And when another year had passed, he again went into the desert. he reached the same spot but could see no sign of anyone. So raising his eyes to Heaven as before, he Prayed: “Show me, O Lord, Thy pure treasure, which Thou hast concealed in the desert. Show me, I Pray Thee, the Angel in the flesh, of which the world is not worthy.” Then on the opposite bank of the river, her face turned towards the rising sun, he saw the saint lying dead. Her hands were crossed according to custom and her face was turned to the East. Running up he shed tears over the saint’s feet and kissed them, not daring to touch anything else. For a long time he wept.
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Then reciting the appointed Psalms, he said the Burial Prayers and thought to himself: “Must I bury the body of a Saint? Or will this be contrary to her wishes?” And then he saw words traced on the ground by her head: “Abba Zosima, bury on this spot the body of humble Mary. Return to dust that which is dust and Pray to the Lord for me, who departed in the month of Fermoutin of Egypt, called April by the Romans, on the first day, on the very night of our Lord’s Passion, after having partaken of the Divine Mysteries.” Reading this the elder was glad to know the Saint’s name. He understood too that as soon as she had partaken of the Divine Mysteries on the shore of the Jordan she was at once transported to the place where she died. The distance which Zosima had taken twenty days to cover, Mary had evidently traversed in an hour and had at once surrendered her Soul to God. Then Zosima thought: “It is time to do as she wished. But how am I to dig a grave with nothing in my hands?” And then he saw nearby a small piece of wood left by some traveller in the desert. Picking it up he began to dig the ground. But the earth was hard and dry and did not yield to the efforts of the elder.
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He grew tired and covered with sweat. he sighed from the depths of his soul and lifting up his eyes he saw a big lion standing close to the Saint’s body and licking her feet. At the sight of the lion he trembled with fear, especially when he called to mind Mary’s words that she had never seen wild beasts in the desert. But guarding himself with the Sign of the Cross, the thought came to him that the power of the one lying there would protect him and keep him unharmed. Meanwhile the lion drew nearer to him, expressing affection by every movement. Zosima said to the lion: “The great one ordered that her body was to be buried. But I am old and have not the strength to dig the grave (for I have no spade and it would take too long to go and get one), so can you carry out the work with your claws? Then we can commit to the earth the mortal temple of the Saint.”
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While he was still speaking the lion with his front paws began to dig a hole deep enough to bury the body.
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Again the elder washed the feet of the Saint with his tears and calling on her to Pray for all, covered the body with earth in the presence of the lion. It was as it had been, naked and uncovered by anything but the tattered cloak which had been given to her by Zosima and with which Mary, turning away, had managed to cover part of her body. Then both departed. The lion went off into the depth of the desert like a lamb, while Zosima returned to the monastery glorifying and blessing Christ our Lord.
