A Tribute to Saint Mark the Apostle on His Feast of Martyrdom
A Tribute to Saint Mark the Apostle on His Feast of Martyrdom
The Feast of the Saint and His Icon
The Coptic Orthodox Church celebrates two feasts for the great Saint Mark the Apostle, the Evangelist of the Egyptian lands: one on the 30th of Baramouda (corresponding to May 8), which is the Feast of his Martyrdom, and the second on the 30th of Babah (around November 10), when the Church commemorates the consecration of the Church of Saint Mark and the appearance of his head in the city of Alexandria.
Saint Mark was martyred in the year 68 AD at about 54 years old, for he was a young man, likely under twenty, at the time of Christ’s Crucifixion. He wrote his Gospel some years before his martyrdom—some say even before coming to Egypt—thus probably in his forties. Therefore, the image depicting him with a long white beard is not historically accurate; rather, he should appear with a black beard. Many scholars affirm that the Gospel of Mark is the earliest written Gospel, suggesting it was composed quite early, perhaps before Saint Mark reached forty.
The Saint’s Upbringing
Saint Mark was raised in a devout family. His mother was one of the holy women named Mary, and her house became the first church in the world where the believers gathered during the time of the Apostles (Acts 12:12). In that sacred upper room, the Lord Jesus washed the feet of His holy disciples, celebrated the Passover with them, instituted the Sacrament of the Eucharist, and spoke to them about the Holy Spirit (John 13–16). It was also there that the disciples gathered and received the Holy Spirit (Acts 2).
Thus, Saint Mark grew up in a deeply spiritual atmosphere and saw the Lord Jesus in his own house, which is why he is called “The beholder of God” (Theorimos).
When he grew older, he served alongside two great Apostles—Saint Paul and Saint Peter.
He was related to Saint Peter, as his father Aristobulus was a cousin of Peter’s wife. Because of the age difference, Peter often called him “my son.” He was also related to Saint Barnabas, as Saint Paul writes to the Colossians: “Aristarchus my fellow prisoner greets you, with Mark the cousin of Barnabas” (Colossians 4:10).
Since Barnabas was a Levite (Acts 4:36), it is likely that Saint Mark was also from the tribe of Levi.
Saint Mark had two names: a Jewish one, John—meaning “God is gracious,”—and a Roman one, Mark, meaning “a hammer.” In the Coptic hymn, he is called “the hammer that shattered the idols.” Both names appear in the account of Saint Peter’s release from prison: “He came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark” (Acts 12:12).
Saint Mark was not born in Palestine, but in Libya, in the city of Cyrene (Adrunis), while his family lived there in the region of Pentapolis.
Thus, Saint Mark was an African by birth and by mission. The Five Western Cities of Libya and North Africa remained closely tied to their evangelist, Saint Mark. When he settled in Egypt, he used to visit them regularly. The Libyan city of Misrata may even have originated from the phrase “From Egypt he came,” referring to Saint Mark.
His family was wealthy, so he was well-educated in both Greek and Latin. He wrote and preached in those languages and cooperated with Saint Paul in establishing the Church of Rome. Some say he wrote his Gospel for the Romans in Latin.
The Evangelism of Saint Mark
We are accustomed to calling Saint Mark “the Evangelist of the Egyptian lands,” and rightly so. Yet his ministry was not limited to Egypt or the Five Western Cities of Libya; rather, his mission was universal, evident both in his Gospel and in the many lands he served. He preached with Saint Peter in Judea, Jerusalem, Bethany, and other places. He also preached in Antioch during the journey he took with Saints Paul and Barnabas (Acts 11:27–30; 12:25). He then went with them to Seleucia, preaching in Antioch, Cyprus, and Asia.
According to a Lebanese tradition recorded in The History of the Syriac Antiochian Church (vol. 1, p.156; vol. 3, p.298) and Dr. Asad Rustum’s “The City of God, Great Antioch,” Saint Mark preached in Lebanon, especially in Byblos. Some even claimed, though without certainty, that Byblos’ first bishop was John Mark. However, Saint Mark’s episcopal see remained Egypt and its surrounding regions.
He also preached in Rome with Saint Paul the Apostle. While the Catholic tradition attributes his Roman ministry to Saint Peter, there is no doubt that Saint Paul was the true founder of the Roman Church—a matter discussed in detail in our book “Saint Mark the Apostle.”
Saint Mark’s contribution to evangelizing Rome included sending them his Gospel.
In Italy, he preached in Venice and Aquileia. The Venetians venerate him as their patron and hero, adopting his winged lion as their symbol. A statue of this lion stands in Saint Mark’s Square in Venice. The people of Aquileia, also under Venice, claim that Saint Mark preached there and left behind holy relics that perpetuate his name.
He also preached in Colossae and in other regions served by Saint Paul. In addition to his pastoral care for Egypt, Saint Mark was one of Saint Paul’s greatest collaborators in ministry.
Egypt was the center of his episcopal service, extending westward into Libya and southward to Nubia. A village in Nubia called “Markasa” once existed but was submerged when the Nile’s course changed after the construction of the High Dam.
Yet Saint Mark’s spiritual and pastoral energy exceeded even Egypt, Libya, and Nubia—he evangelized beyond these borders with Saint Paul, Saint Barnabas, and Saint Peter, reaching all three known continents of his time: Asia, Europe, and Africa. Truly, he “preached the Gospel to every creature.”
The Theological School of Alexandria
Also known as the Catechetical School, it was truly Saint Mark’s own school. Its teachers were the Church’s scholars and many became successors on his apostolic throne.
Its first dean, Saint Justus, succeeded Saint Mark and became the sixth Patriarch. After him came Eumenes, the seventh Patriarch, followed by Marcianus, the eighth. Julian (the eleventh Patriarch) was also a graduate of this school. Under Pope Demetrius the Vinedresser (the twelfth Patriarch), Heraclas succeeded Origen as dean and later became the thirteenth Pope. Saint Dionysius taught at the school and became the fourteenth Patriarch.
Thus, throughout the first three centuries of Christianity, the Patriarchal See of Saint Mark was successively occupied by deans and teachers of this theological school.
Among its graduates were Popes Peter (17th), Archelaus (18th), Athanasius the Great (20th), and Timothy (22nd). The Popes of Alexandria were renowned for their learning, and the title “Judge of the Ecumene” was given to the Alexandrian Patriarch, as the school attracted students from many nations. Many bishops, having studied there, regarded the Pope of Alexandria as their teacher. Even those who did not attend its classes but learned from its writings considered themselves disciples of its teachers.
We owe to Saint Mark the founding of this theological seminary, its succession of brilliant teachers and patriarchs, and the priceless treasures of theological and biblical knowledge it produced.
Through Saint Mark and his school, the See of Alexandria gained prominence in the ecumenical councils and in defending the Christian faith, enriching theology with its rare collection of writings and biblical commentaries. Truly, Saint Mark showed great wisdom and foresight in establishing this school in Alexandria.
The Liturgy of Saint Mark
In the field of liturgical tradition, Saint Mark also composed the Church’s earliest Eucharistic Liturgy.
He wrote it originally in Greek and handed it down orally to Saint Anianus, his disciple and successor. Pope Athanasius the Apostolic later recorded it in 330 AD and entrusted it to Saint Frumentius, the first bishop he ordained for Ethiopia.
Pope Cyril the Great (the 24th Patriarch) added many parts to it, so it became known as the Cyrillic Liturgy.
According to the Oxford Dictionary (1928), fragments of this Liturgy were discovered on papyrus in Strasbourg dating to the 4th–5th centuries, written in the Coptic rite and titled “The Coptic Liturgy of Saint Mark or Saint Cyril.” Other manuscripts exist in the Vatican Library and an Ethiopian version as well.
Saint Mark and Egypt
When Saint Mark came to Egypt, there was no church in the land—only a multitude of pagan religions (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, and Eastern) and various philosophies flourishing in the Alexandrian school. He entered Alexandria wearing torn sandals from his long journeys. The first to believe through his preaching was Anianus and his household.
He founded the first Church in the district of Boukolia, and the number of believers grew daily. Saint Mark preached in Alexandria and frequently traveled to visit his flock in Libya and to assist Saint Paul. Because of his frequent travels, he ordained a general bishop, Saint Anianus, to assist him, who later succeeded him as the first Patriarch of Alexandria. Alongside him, he ordained three priests, one of whom was Saint Justus, later head of the theological school and sixth Patriarch.
Saint Mark labored tirelessly to spread the faith until he received the crown of martyrdom on the 30th of Baramouda, 68 AD.
Thus, he was an Apostle, Martyr, Evangelist, Scholar, and one of the four Evangelists—the first among them chronologically.
The Gospel and the Lion of Saint Mark
The Gospel of Mark is the earliest and most concise of the four Gospels, containing only sixteen chapters (compared to John’s twenty-one, Luke’s twenty-four, and Matthew’s twenty-eight).
He wrote for the Romans, proud of their strength, revealing to them the divinity, power, and kingship of Christ. Thus, he begins immediately with “Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” and from the first chapter demonstrates His divine authority through miracles, teachings, and dominion over evil spirits.
Scholars say that Mark’s Gospel is especially suitable for teaching the youth because of its clarity and vitality. The symbol of this Gospel is the lion, as mentioned among the four living creatures: “The first was like a lion” (Revelation 4:7). The lion represents the cry in the wilderness (Mark 1:3) and the royal power of Christ as Son of God. The lion is also fitting because the Lord once saved Mark and his father from a lion and lioness through Mark’s prayer. The lion of Saint Mark is thus calm and gentle beside him, not ferocious.
The Head and Relics of Saint Mark
The head of Saint Mark remained in Alexandria and was carried to various places for safekeeping, as the faithful sought to protect it from theft—unlike his body, which Venetian sailors took by ship to Venice.
His head is preserved in the Church of Saint Mark in Alexandria, and part of his relics are kept in the Great Cathedral of Saint Mark at the Monastery of Anba Rueis in Cairo.
When we honor the saint, we do not venerate only his relics but above all his apostolic, pastoral, and evangelistic labor, following in his path.
Many churches have been built in his name in recent years, especially in the lands of immigration, where every Copt proudly calls himself a child of Saint Mark. May his blessings and intercessions be with us all.
An Article by His Holiness Pope Shenouda III, Published in Watani Newspaper on May 5, 1985
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