PB Devotion
All Saints Week: Saint Mark
Saints are celebrated for their lives of service, faith, and specific contributions and/or roles. They have widespread recognition across different denominations and cultures.
Saint Mark was not one of Jesus' original twelve disciples, although he was a follower of Jesus and the early church. Saint Mark was one of Christ's 70 disciples and one of four evangelists. According to tradition, Mark was likely a teenager during Jesus' ministry. Marks mother was a known patron of Jesus and Mark used his mothers house for gatherings. Peter was known to preach there often.
The 12 disciples were Jesus's inner circle, who stayed with him throughout his ministry, while the 70 were a larger group sent on a specific mission to prepare the way for Jesus, with instructions to go everywhere and a broader scope beyond the house of Israel. The 12 were to focus their mission on the house of Israel, while the 70 had a mission to all the cities and towns Jesus would visit, without geographical restrictions.
He became a prominent figure later, as a companion to Paul and Peter, and the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. Mark is really the one that sets the stage for all the later Christian gospel writings. He is known as Peter's spiritual son, interpreter and disciple. The Gospel of Mark is believed to be largely based on Peter's perspective and memories of Jesus.
Mark initially accompanied Paul and his cousin Barnabas on his first missionary journey. Tradition holds that Saint Mark the Evangelist was from Egypt and the founder of the Church in Alexandria, Egypt. According to tradition, Mark was killed by a mob in Alexandria on Easter Day, after which his body was retrieved and buried by Christians.
Saint 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. When you read the Gospel of Mark you will read miracle upon miracle and parable upon parable. How do you proclaim the Good News? Maybe it's by music, drama, poetry, or even by teaching around a family table.
The Words of Mark: Be Holy Saints!!
“At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!” Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there. This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.”
Mark 15:33-47 NLT
“After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
Mark 16:9-20 NLT
Saints are celebrated for their lives of service, faith, and specific contributions and/or roles. They have widespread recognition across different denominations and cultures.
Saint Mark was not one of Jesus' original twelve disciples, although he was a follower of Jesus and the early church. Saint Mark was one of Christ's 70 disciples and one of four evangelists. According to tradition, Mark was likely a teenager during Jesus' ministry. Marks mother was a known patron of Jesus and Mark used his mothers house for gatherings. Peter was known to preach there often.
The 12 disciples were Jesus's inner circle, who stayed with him throughout his ministry, while the 70 were a larger group sent on a specific mission to prepare the way for Jesus, with instructions to go everywhere and a broader scope beyond the house of Israel. The 12 were to focus their mission on the house of Israel, while the 70 had a mission to all the cities and towns Jesus would visit, without geographical restrictions.
He became a prominent figure later, as a companion to Paul and Peter, and the traditional author of the Gospel of Mark. Mark is really the one that sets the stage for all the later Christian gospel writings. He is known as Peter's spiritual son, interpreter and disciple. The Gospel of Mark is believed to be largely based on Peter's perspective and memories of Jesus.
Mark initially accompanied Paul and his cousin Barnabas on his first missionary journey. Tradition holds that Saint Mark the Evangelist was from Egypt and the founder of the Church in Alexandria, Egypt. According to tradition, Mark was killed by a mob in Alexandria on Easter Day, after which his body was retrieved and buried by Christians.
Saint 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. When you read the Gospel of Mark you will read miracle upon miracle and parable upon parable. How do you proclaim the Good News? Maybe it's by music, drama, poetry, or even by teaching around a family table.
The Words of Mark: Be Holy Saints!!
“At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. “Wait!” he said. “Let’s see whether Elijah comes to take him down!” Then Jesus uttered another loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. When the Roman officer who stood facing him saw how he had died, he exclaimed, “This man truly was the Son of God!” Some women were there, watching from a distance, including Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James the younger and of Joseph), and Salome. They had been followers of Jesus and had cared for him while he was in Galilee. Many other women who had come with him to Jerusalem were also there. This all happened on Friday, the day of preparation, the day before the Sabbath. As evening approached, Joseph of Arimathea took a risk and went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. (Joseph was an honored member of the high council, and he was waiting for the Kingdom of God to come.) Pilate couldn’t believe that Jesus was already dead, so he called for the Roman officer and asked if he had died yet. The officer confirmed that Jesus was dead, so Pilate told Joseph he could have the body. Joseph bought a long sheet of linen cloth. Then he took Jesus’ body down from the cross, wrapped it in the cloth, and laid it in a tomb that had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a stone in front of the entrance. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where Jesus’ body was laid.”
Mark 15:33-47 NLT
“After Jesus rose from the dead early on Sunday morning, the first person who saw him was Mary Magdalene, the woman from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went to the disciples, who were grieving and weeping, and told them what had happened. But when she told them that Jesus was alive and she had seen him, they didn’t believe her. Afterward he appeared in a different form to two of his followers who were walking from Jerusalem into the country. They rushed back to tell the others, but no one believed them. Still later he appeared to the eleven disciples as they were eating together. He rebuked them for their stubborn unbelief because they refused to believe those who had seen him after he had been raised from the dead. And then he told them, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned. These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.” When the Lord Jesus had finished talking with them, he was taken up into heaven and sat down in the place of honor at God’s right hand. And the disciples went everywhere and preached, and the Lord worked through them, confirming what they said by many miraculous signs.”
Mark 16:9-20 NLT
Recent
Archive
2025
January
February
March
April
May
June
Categories
no categories
No Comments