|
In
The Memory of the
Evangelist St. Mark "He Who Saw the Lord" 1. He’s he by whom Isaiah’s prophecy has been fulfilled “The idols of Egypt tremble before Him (The Lord)…” St. Mark after destroying the idols, he established an altar to the Lord in the heart of Egypt and thus a monument to the Lord at its border, to be a sign and witness to the Lord Almighty in the land of Egypt. 2. In Judah, they called him “John”, i.e. “the kind compassionate God” while the nations called him “Mark”, a name that stands for a hammer. 3. Long ago, Jesus took him to the wedding festival of Cana El Galeel to testify The Lord’s first miracle and to see by himself the water turning to wine… and the days passed…. And two disciples met St. Mark when he was carrying a jar of water and told him that the Lord will eat the Passover in his house. And there after the supper, he watched the events of the great miracle happening, when the Lord mixed the wine and water in the cup and blessed and tasted and gave them his running blood. 4. His house is the upper room of Zion, -the place where the Lord’s modesty has been highly manifested when He has bent to wash his disciples’ feet. – and from where He moved to Gesthemane to be then nailed to the cross – and where He appeared to his disciples while the doors were shut to remove suspicion from Thomas heart- and where Matthias was chosen instead of Judah, the treacherous, - and where the apostles were all filled with the holy spirit. 5. He is that young man, wearing nothing but a linen garment and following Jesus and when they seized him, he fled naked leaving his garment behind (Mark 14: 51-52) . But Jesus, the kind Lord has been able to turn his weakness to strength and made him serve as a great preacher. 6. He is that who began his ministry with his famous miracle of tearing the cruel lion while walking with his father. Thus the lion that lies in his icon symbolizes this miraculous event and his gospel as well that merely begins with “The voice of one crying in the wilderness”. Also the lion in the icon symbolizes the first beast that looks like a lion, one of the four beasts convoluting around the throne giving signs to the four gospels. 7. And in his way to preach, according to the Lord’s will, he carried nothing not even a sandal. It happened that, during his long journey his own sandals were torn and thus he went to Enyanous, the shoes mender who was hurt by the needle and instantly he cried: “O the only God” so St. Mark caught this first chance to begin his ministry of preaching and it came to pass that Enyanous became a pope thereafter. 8. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Mark wrote the first gospel expressing detailed divine feelings & Jewish traditions and presenting to the Romans the mighty Jesus even during his crucifixion. 9. When the cruel hands came to seize our Saint, in the mass time-which he himself has written- they disgracefully dragged him on the ground until he acquired the martyrdom to gain four crowns. 10. He founded the see that was then mounted by 116 popes who safeguarded the faith against heretic ideas and refuted lies. 11. He, St. Mark and all other saints are but a cloud of witnesses who suffered and defeated. As for me, I watch their lives and assimilate their faith. Whenever I weaken or fall, I recall their grieves and immediately my despair turns to hope guiding my way back. Whenever the road narrows, I rehear the praise of Paul and Silo that unfixed the prison foundations. At once, I hold my beloved harp in my right hand praising and rejoicing looking forward to the harp of God waiting for me as He will meet me on the sea of glass with the cloud of witnesses surrounding me. |
|
|
1.The Prophecy of Isaiah 
