The Gospel According to Mark

Acts 12:12

"...Peter went to the house of Mary the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying."

Today we remember Mark (John Mark), one of the seventy followers of Jesus Christ (see Luke 10:1-24). His mother was a prominent follower of Jesus Christ. Acts 12:12 tells us that her house in Jerusalem was used as a meeting place for the disciples.

Mark was one of the attendants who served at the wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. And he may have been the lad that ran away naked in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus was arrested. After Jesus' resurrection, Mark traveled with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas to preach the gospel. He then accompanied the Apostle Peter to Rome and stayed by him while he was in prison. Mark wrote down the observations and memories of the apostle Peter which became The Gospel according to Mark. And it is the earliest Gospel to be written. His book reflects Peter’s interest in spreading the gospel among the Gentiles. Mark founded a church in Alexandria (Egypt) and became the first bishop of the region. In his defense and witness to the message and life of Jesus Christ, Mark was martyred in 68 AD when pagans of Serapis (a Greek Egyptian god ) tied him to a horse's tail and dragged him through the streets of Alexandria. Let us pray:

Lord, may we follow the example of Mark to witness the power of Jesus Christ, to live it and proclaim it. Let us be brave and not think of ourselves, but do what is righteous wherever that may lead us. In your name, Jesus, Amen.