Saint Mark the Apostle
In previous issues, we spoke about four preachers of this generation: Archpriest Philotheos Ibrahim, Archdeacon Habib Girgis, Archdeacon Iskandar Hanna, and Priest Mansi Yuhanna. In this issue, however, we return to the first apostolic age and speak about our great Evangelist,
Saint Mark the Apostle.
He preached throughout the ancient world:
This great evangelist began his ministry at a young age. He was not only the preacher of our Egyptian lands but also preached in North Africa, in the Pentapolis (the five western cities), shared with Saint Paul the Apostle in evangelizing some churches of Asia Minor, participated in the founding of the Church of Rome, and also labored in Colossae and other cities of Europe. Thus, we see that Saint Mark preached in almost every continent of the ancient world known in his time.
In addition, he was one of the four Evangelists whose Gospels were preached to the whole world. He also authored the liturgy later known as the Liturgy of Saint Cyril, and he founded the theological school in Alexandria, which became a fountain of divine knowledge for seekers of faith throughout the Christian world.
He was born into a devout family among the earliest to believe in Christianity and to serve it. He was related to Saint Peter (1), Saint Barnabas (Col. 4:10), and Saint Thomas (2). Yet he did not merely hear about the Lord Jesus in this religious environment—he saw Him, conversed with Him, and lived with Him; therefore, the Church calls him “The Beholder of God.” Ibn Kabar mentions that Saint Mark was one of the seventy apostles of the Lord (3).
The house of Mark was one of the most cherished in Christian history—it was there that the Lord Jesus celebrated the Last Supper with His disciples and washed their pure feet. This house was built on Mount Zion, and both Saint Epiphanius, Bishop of Cyprus, and Saint Cyril, Bishop of Jerusalem, testified that it was the upper room where the disciples gathered and where the Holy Spirit descended (4).
The house of Mark became the first church in the world, where Christians gathered in the days of the apostles (Acts 12:12).
The Ministry of Mark:
The Acts of the Apostles records that Saint Mark, as a young man, accompanied the apostles Paul and Barnabas on a missionary journey from Antioch to Cyprus and the southern coast of Asia Minor, where he helped establish the churches of Galatia. For reasons unknown, Mark returned before completing the journey, but later he cooperated with Saint Paul again in founding many churches in Europe.
(1) History of the Patriarchs by Anba Sawirus, Bishop of El-Ashmunein.
(2) Same source, and also History of the Patriarchs by Anba Yusab, Bishop of Fuwwah.
(3) Lamp of Darkness, chapter four.
(4) Hastings’ Dictionary of the Bible, Vol. 3.
Mark went to the Pentapolis and all its regions, preaching the Word of God. Many believed in Christ, and he performed many signs and wonders. Then the Holy Spirit commanded him to go to Alexandria to sow the good seed, the Word of God. He went there, founded the Coptic Church, and spent a period in our Egyptian land, ordaining Saint Anianus as bishop—the first believer in Alexandria through Mark’s preaching.
Afterward, Saint Mark returned to continue his missionary work in Europe and Asia, and then came back to Egypt, where he was martyred.
Mark the Apostle’s Role in Founding the Church of Rome:
The Church of Rome was founded by the great Apostle Paul, aided by many—foremost among them, Saint Mark. In Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians, written in Rome, he mentions that Mark was with him there and urges the Colossians to welcome him when he comes to them (Col. 4:10).
In the Epistle to Philemon, also written from Rome, Paul lists Mark among his fellow workers, placing him first before Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke (Philem. 1:24). Finally, in his second letter to Timothy, written from Rome, Paul says, “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand… Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry” (2 Tim. 4:6, 11). Thus, Saint Mark returned to Rome, serving alongside Paul in establishing that church before returning to his see in Egypt.
Even the Catholics themselves acknowledge that Saint Mark shared in founding the Church of Rome, though they claim he did so alongside Saint Peter, sharing in his apostolic labors. They also say he served that church during Peter’s absence and that the believers requested him to write down the Holy Gospel, that they might be comforted by reading it and remember it forever. Thus, he wrote for them the Holy Gospel (5).
His Other Evangelical Works Throughout the World:
The Gospel of Mark, his liturgy, and the Theological School of Alexandria were three pillars of preaching and worship. Their influence extended not only over Egypt but over the entire Christian world, affirming the universal and apostolic character of Saint Mark’s ministry.
The Martyrdom of Saint Mark:
When the Apostle was celebrating the offering of the Holy Sacrifice on Easter Day—which coincided with the feast of Serapis, one of the pagan gods—the mob attacked the church that the believers had built near the sea, in a place called the “House of the Cows.” They seized Saint Mark after scattering the faithful and dragged him through the streets and squares, crying out, “Drag the dragon into the House of the Cows!”
They continued dragging him until his flesh was torn and his blood flowed. In the evening, they threw him into a dark prison. At midnight, the Lord Jesus appeared to him, strengthening him and promising him the crown of martyrdom (6).
In the morning, they took him out and repeated the same tortures until he delivered his soul into the hands of the Lord. The persecutors then lit a great fire to burn the saint’s body, but heavy rain fell and extinguished the flames. The believers then took his body, wrapped it in honorable linens, and laid it reverently in a coffin (6).
The Head of Saint Mark:
The Venetians stole the saint’s body and built a church over it in their city. However, his head remains in Alexandria (7), where the great St. Mark’s Church was built upon it.
(5) Meadows of the Righteous, p. 233 (April 25).
(6) Synaxarion, 30 Baramouda; History of the Patriarchs.
(7) Lamp of Darkness, chapter four.
Our Negligence Toward This Saint:
This saint, through whom we came to know Christ, is celebrated so little among us! Few are the feasts and churches bearing his name. While more than 200 churches in Egypt are named after Saint George, only about twelve churches in the entire country bear the name of Saint Mark—a clear example of our great neglect.
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Article by His Grace Bishop Shenouda, Bishop of Education – El-Keraza Magazine, First Year, Issue Six – August 1965
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