What do you know about Saint Mark?

12 Apostles Journey - St.Mark

Highlights

By Deacon Keith Fournier
11/15/2022 (2 years ago)

Published in Christian Saints & Heroes

Keywords: 12 Apostles, Deacon Keith Fournier, St. Mark

Many say, "I know about the Apostles."  You may know about the Apostles, but do you know the Apostles?  The study of the apostles shows they are more than just men who followed Jesus. They are evangelists, authors, healers, martyrs, and living saints of the Church. They can hear our prayers and intercede for the faithful. They are SO much more than most people realize. And they are our models for our own missionary work.

The Lord be with you! I'm Deacon Keith Fournier, Dean of Catholic Online School, inviting YOU to continue with me on our 12 Apostles Journey!

We are discovering who we are called to be as we encounter each of these extraordinary men in our 12 Apostles' Journey series. We are learning how we can walk with them, through prayer and personal devotion. 

The next Apostle we encounter on this journey is St. Mark, the Author of the second Gospel in the New Testament. He was a member of the early Christian community in Jerusalem. He traveled on an early missionary journey with St. Paul and St. Barnabas. Barnabas was Mark's cousin. But Mark soon decided to return home to Jerusalem. 

Maybe he was just homesick? The humanity of the Apostles should encourage each one of us. The Lord uses very ordinary men and women, very much like you, and makes them extraordinary by grace. 

This departure of Mark led to some disappointment in St. Paul. He even argued with Barnabas about Mark's reliability! Fortunately, the bad feelings did not last, and Mark later became one of Paul's most trusted companions in Rome. He was also an associate of St. Peter. Many early sources indicate that Marks' Gospel was written to memorialize the teaching and preaching of St. Peter. 

St. Mark begins his Gospel with the bold proclamation: "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God..." This assertion, this powerful witness, characterizes Marks entire Gospel account. The last verse of his Gospel.  Mark ends his Gospel account with these words "...And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that attended it. Amen."

Jesus asks us to go forth, in this age, and tell the world that Jesus is the Son of God. This apostolic mission is your mission. You are called to an Apostolate. Your mission is to help us teach others the richness, beauty, and tradition of our Catholic faith. You see, there are tens of thousands of families who need to know Jesus. They need to know about their faith. 

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We are asking you to honor the 12 Apostles by joining in their ongoing apostolic mission of the whole Church.

How? By praying, learning from St. Mark, saying yes to the call of Jesus in your own life, engaging in the mission to evangelize and teach the faith, and by giving $12 a month.

The Mission of Catholic Online School is to provide a free, world-class Catholic education for anyone, anywhere. We are nearing 1,000,000 (Yes, One Million) Student Enrollments from 193 Countries worldwide.

You can support our Apostolate and become responsible for spreading the Gospel, just like the 12 Apostles.