“Sell everything and buy Mark!" This phrase found on a 14th century manuscript of St. Mark's works represents how precious his writings have been considered by believers for over a millennium.   St. Mark the Ascetic, also known as Mark the Monk or Mark the Hermit, is a remarkable theologian and spiritual counselor. Eleven of his works are extant in the patristic tradition, and three of them were placed in the Philokalia. This work, On the Spiritual Law, was considered a gateway to the spiritual life by St. Symeon the New Theologian. Following the genre of "chapters" established by Evagrius the Solitary, St. Mark writes On the Spiritual Law in 200 brief chapters, designed for memorization. This work, together with its companion piece – “No Righteous by Work” - are St. Mark's most famous works.