Today in the Church we celebrate the beautiful feast of Saint Mark to whom the first gospel written is attributed, even if it appears as the second in the New Testament.
The first time we hear about Mark is in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:12), after Saint Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel. The Prince of the Apostles immediately headed to a house which was a meeting place for early Jewish converts, and it belonged to a good woman by the name of Mary, whose beloved son, was Mark.
Saints Paul and Barnabas, after bringing food to the Christians in Jerusalem from Antioch, head back there bringing Mark with them on the journey as he was deemed a companion with many good talents and qualities, and they most likely saw a lot of potential use for him in their missionary efforts. He was also trustworthy given he was Barnabas’ cousin.
The community in Antioch, soon after their arrival, send Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary journey. They sailed from a nearby port in Antioch and went first to Salamis on the island of Cyprus. They brought Mark with them.
From Salamis they went on to Paphos at the other end of the island, where they converted the governor to Christianity. Imagine how much Saint Mark is taking in by now and witnessing all the signs and wonders with which Jesus had promised to adorn the preaching of the apostles. And yet he is still human, as were all the saints. For example, on the second mission, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them again and Paul disagreed on the basis that during their mission in Perga of Pamphylia (the city they evangelized after Cyprus) Mark went away doing his own thing and didn’t work with them as much as Paul thought he should have. This caused a huge disagreement between Paul and Barnabas who ended up taking Mark and heading back to Cyprus. Paul then replaced him with Silas as his missionary companion. In true Christian form however, things were on the mend soon afterwards, and we have Paul’s favourable opinion of Mark in his letter to the Colossians: “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, as does Mark the cousin of Barnabas, concerning whom you have received instructions; if he comes to you, welcome him” (4:10,11).
Then, in his Second Letter to Timothy, Paul writes:
“Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me in ministry” (4:11).
As well, in his short Letter to Philemon (Phil 1:24), Mark is cited as one of the helpers of Paul. And at the end of our first reading today, in the First Letter of Peter we find this important detail:
“Your sister church in Babylon [a code word for Rome], chosen together with you, sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark” (5:13).
Hence Mark’s authority can be seen from his close proximity to the greatest authority in the early Church, Saint Peter. There is also a tradition that Mark was the founder of the Church in Alexandria, in northern Egypt having been delegated and given this assignment.
Mark was then requested by the Christians of Rome, before 60AD, to capture Saint Peter’s thoughts, so that the Gospel he ends up writing is a record of the mission of Jesus as seen through the eyes of the visible head and Vicar of Christ. He needed to be trusted by Peter, and the fact that the latter so endearingly calls him his spiritual “son” is an indication that this trust was given. It is also the first Gospel to be written, while both Matthew and Luke in their longer Gospels borrow extensively from Mark.
The gospel reading for today is from Peter’s recollections through the penmanship of Mark and begins with how Jesus gives the eleven the mandate to proclaim the Gospel to the whole world. The apostles once again are promised that all believers will participate in Christ’s work among us. It is him that works through us and some will be expelling evil spirits, speaking in strange tongues, being protected from harmful elements and bringing healing to the sick. Regarding the two latter, as a Franciscan priest, I can tell you I have had a number of extraordinary instances and blessings of protection and a number of miracles occuring right before my eyes, through the administration of the sacraments, which I hope to share with you in the Franciscanpreacher Eyewitness Accounts tab, soon! But bear with me! Suffice it to say, I have seen people miraculously turn for the better after the Sacrament of the Anointing of the Sick for example, and a number of reported healings through the reception of the Eucharist, and through general everyday prayer. God has been incredibly present, always true to his word, and I am sure this is most likely the case for all of you listening or reading this
The gospel reading ends with a brief description of the Ascension, when the Risen Jesus goes back to his Father’s right-hand side.
What we find in the first reading from Peter, is naturally reiterated in some way, shape or form in the written account in Mark’s gospel, i.e., that we all need to be eager to work to build up God’s kingdom on earth, trusting in our Heavenly Father’s providence. We are also admonished through this reading to be on our guard concerning the evil forces that lurk continuously in our midst and to be firm and strong in our faith, making Christ’s words our sure foundation always. Anything we suffer for the Kingdom ultimately comes back to contribute in strengthening the Church. Whatever it is that you may be enduring at this very moment, remember to unite it to Christ’s self-sacrificing love, who laid down his life for us which is a central theme in Mark’s gospel, highlighted by the consistent reference to Jesus’ journeying towards Jerusalem, where there, out of great love for you and me, he laid down his life as the fragrant and pleasing sacrifice, of God to God, and as the one whom Peter knew to be able to walk on water and calm the waves and storms in our hearts—the One who alone possesses the words of everlasting life. Amen.
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