Bio

 

    Like the other Gospel writers, Mark's identity cannot be completely confirmed. He may have seen Jesus only once in the Garden of Gethsemane when the soldiers arrived and he fled, naked and embarrassed, or he may have known Jesus more closely and written the Gospel from his own perspective. It is equally, if not more possible that he never knew Jesus but that he wrote down his Gospel account based off of St. Peter's retelling. He likely was in Rome at the same time as Peter, and was definitely close to him.

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Mark and his mother were very important figures in the early Church, regardless, evident by the fact that Peter even went to his mother's home when he escaped prison. Mark himself went with his cousin Barnabas and St. Paul on their journeys. Though it seems Mark may have angered Paul at one point, Paul asks for him while in prison, signifying they had sorted out whatever issue may have arisen.

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Mark's Gospel has the least amount of historical information and references included, and since it is written in Greek, it is guessed that it could have been mandated by the Romans for him to write it for a Gentile audience. The Gospel focuses on how Jesus was rejected by humanity and misunderstood, but was triumphant for God and Salvation.

According to Tradition, Mark may have founded the Church in Alexandria, Egypt, and/ or Venice.

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Mark's death and martyrdom are also not clearly known. Some stories say he was dragged through the streets of Alexandria with a rope around his neck.

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Mark's symbol is a lion due to the similarities between a lion roaring in the desert and his

lines about St. John the Baptist crying out in the desert to prepare the way for Jesus.