Biography of St. Mark
St. Mark the Evangelist, pray for us!
St Mark was either born in Cyrene, in Pentapolis in the Roman Province of Africa, or most likely in Jerusalem, three years after the Birth of Our Lord. He was born of Jewish parents, Mary and Aristopolos. His actual name was John Mark, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles:
And considering, he (Peter) came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying. (Acts 12:12)
We can see from this verse, that his house was used as a Church, thus meaning that he and his mother must have converted to the Catholic Faith. As Scripture does not mention his father by name, thus anything we know of him comes from Tradition. St Mark is also identified with Mark, the cousin of St Barnabas. Because he is believed to be the cousin to St Barnabas, who was a Levite (a member of the priestly tribe), it is believed that St Mark was a Levite as well. According to the Coptic tradition, not long after his birth, his parents fled their home in Cyrene due to an attack by the Berber's. They fled to Cana in Galilee, not far from Jerusalem. Not long after they had moved, according to Tradition, his father died. Now St Peter, who was married to a relative of Mark's father, became a sort of father-figure in his early years. In 1 Peter 5:13, the Apostle states:
"The Church that is at Babylon saluteth you...and so doth my son, Mark."
Scripture states that St. Peter had a wife, but does not mention if he had children. If this is the case, then Peter probably looked upon Mark as the son he never had. However it is more probable that St. Peter had baptised St. Mark, and this act had made him his spiritual son. Mark then, under Peter's guidance, studied law and the classics, and he received a good education. Mark's mother, Mary, became a follower of Jesus, and this is why St Mark is identified as one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, along with St. Luke. However, although he was a disciple, he lost his faith in Christ, after the Lord commanded all those who would seek life, to eat His Precious Body and Blood. (John 6:54). During his "exile" from the Church, St. Peter found him, and reconciled him with the rest of the Apostles and Disciples, fulfilling the command of the Lord:
"But I (Jesus) have prayed for thee (Peter), that thy faith fail not: and thou (Peter), being once converted, confirm thy brethren (the Apostles and Disciples)." Luke 22:32.
At the time of Christ's arrest, the Gospel mentions a young man who fled from the Garden of Gethsemane, naked. This man is also believed to be St Mark. Although inprobable, St Mark is also identified with the rich young man, to whom Our Lord says to sell all he has and give it to the poor.
Because St Mark was one of the Seventy Diciples, he helped the Apostles with their preaching, especially St Paul and later, St Peter. His relationship with St Barnabas explains his travelling with St Paul. At one point, St. Barnabas refuses to go with St Paul on his second Apostolic Mission, due to the fact that St Paul would not allow St Mark to go with them. (Acts 15:37-40) This is probably a reaction to the fact that during St. Paul's first Apostolic Mission to Asia Minor, St Mark refused to go with St Paul. In spite of this, St Mark must have at some point preached in Asia Minor, since St. Peter's first Epistle, which is addressed to the Dioceses in Asia Minor, mentions St Mark therein, as if the faithful in Asia Minor knew of him.
After preaching in Asia Minor, St Mark then followed St Peter to Rome, to begin helping the two glorious Apostles (Ss. Peter & Paul) build up the Holy Roman Church, the Mother of all Churches. At this time, while St. Peter was executing his Office as Pope and Bishop of Rome, St Mark wrote down his homilies and sermons. These homilies and sermons thus became the Gospel of St Mark. St Mark wrote his Gospel because the faithful in Rome asked for copies of St Peter's homilies. After receiving the blessing of St Peter, St Mark wrote his Gospel, in Greek.
After he had served the Bishop of Rome, he was sent to Alexandria in 49 AD, to convert the Egyptians and the people of Roman Africa. Thus, St Mark was the first to preach the Holy Religion to the Africas. At this time, he became the first Bishop of Alexandria, it's first Patriarch, and thus the first Primate of Egypt. During his episcopate, he created the liturgy for the Church in Alexandria, which still survives to this day. He laboured hard for the Work of Christ in a land that was steeped in idol worship and the profanation of all things sacred. Because of his blessed work, the Lord was pleased to give him the Crown of Martyrdom, and in 68AD, four years after the death of St. Peter, St Mark was martyred by the pagans, who resented his evangelising, and they bound him to a horse by the neck, and dragged him through the streets of the city until he was dead.
St Mark's feast day is 25th April, which also coincides with the Greater Litanies in the 1962 Calendar. He is identified with a winged lion. He is the patron Saint of barristers, Venice and Egypt. The head of St. Mark remains in Alexandria, but the rest of his relics lie peacefully in the Basilica of St Mark in Venice, Italy.
Because of the above, St Mark is indeed a powerful intercessor before Christ, and worthy of our prayers and love.
Prayer to St. Mark
O glorious St Mark, noble Evangelist, hear the sighs of our hearts and beseech the Lord to spare us and aid us in our daily toils. Let the holy words which thou hast written bring us comfort and strengthen our faith, as we, like thee, fight on for the right of the Church. Hear us, O holy Apostle, and carry our worries to the happy Mother of God, that She may untangle the knots in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Novena to St. Mark
O glorious St. Mark, through the grace of God our Father, thou didst become a great Evangelist, preaching the Gospel of Christ. Obtain for me, I pray thee, lively faith, firm hope and burning charity; patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the Will of God and perseverance in the Grace of God even unto death, and, by thy intercession and thy glorious merits I entrust to thee this special favour I now ask (mention your request). Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who Liveth and Reigneth with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen
One Our Father, One Hail Mary and One Gloria
And considering, he (Peter) came to the house of Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark, where many were gathered together and praying. (Acts 12:12)
We can see from this verse, that his house was used as a Church, thus meaning that he and his mother must have converted to the Catholic Faith. As Scripture does not mention his father by name, thus anything we know of him comes from Tradition. St Mark is also identified with Mark, the cousin of St Barnabas. Because he is believed to be the cousin to St Barnabas, who was a Levite (a member of the priestly tribe), it is believed that St Mark was a Levite as well. According to the Coptic tradition, not long after his birth, his parents fled their home in Cyrene due to an attack by the Berber's. They fled to Cana in Galilee, not far from Jerusalem. Not long after they had moved, according to Tradition, his father died. Now St Peter, who was married to a relative of Mark's father, became a sort of father-figure in his early years. In 1 Peter 5:13, the Apostle states:
"The Church that is at Babylon saluteth you...and so doth my son, Mark."
Scripture states that St. Peter had a wife, but does not mention if he had children. If this is the case, then Peter probably looked upon Mark as the son he never had. However it is more probable that St. Peter had baptised St. Mark, and this act had made him his spiritual son. Mark then, under Peter's guidance, studied law and the classics, and he received a good education. Mark's mother, Mary, became a follower of Jesus, and this is why St Mark is identified as one of the Seventy Disciples of Christ, along with St. Luke. However, although he was a disciple, he lost his faith in Christ, after the Lord commanded all those who would seek life, to eat His Precious Body and Blood. (John 6:54). During his "exile" from the Church, St. Peter found him, and reconciled him with the rest of the Apostles and Disciples, fulfilling the command of the Lord:
"But I (Jesus) have prayed for thee (Peter), that thy faith fail not: and thou (Peter), being once converted, confirm thy brethren (the Apostles and Disciples)." Luke 22:32.
At the time of Christ's arrest, the Gospel mentions a young man who fled from the Garden of Gethsemane, naked. This man is also believed to be St Mark. Although inprobable, St Mark is also identified with the rich young man, to whom Our Lord says to sell all he has and give it to the poor.
Because St Mark was one of the Seventy Diciples, he helped the Apostles with their preaching, especially St Paul and later, St Peter. His relationship with St Barnabas explains his travelling with St Paul. At one point, St. Barnabas refuses to go with St Paul on his second Apostolic Mission, due to the fact that St Paul would not allow St Mark to go with them. (Acts 15:37-40) This is probably a reaction to the fact that during St. Paul's first Apostolic Mission to Asia Minor, St Mark refused to go with St Paul. In spite of this, St Mark must have at some point preached in Asia Minor, since St. Peter's first Epistle, which is addressed to the Dioceses in Asia Minor, mentions St Mark therein, as if the faithful in Asia Minor knew of him.
After preaching in Asia Minor, St Mark then followed St Peter to Rome, to begin helping the two glorious Apostles (Ss. Peter & Paul) build up the Holy Roman Church, the Mother of all Churches. At this time, while St. Peter was executing his Office as Pope and Bishop of Rome, St Mark wrote down his homilies and sermons. These homilies and sermons thus became the Gospel of St Mark. St Mark wrote his Gospel because the faithful in Rome asked for copies of St Peter's homilies. After receiving the blessing of St Peter, St Mark wrote his Gospel, in Greek.
After he had served the Bishop of Rome, he was sent to Alexandria in 49 AD, to convert the Egyptians and the people of Roman Africa. Thus, St Mark was the first to preach the Holy Religion to the Africas. At this time, he became the first Bishop of Alexandria, it's first Patriarch, and thus the first Primate of Egypt. During his episcopate, he created the liturgy for the Church in Alexandria, which still survives to this day. He laboured hard for the Work of Christ in a land that was steeped in idol worship and the profanation of all things sacred. Because of his blessed work, the Lord was pleased to give him the Crown of Martyrdom, and in 68AD, four years after the death of St. Peter, St Mark was martyred by the pagans, who resented his evangelising, and they bound him to a horse by the neck, and dragged him through the streets of the city until he was dead.
St Mark's feast day is 25th April, which also coincides with the Greater Litanies in the 1962 Calendar. He is identified with a winged lion. He is the patron Saint of barristers, Venice and Egypt. The head of St. Mark remains in Alexandria, but the rest of his relics lie peacefully in the Basilica of St Mark in Venice, Italy.
Because of the above, St Mark is indeed a powerful intercessor before Christ, and worthy of our prayers and love.
Prayer to St. Mark
O glorious St Mark, noble Evangelist, hear the sighs of our hearts and beseech the Lord to spare us and aid us in our daily toils. Let the holy words which thou hast written bring us comfort and strengthen our faith, as we, like thee, fight on for the right of the Church. Hear us, O holy Apostle, and carry our worries to the happy Mother of God, that She may untangle the knots in our lives. Through Christ our Lord. Amen
Novena to St. Mark
O glorious St. Mark, through the grace of God our Father, thou didst become a great Evangelist, preaching the Gospel of Christ. Obtain for me, I pray thee, lively faith, firm hope and burning charity; patience in adversity, humility in prosperity, recollection in prayer, purity of heart, a right intention in all my works, diligence in fulfilling the duties of my state of life, constancy in my resolutions, resignation to the Will of God and perseverance in the Grace of God even unto death, and, by thy intercession and thy glorious merits I entrust to thee this special favour I now ask (mention your request). Through Our Lord Jesus Christ, Who Liveth and Reigneth with God the Father and the Holy Ghost, God, world without end. Amen
One Our Father, One Hail Mary and One Gloria