Who was St. Mark?

St. Mark was Jewish by birth. The preferred the Hebrew language over Greek and was converted by the Apostles after Christ’s Resurrection. He is the same Mark whom Peter called his son. [1 Pet. V. 13]

Mark is referred to as the disciple and interpreter to Peter. He wrote his Gospel at the request of the Romans who desired to have in writing the word of mouth teaching of Peter. Mark wrote a recollection of what he had learned through long conversations with Peter. He had never seen Jesus.

It is unclear whether Mark was the author of the style of his epistles or he interpreted what Peter said in his own tongue into a translation of Greek or Latin. Peter approved of it, and authorized it to be read to the assemblies of the faithful.

The writings of Mark, made in Italy before the year 49, are concisely narrative and written with simplicity and elegance. Some attribute the writings to Peter himself. It is unclear if Mark referred to the writings of Matthew. The order of narration agrees more with Luke and John so it is thought that Mark wrote the first account of the gospel.

He does relate a couple of incidents that are not included in the account by Matthew: The widow’s mite, and the walk of two disciples to Emmaus. There is no mention of Peter walking on water in Mark’s gospel.

It is certain that Peter sent Mark into Egypt according to the Greeks, to found other churches and was appointed by him the Bishop of Alexandria, which was considered the second city of the world, to Rome, the first. Many Jewish converts made up the church in Alexandria which came to be very numerous in number.

After many years of continuous evangelization, Mark left Alexandria to preach and to escape the heathen uprising against him because of the tremendous growth. He returned several times to encourage the faithful. On one occasion while Mark was offering to God, the Mass, they seized him, bound his feet with rope and dragged him about the streets, overjoyed at his capture. He was dragged the whole day, staining the stones with his blood and left the ground strewn with pieces of his flesh.

Mark never ceased praising and thanking God for his sufferings. That night, Sunday, April 24, 68, he was thrown into prison, where God comforted him with two visions. The next day he was dragged again, as before, until he expired on the 25th.

The Christians gathered up his bodily remains and buried them at a place near the sea, full of rocks and precipices. His body was honored in Alexandria until the ninth century when it was reported to have been moved to Italy by the Venetians to a secret place, that it might not be stolen, under one of the great pillars in the stately chapel of St. Mark.

St. Gregory the Great started the custom of processing the people of the whole city of Rome on this day while singing a great litany to beg that God would be pleased to avert from us the scourges which our sins deserve. Through this public supplication it was obtained from God the extinction of a dreadful pestilence.

Following this, instructions by several councils, fathers, and holy pastors given on the manner of performing public supplications and processions have been moving and tender. Masters have excused their servants from work so that they may unite in prayer. Going barefoot and wearing sackcloth became common in at least one early church. Penitential processions lasting eight hours or more were regulated and accompanied with fasts of bread and water.

Since then, it is considered a grievous disorder to neglect to assist at the public supplications of the church and is one of the principle causes of the little piety and sanctity which are left. They cannot seek the Kingdom of God as they ought, and deprive themselves the means of drawing down his graces upon their souls. We must ask God on these days for the remission of our sins and that he bestow his blessing on the fruits of the earth.

[Taken from an article published online by EWTN.com from Vol. IV of “The Lives of the Fathers, Martyrs and other Principal Saints” by Rev. Alban Butler, the 1864 ed. Publ. By D & J Sadlier & Co.]