 St. Mark
Name: St. Mark
Date: 25 April
Saint Mark was converted to the Faith by the Prince of the Apostles, whom he later accompaniedto Rome, acting there as his secretary or interpreter. When Saint Peter wrote his First Epistle tothe churches of Asia, he affectionately joined to his own salutation that of his faithful companion,whom he calls “my son Mark.” The Roman people entreated Saint Mark to put in writing forthem the substance of Saint Peter’s frequent discourses on Our Lord’s life. This the Evangelistdid under the eye and with the express sanction of the Apostle, and every page of his brief butgraphic Gospel so bore the impress of Saint Peter’s character, that the Fathers used to name it“Peter’s Gospel.” Saint Mark was then sent to Egypt to found the Church of Alexandria. There his disciplesbecame the wonder of the world for their piety and asceticism; Saint Jerome speaks of Saint Markas the father of the anchorites who at a later time thronged the Egyptian deserts. There, too, heset up the first Christian school, the fruitful mother of many illustrious doctors and bishops. After governing his see for many years, Saint Mark was seized one day by the heathen, draggedby ropes over stones, and thrown into prison. On the morrow the torture was repeated, and afterreceiving the consolation of the sight of Angels and the voice of Jesus, Saint Mark went to hisreward. It is to Saint Mark that we owe the many pictorial touches which often give such vivid color tothe Gospel scenes, and help us to visualize the very gestures and appearance of our Blessed Lord. It is he alone who notes that in the temptation Jesus was “with the beasts;” that He slept in theboat “on a pillow”; that He “embraced the little children”. He alone preserves for us thecommand, “Peace, be still!” by which the storm was quelled, and even the very Aramaic words Hespoke, the “Ephpheta” and the “Talitha, cumi!” by which the dumb were made to speak and thedead to rise. |
