“Deliver thou this minute the true servants of God!” he called out, “otherwise this wicked town will be turned to ashes.”
The frightened official immediately had the prisoners led out and freed and they started off for Jerusalem, where at that time there lived the runaway from Rome captive, Tsar Pipinoss, with his wife Malienoss. They were very religiously inclined, had entirely given up all worldly habits and pretensions, became monks and lived at Jerusalem in two different monasteries, which they themselves had erected. They caressingly received the newcomers. Having rested a little, the saints went to the tomb of the Lord, where they also became monks. Mourvanoss was named Peter and the eunuch John.
Who can possibly describe their charitable deeds! They shone like illuminators, instructing and converting all and everything simply by the splendid example of their own lives! They constructed two monasteries and connected with these a house of refuge of strangers for Georgians and Greeks, where the Tsarevitch humbly waited upon travellers, and while occupied with such actions he reached his twenty-fifth year. This monastery was named after the most Holy Virgin. At this time the devil suddenly pounced down upon him in the disguise of a stranger and began to argue with and insult the Saint for having renounced all his rights to the crown and for having humbly served his own servants, but the righteous hermit Peter soon found out with whom he had to do and angrily chased him out of the hospice of strangers. Then our Lord Jesus Christ for a second time appeared to him and drew his attention towards the sky, where the Saint now beheld a temple, in which fully fifty tsars of indescribable beauty were singing hymns unto God and glorifying His Holy Name. In the number of these select Christian worshippers the Lord also promised to add the Tsarevitch Mourvanoss.
He was sixty-five years old when the patriarch of Jerusalem, Anastasius, made him a full priest. He went off into a desert, where on the banks of the Jordan he founded yet another monastery.
John accompanied him everywhere. Here he successfully healed a man possessed with the devil, and delivered John from a tumor which had formed itself on his face and threatened to deprive him of his sight. When, however, John once more fell ill and suffered from some deadly disease, the Saint implored that his life might be prolonged for still twelve years.
He then visited and inspected all the Egyptian and Skithian monasteries and returned to his own monastery with a hospice for travelling strangers. At the time of hunger, he by the strength of his righteous prayers filled the monastery dwellings with bread and berries and the cellars with butter and wine.
In that year good John peacefully died and he was solemnly interred in the monastery of the most Holy Virgin, which is to this day known under the designation of “the monastery of the Georgians.” Soon afterwards the Bishop of Mayum died and the inhabitants having called together a meeting, unanimously chose Peter the Georgian to be bishop in the place of the deceased, and the patriarch fully approved their choice, but the most humble Peter, not knowing how to avoid such a high honor, thought of throwing himself down from an elevated spot in order to break either a hand or a leg and so appear disqualified for the election unless he should possibly succeed in hiding himself by flight.
Then the Lord appeared to him a third time with a quantity of angels and ordered him to accept the bishopric. Many a time the good and God-fearing people in Mayrounne heard the voice, which before had announced various news to the Saint. At the time of a great dryness the holy prayers of the Bishop brought down innumerable wonders. Fruitless parents were comforted by the birth of children; the sick were healed and recuperated, fruitless trees were instantly covered with fruit; fishermen who until then had always been unsuccessful in their attempts, now pulled out of the water laden nets. The Lord besides all this favored him with the exalted gift of becoming a prophet and enabled him thus to see the saintly souls in Heaven. Bishop Peter was already eighty-one years old, when the all-holy fathers Tsaya and Zenomme died and the ever-fortunate Bishop saw their sacred souls rising to Heaven. The all-reverent Peter had been obliged to stand much in the course of his life from the monophysites, through whose sly proceedings he was for a short time deprived of his righteous pulpit, to the great grief of the true believers. Emperor Leo Frakiisky had hardly ascended the throne, when he hastened to restore the Mayioun bishop in his rightful position. But he did not long keep his throne, for he soon felt the approach of his death and announced these solemn news to all those who belonged to his parish.
At that time Father Athanasius was favored with a superb vision: the saints were praying to the Lord that he should order them to bring up to their heavenly abode the all-holy bishop Peter, who had done so exceedingly much in converting thousands and thousands of unbelievers to the one True and Holy Faith!
Within ten days the wish of the saints was carried out. The Saint passed these ten days in constant prayer, on the tenth day he conducted a communion service, communed himself and also many true followers, blessed the enthusiastic crowd and having tenderly parted with all his dear folks he returned to his cell, where he serenely died and was borne to Heaven by the mercy of the Almighty God on the second day of December.