April 25: St. Mark

April 25th marks the Feastday of the Gospel writer St. Mark. He had a stormy beginning: he set out on a missionary journey with his uncle St. Barnabas, and St. Paul; but he quit after a while (Acts 13, 13). Later, St. Paul refused to take him with him on another missionary journey (Acts 15, 37-40). Then there are some years when nothing is heard of him. But when we meet him again, to our surprise he is a prisoner with St. Paul in Rome (Colossians 4, 10); and St. Paul makes a few very appreciative references to him in a later letter (2 Timothy 4, 11). Evidently, St. Mark had redeemed himself in St. Paul’s eyes. Interesting, isn’t it, that even a great Evangelist can be in the dog-house for a time?

St. Mark’s Gospel leaves an impression of breathless haste. It is like a child telling a story: many sentences begin with “And.” He often uses phrases like “straight away” “and immediately.” He uses the ‘historic present’ (“Jesus says to them,” not said), which conveys a feeling of urgency. The Old Testament took thousands of years to unfold, but the New Testament unfolded in just a couple of years. There is an urgency about the Gospels – St. Mark’s in particular – that makes it quite clear they are not just for reading – they are for doing.

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Why is St. Mark associated with a lion? https://stmarktampa.org/why-a-winged-lion

 

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