Mark the Evangelist
John Mark or Markus is a figure of the New Testament, by the early Christian tradition, the first bishop of Alexandria and thus founder of the Coptic Church and the author of the Gospel of Mark. His symbol is the lion.
Life
Evidence about his life are the New Testament, especially the book of Acts, and the church fathers Papias, Eusebius of Caesarea, Jerome and Epiphanius. The identity of the author of Mark's Gospel with the name in the New Testament is controversial. The Church's tradition attributes the anonymous written Gospel said in Acts to John Mark. John Mark was a Jewish Christian in Jerusalem (Acts 12:12 EU) and the cousin of Barnabas (Col 4,10 EU). His mother's house later to the Center of the Jerusalem church.
John Mark was taken away by Barnabas and Paul on the first missionary journey (Acts 13.4 EU), but did not stop by and returned to Perge in Pamphylia around. Skip to second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark again, but Paul refused, and chose Silas as a companion while Barnabas went to Cyprus with Mark (Acts 15.36 to 40 EU).
Later, there is again a good relationship between Paul and Mark, who is during the first imprisonment of Paul in Rome (Col 4,10 EU, Philemon 24 EU) and for whose coming Paul Timothy explicitly asks for his second Roman imprisonment (2 Tim 4, 11 EU).
An identification of the John Mark with Markus mentioned in 1 Peter is also uncertain. The Church's tradition draws this connection and thus defines Rome as determined Abfassungsort the Gospel of Mark. Thus, it is in Rome at St. Peter (1 Peter 5.13 EU), calls him his "son ". In the gospel, however, find no evidence that the author was an eyewitness of the earthly days of Jesus, which argues against an involvement of Peter in the gospel.
The assumption that Markus with the unknown young eyewitnesses to the arrest of Jesus ( Mk 14,51 f EU) - that only in Mark mentioned young man a Roman soldier held the robe, which he stripped it naked and fled - has meant yourself is supported by the church's tradition. Papias reported to 130 that John Mark was the translator of Peter and has the teachings of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in the same order as he has heard it.
Eusebius, Jerome and Epiphanius report that Mark of the founders of the church in Alexandria was - the time of his arrival is given as the forties or fifties. The Coptic Church sees him as their first Pope. Sources from the fourth century ( Jerome, Eusebius of Caesarea, Markus files ) report of the martyrdom of Saint Mark in Alexandria on April 25th of the year 68
Works
- According to early Christian tradition: the Gospel according to Mark.
- After Alexandrian Egyptian tradition: the Liturgy of St. Mark (also known as Cyril Liturgy ).
Veneration of saints
In the preface of some Vulgataausgaben he is referred to as "Mark the Evangelist, the one priestly ministry exercised in Israel, a Levite of origin ". Presumably this to the fact that he was a cousin of Barnabas the Levite (Acts 4.36 EU). The city of Aquileia has mentioned in the Legenda Aurea, but confirmed by sources no early church tradition that Mark had preached there and drafted a second, Latin gospel. In Alexandria, St. Mark has been kept for centuries the mantle with which each bishop was dressed when he took office. Already in the fourth century is reported by pilgrimages to the grave of St. Mark.
According to Coptic tradition Markus put together the Sacred Liturgy, one of the oldest liturgies of the Church from which descended the other three Orthodox liturgies. It was memorized and passed on orally until it was recorded 330 of Athanasius and handed over the first bishop of Ethiopia. The liturgy has been greatly enhanced by Cyril of Alexandria, and has since been known as the Liturgy of St. Cyril. A papyrus fragment from the fourth or fifth century located in Strasbourg. Medieval copies are in the possession of the Vatican, a version exists in Ethiopian language.
On 31 January 828, the extraordinarily momentous arrival of the relics of St. Mark's in Venice occurred. According to tradition, had two Venetian merchants or Tribune, Buono di Malamocco and Rustico di Torcello, may have originally initiated by the Doge, and the bones in Alexandria, Egypt, hidden under salt pork and kidnapped by boat to Venice. Served to justify a legend that Mark had passed through on his missionary journeys (still uninhabited ) Venice lagoon, where I received from an angel the prophecy here would once rest his bones. The greeting of the angel " PAX TIBI MARCE EVANGELISTA MEUS " ( German: "Peace to you, Mark, my evangelist " ) is added to most representations of the Venetian Lion of St. Mark.
In Venice, was built in his honor, the precursor Church of St. Mark 's Basilica, which completely burned down 976. The remains of St. Mark were in 1094 " rediscovered " at the completion of the construction of St. Mark's Basilica. The winged Lion of St. Mark became the national emblem of the Republic of Venice, an expression of their self-consciousness against the Rome of Peter and the Frankish Empire with the mantle of St. Martin and Byzantium Andreas. Today's stone sarcophagus under the main altar of San Marco bears the inscriptions in Latin body of Saint Mark the Evangelist (front) and salute you doth Marcus my son (1 Pet 5.13 EU; reverse).
Part of the Venetian relics in 1968 was returned at the 1900- year celebration of the founding of the Coptic Church to the Patriarch of Alexandria as a gesture of good will and has since been kept in the papal Mark's Cathedral in Cairo.
Remembrance
- Catholic: April 25 ( traditional festival in general Roman calendar ), also in Venice January 31 ( of the remains )
- Evangelical: April 25 ( Memorial Day, according to Protestant Worship Book )
- Anglican: April 25
- Orthodox: January 4, or April 25
Bauer rule
A Catholic is celebrated on 25 April corresponding pawn rule is " Is it warm now at St. Mark's, you freeze it up in the intestine. "
Patronages
The saint is the patron saint of the city of Venice, Lake Constance Reichenau Island, the Egyptian Christianity and Occupations Construction, masons, glaziers, basket makers, notary and clerk. He is called in bad weather, sudden death, lightning, hail, scabies, distress. He also allegedly brings good weather and good harvest.
Relics of St. Mark's are out in Cairo and Venice on the island of Reichenau, in Rome, Paris, Cambrai, Tournai and Cologne.
For eponyms see San Marco.
Iconography
Markus is presented together with a winged lion the lion of St Mark. The Lion of St. Mark is already detectable in the 4th century and is derived as the other evangelists symbols from Rev 4.7 from EU. The attributes of Markus figure are strongly dependent on the generation time of the presentation, but he is often shown as a middle-aged man with a long beard, dark hair and a powerful face. Clearly as a writer of the Gospels almost always characterize him a book (closed or open ), plus possibly a spring or other writing utensils. Markus is like all evangelists in antique-style garb ( tunic, toga ) shown, which is occasionally belted at the waist. The vast majority of the images of the evangelists is found in the book painting in the tradition of authors or evangelist portraits ( Lorsch Gospels ). In the monumental art he usually occurs in conjunction with the other three evangelists. Often the four evangelists are mapped to the four Paradise streams, thereby Mark the Gihon is assigned ( Nile). The most important Markus cycles can be found in St. Mark's Basilica in Venice, where in addition to the monumental mosaics hagiography and the " translatio " of Markus relic is displayed.