Saint Mark the Evangelist: The Lion Who Learned from Peter
- Fr. Scott Haynes
- 2 days ago
- 5 min read
Fr. Scott Haynes
On April 25, the Church keeps the feast of Saint Mark the Evangelist, one of the four sacred writers of the Gospel. He is often represented by the winged lion, a symbol of courage, majesty, and resurrection. The lion also suits the opening of his Gospel, which begins not with the infancy of Christ, but with the strong voice of Saint John the Baptist crying in the desert: “Prepare ye the way of the Lord” (Mark 1:3).
Mark appears in the New Testament under the name John Mark. He was connected with the first Christian community in Jerusalem, since the Acts of the Apostles tells us that after Saint Peter was freed miraculously from prison, he went to the house of “Mary the mother of John, who was surnamed Mark,” where many were gathered in prayer (Acts 12:12). This gives us a beautiful glimpse of Mark’s early world: a house of prayer, apostles at the door, danger outside, and the young Church learning to trust God in the night.
His deepest connection, however, was with Saint Peter. Peter himself refers to him affectionately as “Mark, my son” (1 Peter 5:13). Ancient Christian tradition says that Mark became Peter’s companion and interpreter, especially in Rome. Papias, an early second-century Christian writer quoted by Eusebius, says that Mark wrote down accurately what Peter preached about the words and deeds of Christ, though not necessarily in strict chronological order. This is why Mark’s Gospel has often been called the Gospel of Saint Peter’s preaching. It is vivid, fast-moving, urgent, and full of eyewitness touches. One almost hears Peter speaking: the crowded house, the roof opened above Christ, the storm on the lake, the glance of Jesus, the fear of the disciples, the trembling of those who encounter divine power. (New Advent)
There is something consoling in this. Mark was not one of the Twelve Apostles, yet he became one of the four Evangelists. He received the apostolic fire from Peter and handed it on to the world. He reminds us that holiness is often received through spiritual fatherhood. Peter had seen the Lord. Mark listened to Peter. Then Mark gave the Church a Gospel. Grace passed from Christ to Peter, from Peter to Mark, and from Mark to every generation that opens his Gospel.
Mark also had a connection with Saint Paul and Barnabas. He accompanied them for a time, but there was a painful moment when he withdrew from the mission, leading to disagreement between Paul and Barnabas (Acts 13:13; 15:37–39). Yet later, Paul speaks of Mark with warmth, saying, “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). This is one of the quiet miracles of Mark’s life. He was not ruined by an early failure. He grew. He returned. He became useful again. In this, Saint Mark is a patron for anyone who has begun well, fallen back, and wondered whether God can still use him.
Tradition also connects Mark with Alexandria in Egypt, one of the great intellectual and spiritual centers of the ancient world. He is widely honored as the founder of the Church of Alexandria, which became one of the most important sees of early Christianity. Later tradition says that he suffered martyrdom there, dragged through the streets for preaching Christ. (New Advent) His blood became a seed. Alexandria would later give the Church giants such as Saint Athanasius and Saint Cyril, defenders of the divinity of Christ and the mystery of the Incarnation.
There are also beloved stories and miracles associated with him. One ancient tradition tells that while Mark was in Alexandria, his sandal broke, and he went to a cobbler named Anianus. While repairing the sandal, the cobbler injured his hand and cried out in pain. Mark healed him in the name of Jesus Christ, and through that miracle Anianus was converted. He is traditionally remembered as the first successor of Mark in Alexandria. The story is simple, but beautiful: a torn sandal, a wounded hand, a prayer, and the birth of a Church.
Saint Mark’s connection to Venice came centuries after his martyrdom. In the ninth century, Venetian merchants brought his relics from Alexandria to Venice, where the great Basilica of Saint Mark was built to house them. The story of the translation of his relics became one of the foundational legends of Venice. According to Venetian tradition, the merchants concealed the relics in a basket covered with pork to avoid inspection, and the body of Saint Mark was received with great honor in the lagoon city. (Wikipedia) Over time, Saint Mark replaced Saint Theodore as the principal patron of Venice, and his winged lion became the city’s famous emblem.
Another Venetian legend says that Saint Mark once passed through the lagoon and received an angelic greeting: Pax tibi, Marce, evangelista meus, “Peace to thee, Mark, my Evangelist.” The words still appear on the book held by the lion of Saint Mark. The saying carries a deep spiritual lesson. Mark’s life had movement, danger, weakness, restoration, mission, martyrdom, and glory. Yet the word spoken over him is peace. Not the peace of comfort, but the peace of one who has given his life to Christ.
Saint Mark teaches us to listen before we speak, to receive the Gospel before we proclaim it, and to rise again after failure. He stands beside Peter, not as a rival but as a son. He stands beside Paul, not as a perfect man but as one restored to usefulness. He stands beside Alexandria as a missionary and martyr. He stands beside Venice as a patron whose lion still watches over the waters. Above all, he stands beside the Church with an open Gospel, saying with holy urgency: Christ has come, the kingdom of God is at hand, and the Good News must be preached to the ends of the earth.
Bibliography
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