Today is the Feast of St. Mark, and our school community celebrated Mass in the Cathedral this afternoon to remember this early follower of the Lord who left us with an account of the life and teaching of Jesus. As parents are the primary teachers of the faith to their children and we are only your humble assistants in this important work, please find below some of the information and discussion points that our teachers have introduced in preparation for today’s celebration of St. Mark. You can raise some of these points as questions or conversation starters to continue your child’s reflection on our celebration today.
Mark is known as an Evangelist, and is counted among four writers of Gospels or Evangelists whose work is found within the New Testament.
• Symbols for the Four Evangelists - Matthew, Mark, Luke and John - are found on the tympanum above the front doors of our cathedral, in the roundels of the great West Window and on top of the four apsidal pillars - they are interesting!
• Mark is represented by the Lion - tradition has long connected the four 'living creatures' around the throne of God in Revelation 4:7 with the the Gospel Writers
• The term Gospel comes from the old English term 'Godspell' or "Good News"
• A Gospel is not a biography - such forms did not exist at the time of their composition. A Gospel is a combination of historical data and believing witness, highlighting the life and teaching of Jesus of Nazareth
Mark's Gospel has some very unique features!
• It was the very first of the Gospels to be recorded - Matthew and Luke based their Gospels upon the first work of Mark
• It was composed about 70 AD in Rome
• It is a bold statement of victory and a new rule of life made as one author puts it "in the belly of the beast" or the headquarters of the Roman Empire.
• It uses as its source the testimony of Peter - full of details that indicate the eyewitness accounts from which it derives
• It was meant to be proclaimed aloud and not read in private - storytelling techniques abound in this Gospel, i.e. the sandwiching of a story in the middle of another - see Mark 5: 21-43 or 11:12-26. The inner passage is meant to illuminate or expand upon the meaning of the account within which it is found.
Review the readings that were proclaimed at the Mass with your students
• Please note in the reading from the First Letter of Peter St. Peter's identification of Mark as his 'son'.
• In the joy of the resurrection and ascension of the Lord, the disciples "went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs."As friends of Jesus of Nazareth how and to where are we to go forth, and how are we to preach?
• St. Francis of Assisi said "Preach the Gospel - use words only if necessary." What does that mean for Christians today?
• Mark brought the life of Jesus to people by means of writing his Gospel - how can we imitate the work of Mark as an Evangelist and bring the life and teaching of Jesus to others? How are we 'evangelists' today?
• As we celebrate the life of St. Mark the Evangelist, how are we to be evangelists today, advancing God's Kingdom of mercy and justice and inviting people to wholeness of life and happiness? What values, attitudes and actions will make us evangelists in today's world?
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