April 25 2023 - St. Mark, evangelist & martyr - The Lion

 Atop each of the columns here inside St. Ignatius of Antioch, are symbols for the four evangelists: the eagle for St. John, the Ox for St. Luke, the human face for St. Matthew, and the Lion, for the saint and evangelist we honor today, St. Mark. 

Revelation 4:7 describes four living creatures surrounding the throne of the Lamb, and these four creatures, from antiquity, have been used to depict the evangelists. Revelation says, “The first living creature was like a lion, the second was like an ox, the third had a face like a man, the fourth was like a flying eagle.”

The Lion is listed first, and Mark’s gospel, was likely the first of the Gospels to be written, before the year 60. 

Sometimes it is claimed that the lion is fitting for Mark, as his Gospel begins with John the Baptist roaring in the wilderness, like a lion "...The voice of the one who cries in the wilderness: Prepare Ye the way of the Lord, make straight his paths"

St. Mark was a Jew converted by the Apostles after the death and resurrection of Christ. He was a spiritual son of St. Peter, in fact. And many of the details Mark includes in his Gospel, likely derive from St. Peter. Mark originally wrote his Gospel for the Romans, to whom Peter ministered. Mark’s Gospel has characteristics attractive to Romans. It’s concise, to the point, and emphasizes Jesus, like a lion, filled with courage and strength—dominating the powers of evil with a word. While so many fail to grasp who Jesus is, it is the Roman centurion on Calvary who proclaims what even the apostles failed to acknowledge, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”

Before his own martyrdom, St. Peter sent Mark to be the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria was known for its superstition, old Egyptian gods, sorcery and magic. So Mark goes to Egypt, and like the Apostles in the Gospel today, Mark preached and miracles and signs accompanied his preaching—signs which confirmed that his word was true and from God. He made many converts, but also many enemies from the old established religion. And he was martyred. 

But no doubt due to Mark’s preaching, teaching, and the testimony of his martyrdom, Alexandria went on to become one of the great centers of early Christianity. 

It is around Alexandria that Christian monasticism begins with Anthony of the Desert and Paul the Hermit. And some of the most important theologians of the early Church came out of Alexandria, including St. Cyril of Alexandria, and the great St. Athanasius, whose feast is a week from today.

St. Mark changed the world and changed history through his faithfulness to the preaching mission. 

And, what a wonderful saint to celebrate during the Easter season, when we are being reminded of the importance of faithfully preaching the Gospel, giving witness to the truth that Jesus is risen, and by backing up our words with accompanying works.

May Saint Mark’s example and prayers help us to cry out the Gospel of Christ throughout the world, proclaiming it to all creation, for the Glory of God and Salvation of souls.

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Let us pray:

The Father raised Christ his Son, Our Good Shepherd from the dead, may we be his faithful witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The Father sent his Son into the world to bring good news to the poor, may we have courage to bring that good news to all peoples.

The Father sent his Son to sow the word of life, may God help us to sow his word and to reap its harvest with joy.

The Father send his Son to make the world one through his blood, may we all work together for this unity.

The Father set his Son at his right hand in the heavens, may the gates of God’s kingdom be opened to all those who have died...

October 18 2021 - St. Luke - The Holy Evangelist

 

St. Luke, as you likely know, was not one of the twelve apostles or one of the Lord’s original disciples; Luke was a Gentile convert.  He may be the only non-Jewish writer of any of the books of the entire Bible, of which he wrote two: his Gospel and the Book of Acts. Luke spoke and wrote classical Greek, but he could also converse and write in Hebrew, Aramaic and Hellenistic Greek. He was a linguist, and a very learned man, Paul calls him “the beloved physician” as he was trained in the science and medicine of his day.

The opening lines of his Gospel show his scientific attention to detail and also his love for Christ. He says, “many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the events that have been fulfilled…but I have decided to investigate everything anew.” So Luke goes to the eyewitnesses of the Lord’s works and deeds: the apostles, perhaps mary Magdalene, martha and mary, zacchias, and cleopas who appear in his Gospel, perhaps even Our Lady, for Luke includes so many details from the Lord’s infancy not found in any other Gospel. 

A few years ago, an excellent film was released about St. Paul, titled, “Paul, Apostle of Christ”. The movie shows Luke, played by Jim Cavizel, is at the side of Paul who is in prison. In second Timothy, Paul explains that Luke alone came to his side while in prison. There Luke learns the details of Paul’s life, which he details in the Acts of the Apostles.

After the death of Paul, Luke wrote his Gospel and the Book of Acts, likely from Rome, then went on to spread his Gospel in Italy, Dalmatia, Gaul, Macedonia, and Egypt. In March of 84 AD, he was crucified to an olive tree in the city of Thebes, in central Greece.

Of all the passages from his Gospel, we read on his feast the passage of the sending of the 72 disciples. Luke recognized that the announcing of the kingdom, the spread of the Gospel, belongs not just to the Apostles, but to all who call themselves Christian. 

Luke was studious and meticulous with his narrative of Christ and the apostles. We, too, are to exercise care in how we speak to and write about others. We should be careful that we always "speak the truth in love." Luke was thorough and comprehensive, unwavering in his commitment to the truth. He didn't assume things. He carefully checked things out. Certainly an important lesson in this era of fake news. Luke was a learned man, as a physician and author. Likewise, Christians should cultivate their minds, seeking to educate ourselves, never assuming we already know everything. He was faithful to Paul as a trusted and loyal friend, standing by him in good times and bad. We, too, can aspire to this kind of faithfulness and loyalty. Most important, Luke was faithful to God, to Jesus, to His teachings and to the apostles.

In seeking holiness, we do well to cultivate our entire selves, mind, body, and heart, in order to place all that we have and all that we are in the service of the Gospel, like St. Luke, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That all Christians may be faithful to their vocation to spread the Gospel in word and deed.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession.

That on this feast of St. Luke, patron of medical doctors, all doctors may have a reverence for life, and for the conversion of all who do not believe.  

For all the sick and suffering, and for all those in hospitals, nursing homes, and hospice care, for all those who will die today, for their consolation and that of their families.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our family, friends, and parish, for the deceased clergy and religious of our diocese, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom. 

God of mercy, hear our prayers, ease the sufferings and comfort the weakness of your servants, and bring us to eternal life, through Christ our Lord.

2nd Sunday of Advent 2020 - Advent Courage

Above the front steps of our beautiful church are statues of the four Gospel writers: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Do you know which one is which? You can indeed tell them apart by the symbols associated with them. St. John, is depicted with the eagle, because his Gospel begins soaring in the heavens, “in the beginning was the word, and the word was God, and the word was with God”…in heaven. The symbol for the Gospel of Luke is an ox, because Luke’s Gospel begins with the story of Zechariah, the Levitical priest, who would offer such oxen as sacrifices in the Temple. The symbol for Matthew is a human or a human face because Matthew’s Gospel begins with the human genealogy of Our Lord—Matthew traces the human generations of the Lord all the way back to Abraham. The symbol for Mark also derives from the beginning of his Gospel. Mark’s symbol is a lion because his Gospel begins, as we heard moments ago, with the voice in the wilderness roaring out like a lion, the call to prepare the way for the Lord. 

Remember, St. Mark was originally writing his Gospel to the ancient Romans—who valued symbols and persons of strength. So, the lion, a symbol of boldness, fierceness, courage, strength, sovereignty, and justice, would have resonated with Mark’s Roman audience, especially this bold character whom we meet in the Gospel’s opening lines: John the Baptist, this sort of ferocious character, this wild man roaring the call to repentance out in the desert.

John, is fierce, he’s courageous. He doesn’t fear the opinions of onlookers who might ridicule him for the way that he was dressed; he doesn’t fear the repercussions for boldly proclaiming that the Messiah was near. Later in the Gospel, we find John the Baptist boldly calling out the sinful adultery of King Herod. And he arrives on the scene to point to one who is even mightier than him, who will baptize, not with water, but with fire and the holy spirit.

So, on this second Sunday of Advent, we are presented with this bold, courageous lion, John the Baptist, as a figure to consider and emulate.

I don’t know about you, but the characteristics, I typically associate with Advent are attitudes like patience, passivity, waiting, calmness, and peace. And yet, I propose, that each of us, could use a little bit of the spirit of the lion, John the Baptist, in our Advent preparations.

Last, Sunday, Pope Francis convoked a consistory in which he created 11 new cardinals, and of course he preached to them, giving the new cardinals their marching orders. And in his homily, the holy father spoke about how Christian courage is an important antidote to the mediocrity, lukewarmness, and indifference which threaten the Christian life. He said, “Without making an effort to love God daily and awaiting the newness he constantly brings, we become mediocre, lukewarm, worldly. And this slowly eats away at our faith, for faith is the very opposite of mediocrity:  it is ardent desire for God, a bold effort to change, the courage to love, constant progress…Faith is not water that extinguishes flames, it is fire that burns; it is not a tranquilizer for people under stress, it is a love story for people in love. That is why Jesus above all else detests lukewarmness.”

Again, think of that symbol of the lion. A lion is anything but mediocre, lukewarm. He’s fierce, he’s bold, he’s not timid or tamed or constricted by the ways of the world. 

So, too, the Christian is to be a sort of lion: bold in our proclamation of the Gospel, and courageous in pursuing the love of God in our personal life. 

In addition to his remarks to the new cardinals, Pope Francis spoke about Advent courage in his Sunday Angelus message. He said “Confidently waiting for the Lord allows us to find comfort and courage in the dark moments of our lives…“The Lord never abandons us; He accompanies us through the events of our lives to help us discover the meaning of the journey, the meaning of everyday life, to give us courage when we are under duress or when we suffer. In the midst of life’s storms, God always extends His hand to us and frees us from threats.”

Now, a lion is courageous and bold because, well, he is at the top of the food chain, isn’t he? His physical prowess is superior to the other beasts. So, notice what the holy father says is the source of our Christian courage—certainly not physical strength, rather the source of our courage is that the Lord accompanies us every day, always and everywhere. 

John the Baptist boldly proclaimed Christ because he was guided by the hand of God. God had chosen him, and he knew God was with him for this special mission.

So, too with us. In resisting those powers of darkness that seek to lull us into spiritual slumber, we are able to take courage because God is with us. God has chosen us and called us to boldly proclaim the Gospel in this very strange era of 2020. How do you know that you can overcome the temptations of your life? Because you’re a Christian. How do you know that you can remain faithful to God in these most complex, confusing times? Because you are a Christian. And God is with you.

In a very real sense, we light the candles of our advent wreath, not simply to count weeks before Christmas, but as a reminder that we need to be set on fire. Beyond gentle images of beautiful angels, lowing cattle, and an expectant mother, these first weeks of Advent present us with these bold characters like Isaiah and John the Baptist, to help set us afire with courage. And so, we do well to examine…where have I become spiritually lukewarm, spiritually mediocre, spiritually lazy, spiritually fearful? 

In the collect prayer at the beginning of mass last week, we asked God to give us the resolve to run forth to meet Christ at his coming. And this week’s collect prayer spoke of setting out in haste to meet God’s son. 

Spiritual Resolve, haste, courage, boldness, do you see these characteristics in your spiritual life? If not, make good use of the time you have left. Run forth with righteous deeds, resolving daily to engage in acts of charity for others, yet boldly set aside time daily to run forth to meet Christ in prayer, and courageously examine your conscience for any sins that need to be repented of, or confessed in the Sacrament of Confession, and do not be afraid, like John the Baptist, to appear a little strange to the rest of the world, in bravely pointing others to God for the glory of God and salvation of souls. 

April 25 2017 - St. Mark the Evangelist - Bishop of Alexandria and Martyr

St. Mark was a Jew converted by the Apostles after the death and resurrection of Christ. As we heard in the first reading, he was a spiritual son of St. Peter—Peter, who refers to himself as “the chosen one at Babylon”, referring to Rome.

So St. Mark was with Peter in Rome, and it is here that St. Mark is asked to put into writing what they were being taught orally by St. Peter. And that is exactly what this evangelist did.

Around the year 49 AD St. Peter sends Mark to be the Bishop of Alexandria in Egypt. Alexandria was known for its superstition, old Egyptian gods and pagan practices looming large. Mark preached the Gospel there in Alexandria and worked many miracles: faithful to what we heard in his Gospel today: that the apostles preached and signs accompanied their preaching—the Lord confirmed their words through signs.

For this reason, many people converted to the faith, but his preaching also brought about his martyrdom. But the fruits of his preaching and the testimony of his martyrdom caused Alexandria to become one of the great centers of early Christianity. It is around Alexandria that Christian monasticism begins with Anthony of the Desert and Paul the Hermit. St. Mark changed the world and changed history through his faithfulness to the preaching mission.

And, what a wonderful saint to celebrate during the Easter season, when we are being reminded of the importance of faithfully preaching the Gospel, giving witness to the truth that Jesus is risen, and by backing up our words with accompanying works.

St. Mark continues to have an effect in the life of every Christian in the world. We unite ourselves to St. Mark’s efforts, that through his prayer, the Lord may continue to bring about many conversions in this hostile land where a new paganism, an atheistic paganism is taking root. Just as the Lord transformed Alexandria, he can transform this place through our faithfulness.

We certainly remember the people of Alexandria and their families. It was here at the Coptic Cathedral of St. Mark in Alexandria that a bomb exploded on Palm Sunday just three weeks ago: 45 Christians attending Palm Sunday Mass were killed by Islamic terrorists. May the martyrdom of St. Mark, and these new martyrs bring about a flourishing of Christian faith and Christian peace in that land.

May St. Mark’s preaching and witness give us courage to be faithful to Christ in this age and in this place for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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(Petitions adapted from Evening Prayer)
Let us pray:

The Father raised Christ his Son, Our Good Shepherd from the dead, may we be his faithful witnesses to the ends of the earth.

The Father sent his Son into the world to bring good news to the poor, may we have courage to bring that good news to all peoples.

The Father sent his Son to sow the word of life, may God help us to sow his word and to reap its harvest with joy.

The Father send his Son to make the world one through his blood, may we all work together for this unity.

The Father set his Son at his right hand in the heavens, may the gates of God’s kingdom be opened to all those who have died...