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Mark the Ascetic
5th-century monk — his writings on repentance, the law of the Spirit, and those who think they are justified by works are essential reading.
St. Mark the Ascetic (also Mark the Hermit, early 5th c.) is the author of several important ascetical treatises included in the Philokalia, including On Those Who Think They Are Made Righteous by Works, On the Spiritual Law, and On Repentance. His theology of grace and free will is nuanced and precise: he insists that grace precedes and enables every good act, while simultaneously defending the reality and necessity of the free human response. His account of 'the three giants' (ignorance, forgetfulness, and laziness) that impede the spiritual life is widely cited.