vocation of intercession

Intercession

Intercession is the act of interceding between two parties. In both Christian and Islamic religious usage, it is a prayer to God on behalf of others....

 with the Lord.

Saints Mark, Theophil and John are commemorated 29 December in the Eastern Orthodox Church

Eastern Orthodox Church

The Orthodox Church, officially called the Orthodox Catholic Church and commonly referred to as the Eastern Orthodox Church, is the second largest Christian denomination in the world, with an estimated 300 million adherents mainly in the countries of Belarus, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Georgia, Greece,...

 and Byzantine Catholic Churches.

See also

• Russian Orthodox Church
  Russian Orthodox Church
  The Russian Orthodox Church or, alternatively, the Moscow Patriarchate The ROC is often said to be the largest of the Eastern Orthodox churches in the world; including all the autocephalous churches under its umbrella, its adherents number over 150 million worldwide—about half of the 300 million...
  
  
• Poustinia
  Poustinia
  A poustinia is a small sparsely furnished cabin or room where one goes to pray and fast alone in the presence of God. The word poustinia has its origin in the Russian word for desert...
  
  
• John the Hairy
  John the Hairy
  Blessed John the Hairy was a holy fool , of the Russian Orthodox Church in the second half of the 16th century. He endured a great many trials in his lifetime...
  
  
• Theoctiste of Lesbos
  Theoctiste of Lesbos
  Theoctiste of Lesbos is a saint of the Eastern Orthodox Church and the communion of Eastern Catholic and Latin Rite Catholic Churches.Born on the island of Lesbos, Theoctiste was orphaned as a child...