Porphyrius, a native of Thessalonica, in Macedonia, was of a noble and wealthy family. The desire of renouncing the world made him leave his friends and country at twenty-five years of age, in 378, to pass into Egypt, where he consecrated himself to God in a famous monastery in the desert of Sceté. After five years spent there in the penitential exercises of a monastic life, he went into Palestine to visit the holy places of Jerusalem. After this he took up his abode in a cave near the Jordan, where he passed other five years in great austerity, till he fell sick, when a complication of disorders obliged him to return to Jerusalem. There he never failed daily to visit all the holy places, leaning on a staff, for he was too weak to stand upright. It had happened that, about the same time, Mark, an Asiatic, and the author of his life, came to Jerusalem with the same intent. He was much edified by the devotion with which Porphyrius visited the holy places. And seeing him, one day, labour with great pain up the stairs in the chapel built by Constantine, he ran to him to offer his assistance; but Porphyrius refused it, saying, "It is not right that I who am come hither to supplicate pardon for my sins should be eased by any one: rather let me undergo some labour and inconvenience, that God, beholding it, may have compassion on me." He never omitted his visits of piety to the holy places, and daily partook of the Holy Sacrament. The only thing that afflicted him was, that his fortune had not as yet been sold for the use of the poor. This he commissioned Mark to do for him, who accordingly set out for Thessalonica, and in three months' time returned to Jerusalem with money and effects, to the value of four thousand five hundred pieces of gold. When the blessed man saw him, he embraced him, with tears of joy. But Porphyrius was now so completely recovered, that Mark scarcely knew him to be the same person: for his body was erect and vigorous, and his face looked full, fresh, and ruddy. Porphyrius perceiving his friend's amazement, said with a smile, "Be not surprised, Mark, to see me in perfect health and strength, but admire the unspeakable goodness of Christ, who can easily cure what man has despaired of." Mark asked him by what means he had recovered. He replied, "Forty days ago, being in extreme pain, I made a shift to reach Mount Calvary, where, fainting away, I fell into a kind of trance, during which, methought I saw our Saviour on the cross, and the good thief hanging beside him. I said to Christ, _Lord, Remember me, when Thou comest into Thy kingdom_: whereupon he ordered the thief to come to my assistance, and he, raising me off the ground on which I lay, bade me go to Christ. I ran to Him, and He coming off His cross, said to me, _Take this wood_ (meaning the cross) _into thy custody_. In obedience to Him, methought I laid it on my shoulders and carried it some way. I awoke soon after,