Feast of Saint Mark  
Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter wrote a short gospel at the request of the brethren at Rome embodying what he had heard Peter tell.
 
When Peter had heard this, he approved it and published it to the churches to be read by his authority as Clemens in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes and Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, record.
 
Peter also mentions this Mark in his first epistle, figuratively indicating Rome under the name of Babylon She who is in Babylon elect together with you salutes you and so does Mark my son.
 
So, taking the gospel which he himself composed, he went to Egypt and first preaching Christ at Alexandria he formed a church so admirable in doctrine and continence of living that he constrained all followers of Christ to his example.
 
Philo most learned of the Jews seeing the first church at Alexandria still Jewish in a degree, wrote a book on their manner of life as something creditable to his nation telling how, as Luke says, the believers had all things in common at Jerusalem, so he recorded that he saw was done at Alexandria, under the learned Mark.
 
He died in the eighth year of Nero and was buried at Alexandria, Annianus succeeding him [De Viris Illustribus 8].
 
– Saint Jerome, Doctor of the Church and Translator of the Scriptures from Ancient Languages into the Latin Vulgate, excerpt from De Viris Illustribus (Of Illustrious Men)
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
Happy Easter! 
 
Saint Mark founded the Christian Community in Egypt at Alexandria and the author of the Gospel of Jesus Christ that bears his name, is one of four Evangelist – Gospel writers – venerated by the Church and is an interesting, if not mysterious, figure in the New Testament.  Of course, I have a devotion to Saint Mark as my patron, both at Baptism and Confirmation, and have grown to appreciate the brief, miracle rich, and captivating Gospel that he wrote so that the world would come to know and follow Jesus Christ.  As Saint Jerome mentions, see above, Saint Mark was an interesting figure in the early Church – it is commonly believed that Saint Mark’s Gospel account is a directly from the Preaching of Peter and was recorded for the good of the Christians in Rome and so that Good News could be spread beyond the limitations of Peter’s physical presence and the Community of Christians in Rome.  (Further, although difficult to confirm or deny, Mark could be John Mark and/or the actual son of Peter… some traditions also indicate that Mark was the young boy who was at the Last Supper and in the Garden, again, this is nearly impossible to verify but remains in the tradition.)  Also, by the testimony of Acts, Mark was a companion of Saint Paul – Mark and Paul have a bit of storied history (Acts 13:36-40), but all seems reconciled in the end with Saint Paul requesting Mark’s presence to assist him (2 Tim 4:11).  HERE is a great summary of our knowledge of Saint Mark, and the Gospel attributed to his hand.



Although much of the life of Saint Mark seems confusing, we do venerate him as a martyr – a witness of Christ who confessed that Jesus is Lord to the shedding of his blood – founder of the Christian Community of Alexandria (Perhaps the true founder of Coptic Christianity), and, most notibly as the author of one of the four Gospels, a collaborator with Saint Peter and Saint Paul.  Beyond the greatness of his words, the life of Saint Mark reminds us that each have a role to play in the Church.  Perhaps we are just a scribe or someone who assists and helps others or does our little bit well – well, how else could we describe Mark?  Each one of us does our little part to make known the Truth of Christ, to build-up and maintain the Mystical Body of Christ, to be an instrument of grace in the hand of God – this is the pattern of the Saints, certainly of today’s saint!  This is our pattern of life, to let the Lord use us as He sees fit… to be evangelists in the ordinary moments we are given.
 
Much more can, and should, be said about Saint Mark… patron of the City of Venice, just as a reminder.  Last Fall – November 2019 – I was able to lead a pilgrimage to Italy with some folks from the Parish.  It was a grace-filled experience.  We began in Venice, had Holy Mass in the crypt of Saint Mark’s Basilica on the first full day in Italy. ( It was about a week before the great floods and months before the coronavirus outbreak – missing both of those tragedies is a grace in and of themselves!)  Yes, Venice is ancient of days… a city that was an incredible trading and military and political hub centuries ago.  And, to this day… it remains magnanimous, no doubt due to the intercession of Saint Mark: whose words and life draw peoples to the Truth of God’s Love, to encounter Jesus Christ.
 


Saint Mark, pray for us!
 
Christ is Risen!  He is Risen, Indeed!
 
 
 
Know of my prayers for you, please pray for me!
 
Father Wilke
 
Saint Joseph, Guardian of the Redeemer, pray for us!