Saint Mark
Image Courtesy: Catholic Online
(Franciscan Media) Most of what we know of Mark comes directly from the scriptures, he is usually identified with the ‘Mark’ of Acts 12:6-12 Paul and Barnabas (Mark’s cousin) took him along on their first missionary trip through Cyprus–Mark is credited with founding the Church in Alexandria and with writing the second Gospel in Greek for the Gentile converts to Christianity after the death of Peter and Paul between AD 60-70
(According to EWTN Papias and St. Clement also report that Mark wrote his Gospel at the request of the Romans, who as they relate desired to have that committed to writing which St. Peter had taught them by his words. Mark did accordingly set himself to record what had been a long conversation learned from St. Peter)
The Gospel of Mark, the oldest and shortest of the four Gospels emphasizes Jesus’ rejection by humanity while being God’s triumphant envoy.
Evidently a friend of Mark ‘the Evangelist’ Peter referred to him as ‘My Son’ —1 Peter 5:13 most evidently showing the strong bond between them.
As with the Gospel writer Luke, Mark was not one of the twelve apostles and one can not be certain if he even knew Jesus personally. Some scholars believe that ‘Mark the Evangelist’ is speaking of himself when speaking about the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane:
“Now a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body and they seized him but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked.” —Mark 14:51-52
The exact date of Mark’s martyrdom is uncertain, according to EWTN it is thought to be on this date in 62 or 63 or in the 8th year of Nero according to Saint Jerome who lived some 265 to 270 years after Mark’s death.
More here from New Advent Catholic Encyclopedia
Tweet