APRIL 25 - FEAST OF SAINT MARK, EVANGELIST

 

 

 



 

25 TA’ APRIL
Festa ta' SAN MARK
Evanġelista: l-Ewwel Seklu

San Mark aktarx li kien it-tifel ta’ Marija, dik il-mara armla prominenti fil-komunita’ Nisranija ta’ Ġerusalemm, li kienet iżżomm laqgħat ta’ l-Insara fid-dar tagħha: u li San Pietru meta ġie meħlus mill-ħabs mar dritt għandha (Atti 12:13).
Probabbilment San Mark ġie mgħammed minn San Pietru stess.

Meta San Pawl u San Barnaba, li kien kugin ta’ Mark, ġew Ġerusalemm bil-karita’ li kienu ġabru minn Antjokja, Mark issieħeb magħhom u mar magħhom fl-ewwel vjaġġ missjunarju ta’ San Pawl, iżda għal xi raġuni meta kienu f’Perge tal-Pamfilja telaqhom u rritorna Ġerusalemm (Atti 13:13). Minħabba f’hekk San Pawl ma riedx lil Mark jakkompanjah fit-tieni vjaġġ tiegħu, u floku ħa lil Silas. Fuq hekk San Barnaba ma marx ma’ San Pawl, iżda flimkien ma' Mark mar Ċipru, art twelidu.

Fis-sena 61, insibu li Mark kien ma’ San Pawl f’Ruma, l-ewwel darba li San Pawl kien fil-ħabs.
Minn Ruma x’aktarx li mar Kolossi, fl-Asja żgħira. Dan nafuh mill-ittra ta’ San Pawl lill-Kolossin fejn talabhom jaqgħtuh merħba (Kol. 4:10).

Meta San Mark reġa’ mar Ruma, ħadem ma San Pietru, u kien f’dan iż-żmien li kiteb il-Vanġelu tiegħu, l-iqsar vanġelu, u kitbu bil-Grieg, għax x’aktarx li kien għall-Ġentili kkonvertiti ta’ Ruma. Ħafna minn dak li kiteb sar jafu mingħand San Pietru li kien isejjaħlu ”ibni”. L-iljun bil-ġwienaħ hu s-simbolu tal-Vanġelu tiegħu għax fih iddeskriva ’l San Ġwann Battista bħala ”vuċi tgħajjat fid-deżert”, vuċi ta’ ljun; u l-ġwienaħ għax Eżakiel kien ra viżjoni ta’ erba’ annimali bil-ġwienaħ. Mar Efesu. Dan nafuh mill-ittra ta’ San Pawl lil San Timotju fejn talbu jġib lil Mark miegħu (2 Tim. 4:11). Tradizzjoni tgħid li wara l-mewt ta’ L-Appostli, San Mark mar waqqaf il-Knisja f’Lixandra fejn x’aktarx miet martri.

Illum hu kważi ċert li dak iż-żgħażugħ li ħarab għarwien mill-Ġetsemani meta arrestaw lil Ġesù , li hu jsemmi fil-Vanġelu tiegħu, kien hu nnifsu.

Talba
Kristu bagħatni nxandar l-Evanġelju mhux bi kliem il-għerf sabiex ma jiġix fix-xejn is-salib ta’ Kristu. Il-predikazzjoni tas-salib hija bluha għal dawk li jintilfu: imma għal dawk li jsalvaw, għalina, hi l-qawwa ta’ Alla. (1 Kor. 1:17)

from:  https://www.facebook.com/ParroccaMarijaAddolorataSanPawlIlBahar/

 

 



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5 Things We Can Learn From St. Mark the Evangelist

On April 25, is the feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. The gospel that bears his name is similar in some respects to those of Matthew and Luke, and biblical scholars believe these three accounts of the public life of Jesus’ have a common source, known as the Q document. However, each of these gospels are still distinct. So what can we learn from St. Mark?

• Mark shows Jesus in a very natural and human light. His gospel tells of Jesus being angry (3:5) and sympathetic (5:36, 6:34.) Mark also tells us that Jesus admits to things He doesn’t know, such as the appointed time for the end of the world (13:32.) [St. Joseph Edition of the New American Bible, 1970]
• “This shortest of all New Testament gospels is likely the first to have been written, yet it often tells of Jesus’ ministry in more detail than either Matthew or Luke.”
• Even though Mark recounts the miracles and healings Jesus performed, Jesus’ messianic identity isn’t revealed until his entrance into Jerusalem (on the day we refer to as Palm Sunday.)
• Mark concentrates one half of his short account  to just one week of Jesus’ life: from Palm Sunday to the Resurrection. “The storyline of Mark begins on the banks of the River Jordan in the wilderness, moves into Galilee then across the Jordan to Jericho and then up to Jerusalem, where Jesus’ identity is fully revealed as Messiah, Suffering Servant and Eucharistic Lord.”
• Unlike most of the other disciples, Matthew was not a fisherman, but a tax collector. Just as today, tax collectors were not exactly popular folks. And for Mark, his job gave him the opportunity to steal money. Yet all it took for Matthew to become a disciple was for Jesus to speak two words: “Follow me.” (Mt. 10:3) Matthew immediately answered that call, and he did it wholeheartedly.

So what can we learn from St. Mark?  We learn that our relationship with Christ should be very personal, and remember that Jesus was both fully human and fully divine. We learn from Mark that, in an incredibly short time, the world can change. And Mark’s life illustrates for us that even sinners and outcasts are welcomed by Jesus.

St. Mark the Evangelist, you gave yourself completely to Christ and left behind sinful ways. Pray that we too can give ourselves to Christ with our whole hearts. Your witness to Jesus’ public life is a treasure for us; pray that we can stand grounded in the Gospel truth. We know, just as you did, that the life of a Christian is one meant to share the Good News. Pray that we may do that in every moment, every day of our life. Good St. Mark, pray for us! Amen.

https://diocesan.com/5-things-we-can-learn-from-st-mark-the-evangelist/