Saint Mark
In addition to celebrating the holiest of feasts, Our Lord's Resurrection this month, we also celebrate the feast day of St. Mark on April 25. Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament.
The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus's rejection by humanity while being God's triumphant envoy. Probably written for gentile converts in Rome --after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70 -- Mark's Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a "scandal": a crucified Messiah.
A winged lion is Mark's symbol. The lion derives from Mark's description of John the Baptist as a "voice of one crying out in the desert" (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel's vision of four winged creatures to the evangelists.
Mark fulfilled in his life what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation. In particular, Mark's way was by writing. Others may proclaim the Good News by music, drama, poetry, or by teaching children around a family table.
Thank you for continuing to proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation. Please pray especially for those affected by the Coronavirus, and for the success of the Virtual Bishop's Pro-Life Dinner to ensure our community can continue to protect the beautiful gift of Life!