St. Mark – St. Peter’s Close Associate

In the Roman Catholic Church’s Liturgical Calendar, April 25 marks the feast of St. Mark (no pun intended). He is the evangelist who penned the Gospel of Mark. Though it is put as the second Gospel in the New Testament, actually it is the first Gospel written (before Matthew’s Gospel). It is believed that both Matthew and Luke used Mark’s Gospel as one of their sources to write their Gospels.

In fact, Mark’s Gospel is the shortest of all four canonical Gospels.

While Mathew and Luke explain how Jesus was born (Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-14) and put his extensive genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17; Luke 3:28-38), Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ adulthood. The beginning of Mark’s Gospel is how John the Baptist prepared the public appearance of Jesus (Mark 1:2-8), then describing Jesus’ baptism (Mark 1:9-11). This style of Mark’s Gospel (Mark 1:1-16:20), beginning with a narrative of John the Baptist making the way for Jesus’ public ministry, as the voice crying out in the wilderness (Isaiah 40:3), and ending with a narrative of Jesus’ ascension, resembles how Peter’s speech on Jesus at Cornelius’ house (Acts 10:37-43).

Unlike Peter and Matthew, Mark was not among the twelve chosen by Jesus. It means that he did not personally and directly witness any of what he wrote about Jesus. But he wrote his Gospel as if he were with Jesus and the twelve, like an accompanying reporter. So the question is – how did Mark know all the things about Jesus and his ministry and his interactions with the twelve, as if a reporter, who was present at the scenes, would write?

Mark was privileged to listen to Peter’s testimonies directly because of his close association with him. These words of Peter from the First Reading of Feast of St. Mark (1 Peter 5:5b-14) indicate this:

The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son (1 Peter 5:13).

“The chosen one at Babylon” is referred to the nascent church in Rome. “Babylon” was a code-name for Rome (e.g. Revelation 14:8; 16:19; 17:5; 18:2). The historical Babylon had been fallen. And in a metaphor of harlot, it was prophesized that Rome would follow the suit of Babylon for its paganism and anti-Christ nature (e.g. Revelation 17:1-18; cf. Daniel 2:41-45).

Peter affectionately called Mark as his son (1 Peter 5:13) for his intimate association.

It was in this close relationship, which he was blessed to have with Peter, that Mark wrote his Gospel, as Peter would speak of Jesus to the public. So, we shall think of Peter and his influence on him, in remembering Mark.