St Mark the Apostle
On the 27th day of the Coptic month of Baramouda we celebrate the life of St Mark Apostle, the first pope of Alexandria..
His name was John, as the Holy Bible says: "He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying" (Acts 12:12). He was the one Jesus Christ was referring to, when He said: "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples" (Matthew 26:18).
Mark’s house was thus the first Christian church, where they ate the Passover, hid after the crucifiction of the Jesus Christ, and where the Holy Spirit came upon them.
Mark was born in Cyrene in North Africa. His father's name was Aristopolus and his mother's name was Mary. They were Jewish in faith, rich and of great honor. They educated Mark with the Greek and Hebrew cultures. He was called Mark after they emigrated to Jerusalem, where St. Peter had become a disciple to the Lord Christ. St. Peter was married to the cousin of Aristopolus. Mark visited St. Peter's house often, and from him he learned the Christian teachings.
Once Aristopolus and his son Mark were walking near the Jordan river, near the desert. They came upon a raving lion and a lioness. It was evident to Aristopolus that it would be his end and the end of his son. He ordered his son to run and save himself. Mark answered, "Christ, in whose hands our lives are committed, will not let them feast on us." Saying this, he prayed, "O, Christ, Son of God protect us from the evil of these two beasts and terminate their offspring from this wilderness." Immediately, God granted this prayer, and the two beasts fell dead. His father marvelled and asked his son to tell him about Jesus Christ. He believed in the Lord Christ at the hands of his son, who baptized him.
After the ascension of Jesus Christ, Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel in Antioch, Seleucia, Cyprus, Salamis, and Perga Pamphylia where he left them and returned to Jerusalem. After the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, he went with Barnabas to Cyprus.
After the departure of Barnabas, with the order of the Christ, Mark went to Afrikia, Berka, and the Five Western cities. He preached the Gospel in these parts, and most of its people believed. From there, he went to Alexandria in the 61 A.D.
When he entered the city, his shoe was torn because of much walking in preaching and evangelism. He went to a cobbler in the city, called Anianus, to repair it. While he was repairing it the cobbler accidentally pierced his finger. Anianus shouted in Greek saying "EIS THEOS" which means "O, ONE GOD". When Mark heard these words his heart rejoiced exceedingly. He found it suitable to talk to him about the One God. The Apostle took some clay, spat on it and applied it to Anianus' finger, saying in the Name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and straightaway the wound was healed as if nothing had happened to it.
Anianus invited him to go to his house and brought his children before Mark. He preached and baptized them in the Name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit.
When the believers in the Name of Christ increased and the pagan people of the city heard that, they were angry and thought of slaying St. Mark. The faithful advised him to get away for a short while for the sake of the safety of the church and its care. Mark ordained St. Anianus a Bishop for Alexandria, as well as three priests and seven deacons. He went to the Five Western Cities, remained there for two years preaching, and ordained bishops, priests, and deacons.
He returned to Alexandria where he found the believers had increased in number, and built a church for them in the place known as Bokalia (The place of cows), east of Alexandria on the sea shore.
It came to pass, when he was celebrating the feast of the Resurrection on the 29th day of...