The Church celebrates the memory of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark
The disciple of Christ, the author of the Gospel, and the founder of the Alexandrian Church suffered martyrdom in the year 63.
On May 8 (April 25 according to the Julian calendar), the faithful of the Orthodox Church commemorate the feast of the holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark. Apostle Mark, also known as John Mark, was the nephew of Apostle Barnabas and one of the 70 disciples of Christ.
Saint Mark was born in Jerusalem. According to Church tradition, the house of his mother Mary was adjacent to the Garden of Gethsemane, and it was there that Mark witnessed the events of the night before the Savior's Passion.
After the Ascension of the Lord, Saint Mark became a close companion of the Apostles Peter and Paul. Together with Paul and Barnabas, he embarked on a missionary journey, preaching in Cyprus and Asia Minor.
By the blessing of the Apostle Peter, Mark founded the Church in Egypt, becoming the first bishop of Alexandria, where he initiated a Christian school. According to tradition, it was in Rome that he recorded the accounts of Apostle Peter concerning the earthly life of the Savior, which later became the basis of the Gospel of Mark.
Saint Mark completed his apostolic life as a martyr in Alexandria, where he was seized by pagans during a church service, brutally beaten, and thrown into prison. According to tradition, Christ Himself appeared to him that night, strengthening him before the forthcoming sufferings. The next day, Saint Mark died with the words: "Into Your hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit."
The relics of the Evangelist Mark were transferred to Venice in the 9th century and now rest in the famous St. Mark's Basilica, which has become a symbol of the city.
In iconographic tradition, the Apostle Mark is depicted with a lion, symbolizing the power and royal dignity of Christ, of whom he bears witness in his Gospel.
