'And once he lay panting on his bed worn out by a high
fever, and behold his cell was suddenly brightened by a great light and
quivered. And he lifted his hands to heaven and breathed out his spirit
while giving thanks. With mingled cries of mourning the monks and his
mother took the dead man's body out [of the cell], washed and clothed it
and placed it on a bier and spent the night in weeping and singing
psalms. In the morning while preparations for the funeral went on the
body began to move on the bier. And behold his cheeks regained color
and, as if roused from a deep sleep, he stirred and opened his eyes and
lifted his hands and said: "Merciful God, why hast Thou allowed me to
return to this gloomy place of life on earth, since Thy mercy in heaven
would be better for me than vile life in this world." His people were
wonderstruck and asked what such a prodigy could mean, but he made no
answer to their questions. He rose from the bier, feeling no harm from
the painful experience he had suffered, and continued for three days
without the support of food or drink. On the third day he called the
monks and his mother and said: "Listen, dear ones, and understand that
what you look upon in this world is nothing but it is like the prophet
Solomon's song, 'All is vanity.' Happy is he who can live in the world
so as to deserve to see the glory of God in heaven."'
