Mark the Evangelist

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Image:BookCerneEvangalist.jpeg Image:MarkEvangelist.jpg

Mark the Evangelist (Markus) (1st century) is traditionally believed to be the author of the Gospel of Mark, drawing much of his material from Peter. He is often identified with the John, surnamed Mark that accompanied Paul and Barnabas in the first journey of Paul, but was left behind (and Barnabas stayed too) for the second, as recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. He is also believed to be the first pope of Alexandria by both the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Coptic Orthodox Church.

Contents

Life of Mark

The New Testament sources for the life of John Mark are slender and need interpreting. The John Mark in Acts (12:12, 25; 15:37) mentioned as John (13:5, 13) and as Mark (15:39) is surely the Mark mentioned by Paul (Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy, 4:11; Philemon, 24) and by the author of 1 Peter 5:13. Mark of the Pauline Epistles was the cousin (anepsios) of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), to whom Mark of Acts seems to have been bound by some special tie (Acts 15:37, 39). Mark's mother was a prominent member of the earliest group of Christians in Jerusalem; it was to her house that Peter turned on his release from prison; the house was approached by a porch (pulon), there was a slave girl (paidiske) to open the door, and the house was a meeting-place for the brethren, "many" of whom were praying there the night St. Peter arrived from prison (Acts 12:12-13).

(text based on N.T. sources)

A further report of Mark as the amanuensis of Peter and the Secret Gospel of Mark is given in a letter of Clement of Alexandria (died ca 211 - 216), transcribed into a printed book in the monastery of Mar Saba, south of Jerusalem. In it Clement states

As for Mark, then, during Peter's stay in Rome he wrote an account of the Lord's doings [cf., praxeis], not, however, declaring all of them, nor yet hinting at the secret ones, but selecting what he thought most useful for increasing the faith of those who were being instructed. But when Peter died a martyr, Mark came over to Alexandria, bringing both his own notes and those of Peter, from which he transferred to his former book the things suitable to whatever makes for progress toward knowledge. Thus he composed a more spiritual Gospel for the use of those who were being perfected. Nevertheless, he yet did not divulge the things not to be uttered, nor did he write down the hierophantic teaching of the Lord, but to the stories already written he added yet others and, moreover, brought in certain sayings of which he knew the interpretation would, as a mystagogue, lead the hearers into the innermost sanctuary of that truth hidden by seven veils. Thus, in sum, he prepared matters, neither grudgingly nor incautiously, in my opinion, and, dying, he left his composition to the church in Alexandria, where it even yet is most carefully guarded, being read only to those who are being initiated into the great mysteries.

Legendary details

Image:Trapezunt gospel.jpg

An extensive and satisfyingly circumstantial account of Mark's life was written by Severus, Bishop of Al-Ushmunain, in the 10th century. According to this account, Mark was the nephew of Barnabas, who was cousin to Peter's wife. Mark was one of the servants at the wedding feast at Cana who poured out the water that Jesus turned to wine. This is Jesus' first public miracle, however it is not related in the Gospel of Mark. Mark was one of the Seventy Apostles sent out by Christ; he was the servant who carried water to the house of Simon the Cyrenian, where the Last Supper took place; and Mark was the one who hosted the disciples in his house after the death of Jesus, and into whose house the resurrected Jesus Christ came, although all the doors were shut.

The following details are also based on Severus' account, and need corroboration before they are accepted as more than 10th century pious legend: He eventually went to Alexandria and was the first to preach the Gospel there. He is said to have performed many miracles, and established a church there, appointing a bishop, three priests, and seven deacons.

Mark is considered by this writer to have founded the School of Alexandria, a school that encouraged studies in science, philosophy, music, math and language embraced by the early Coptic Christians, who believe such disciplines are not contrary to religion, but lead believers to a true spiritual life. The pagan Library and Musaeum are ignored.

When Mark returned to Alexandria, the people there are said to have resented his efforts to turn them away from the worship of their traditional Egyptian gods. In 68 A.D. they killed him, and tried to burn his body. Afterwards, the Christians in Alexandria removed his unburned body from the ashes, wrapped it and then buried it in the easterly part of the church they had built. His remains, except for the head, were later stolen and taken to Venice (see below).

Representations in Western art

Image:The Lion of St Mark by Vittore Carpaccio.jpeg Mark is frequently depicted in Western art, especially Medieval and Renaissance art. Like the other 3 evangelists, he is often shown holding a book with the text Pax tibi Marce evangelista meus (Latin for "Peace to you, Mark, my Evangelist"), but his special attribute is the winged lion.

As the patron saint of Venice, he was a particular favorite of Venetian artists and their patrons, and paintings of his life and miracles are a feature of some of the greatest Venetian art. His lion is ubiquitous throughout Venice.

Relics

In 828 relics believed to be the body of St. Mark were stolen by Italian sailors and were removed from Alexandria to Venice in Italy. A basilica was built there to house the relics.

Copts believed that the head of the saint remained in Alexandria. Every year, on the 30th day of the month of Babah, the Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates the commemoration of the consecration of the church of St. Mark, and the appearance of the head of the saint in the city of Alexandria. Image:StMarkCathAlex.jpg

In 1094, during the construction of a new basilica in Venice, St. Mark's relics could not be found. However, it is said that "the saint himself revealed the location of his remains … by extending an arm from a pillar" [1]. The newfound remains were placed in a sarcophagus in the basilica.

In June 1968 the Alexandrian Pope Cyril VI sent an official delegation to Rome to receive a relic of St. Mark from Pope Paul VI. The relic was said to be a small piece of bone that had been given to the Roman pope by Giovanni Cardinal Urbani, Patriarch of Venice [2]. Pope Paul in an address to the delegation said that the rest of the relics of the saint remained in Venice [3].

The delegation from Alexandria consisted of ten metropolitans and bishops, seven of whom were Coptic and three Ethiopian, and three prominent Coptic lay leaders. The delegation received the relic on June 22, 1968. The next day, the delegation celebrated a pontifical liturgy in the church of St. Athanasius the Apostolic in Rome. The metropolitans, bishops, and priests of the delegation all served in the liturgy. Members of the Roman papal delegation, Copts who lived in Rome, newspaper and news agency reporters, and many foreign dignitaries attended the liturgy.

Image:PopeKyrillosVIreceivingStMarkRelics1968.jpg On June 25, the Coptic Church celebrated the inauguration of a new St. Mark Cathedral in Dair El-Anba Rowais (also known as Dair El-Khandaq) in Egypt.

For this occasion and for the return of the relic, a great religious celebration was organized. The celebration was headed by Pope Cyril and was attended by Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser, Emperor Haile Selassie of Ethiopia, and many of the heads of different religions and representatives of churches, including Mari Ignatius Yacoub the Third, the Antiochian Patriarch for the Syrian Orthodox.

See also

External links

Preceded by:
— 		Patriarch of Alexandria
43–63 		Succeeded by:
Anianus
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