Feast of St Mark: 24th April

Feast of St Mark: 24^th April

St Mark did not write his Gospel as an eye witness of Jesus’s ministry but it is believed that St Peter was his primary source of information. Peter himself refers to St Mark as his son (1 Peter 5:13).Papias the Bishop of Hierapolis (modern day Turkey),  who lived  60– 130 AD  commented that St Mark was an interpreter of St Peter and this is also echoed by St Irenaeus,  Clement of Alexandria and Tertulian. Traditions vary as to the exact date of St Mark’s Gospel but most suggest before Ad 70. According to St Paul’s letter to the Colossians (4:10)  he was a cousin of the missionary St Barnabas and also accompanied St Paul  on his first missionary journey. It is also suggested that he founded the church at Alexandria.

The opening verse in St Mark’s Gospel, is the title for the entire Gospel. “ Jesus, is the Christ”. He is the Messiah, the Anointed One, the Son of God. Both the works, the miracles, the words, preaching and teaching will substantiate such a bold claim to Jesus’s divine sonship. However, St Mark will show that Jesus distances himself from the popular and mistaken understanding of a political messiah. St Mark reveals Jesus as the one destined to suffer grievously, fulfilling the prophesies of the prophet Isaiah’s suffering servant. Jesus is a Messiah who liberates his people not from the tyranny of the Romans but from death, sin, sickness and satan.

The suffering endured by Christ will never be far from the life of the disciple and so the Gospel encourages them to remain faithful.

St Mark. Pray for us

 

Prayer in time of great need.

My God, my Lord, my all, what I cannot do, you can, what I cannot achieve, you can, what I cannot bear and suffer, you can. Please take care of …………. as only you can and in your own time and way. May you continue to be close to me, to bless me and to uphold me. I leave all this, humbly at the foot of your healing and life giving cross.

To you God be glory and honour and praise, forever and ever amen.