The Martyrdom of the Great Saint Mark, the Apostle The Evangelist of the Land of Egypt

استشهاد مارمرقس الرسول اول باباوات الاسكندرية ( 30 برمودة)

On this day, which coincided with the 26th. of April 68 A.D., the great apostle St. Mark, the evangelist of the land of Egypt, was martyred. He was the first Pope of Alexandria and one of the Seventy Apostles.

His name was John, as the Holy Bible says: "He came to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose surname was Mark, where many were gathered together praying" (Acts 12:12). He was the one that the Lord Christ, to Whom is the glory, meant when He said: "Go into the city to a certain man, and say to him, The Teacher says, My time is at hand; I will keep the Passover at your house with My disciples" (Matthew 26:18).

His house was the first Christian church, where they ate the Passover, hid after the death of the Lord Christ, and in its upper room the Holy Spirit came upon them.

This Saint was born in Cyrene (One of the Five Western cities, Pentapolis - in North Africa). His father's name was Aristopolus and his mother's name was Mary. They were Jewish in faith, rich and of great honor. They educated him with the Greek and Hebrew cultures. He was called Mark after they emigrated to Jerusalem, where St. Peter had become a disciple to the Lord Christ. St. Peter was married to the cousin of Aristopolus. Mark visited St. Peter's house often, and from him he learned the Christian teachings.

Once Aristopolus and his son Mark were walking near the Jordan river, close by the desert, they encountered a raving lion and a lioness. It was evident to Aristopolus that it would be his end and the end of his Son, Mark. His compassion for his son compelled him to order him to escape to save himself. Mark answered, "Christ, in whose hands our lives are committed, will not let them prey on us." Saying this, he prayed, "O, Christ, Son of God protect us from the evil of these two beasts and terminate their offspring from this wilderness." Immediately, God granted this prayer, and the two beasts fell dead. His father marvelled and asked his son to tell him about the Lord Christ. He believed in the Lord Christ at the hands of his son who baptized him.

After the ascension of the Lord Christ, he accompanied Paul and Barnabas to preach the Gospel in Antioch, Seleucia, Cyprus, Salamis, and Perga Pamphylia where he left them and returned to Jerusalem. After the Apostolic Council in Jerusalem, he went with Barnabas to Cyprus.

After the departure of Barnabas, with the order of the Lord Christ, St. Mark went to Afrikia, Berka, and the Five Western cities. He preached the Gospel in these parts, and believed on his hands most of its people. From there, he went to Alexandria in the 1st. of Bashans 61 A.D.

When he entered the city, his shoe was torn because of the much walking in preaching and evangelism. He went to a cobbler in the city, called Anianus, to repair it. While he was repairing it the awl pierced his finger. Anianus shouted in Greek saying "EIS THEOS" which means "O, ONE GOD". When St. Mark heard these words his heart rejoiced exceedingly. He found it suitable to talk to him about the One God. The Apostle took some clay, spat on it and applied it to Anianus' finger, saying in the Name of Jesus Christ the Son of God, and the wound healed immediately, as if nothing happened to it.

Anianus was exceedingly amazed from this miracle that happened in the Name of Jesus Christ, and his heart opened to the word of God. The Apostle asked him about who was the only God that he cried for when he was injured. Anianus replied "I heard about him, but I do not know him." St. Mark started explaining to him from the beginning, the creation of heaven and earth, the transgression and fall of Adam, the flood, how God sent Moses, who brought the children of Israel out of Egypt, and gave them the Law, the captivity of the children of Israel to Babylon, and the prophecies that foretold the coming of Christ.

Anianus invited him to go to his house and brought to him his children. The Saint preached and baptized them in the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

When the believers in the Name of Christ increased and the pagan people of the city heard that, they were raged with anger and thought of slaying St. Mark. The faithful advised him to get away for a short while for the sake of the safety of the church and its care. St. Mark ordained St. Anianus a Bishop for Alexandria, three priests and seven deacons. He went to the Five Western Cities, remained there for two years preaching, and ordained bishops, priests, and deacons.

He returned to Alexandria where he found the believers had increased in number, and built a church for them in the place known as Bokalia (The place of cows), east of Alexandria on the sea shore.

It came to pass, when he was celebrating the feast of the Resurrection on the 29th day of Baramudah, year 68 A.D., the same day coincided with the great pagan Celebration for the feast of the god Syrabis, a multitude of them assembled and attacked the church at Bokalia and forced their way in. They seized St. Mark, bound him with a thick rope and dragged him in the roads and streets crying, "Drag the dragon to the place of Cows." They continued dragging him with severe cruelty. His flesh was torn and scattered everywhere, and the ground of the city was covered with his blood. They cast him that night into a dark prison.

The angel of the Lord appeared to him and told him: "O Mark, the good servant, rejoice for your name has been written in the book of life, and you have been counted among the congregation of the saints." The angel disappeared, then the Lord Christ appeared to him, and gave him peace. His soul rejoiced and was glad.

The next morning (30th of Baramudah), the pagans took St. Mark from the prison. They tied his neck with a thick rope and did the same as the day before, dragging him over the rocks and stones. Finally, St. Mark delivered up his pure soul in the hand of God, and received the crown of martyrdom, the apostolic crown, the crown of evangelism, and the crown of virginity.

Nevertheless, St. Mark's death did not satisfy the rage of the pagans and their hatred. They gathered much firewood and prepared an inferno to burn him. A severe storm blew and heavy rains fell. The pagans became frightened, and they fled away in fear.

The believers came and took the holy body, carried it to the church they built at Bokalia, wrapped it up, prayed over him and place it in a coffin. They laid it in a secret place in this church.

The prayers of this great Saint and honorable Evangelist be with us and Glory be to our God forever. Amen.

ولد هذا القديس في ترنا بوليس (من الخمس مدن الغربية بشمال أفريقيا) من أب اسمه أرسطو بولس وأم أسمها مريم . إسرائيلي المذهب وذي يسار وجاه عريض ، فعلماه وهذباه بالآداب اليونانية والعبرانية ولقب بمرقس بعد نزوح والديه إلى أورشليم حيث كان بطرس قد تلمذ للسيد المسيح . ولأن بطرس كان متزوجا بابنة عم أرسطو بولس فكان مرقس يتردد علي بيته كثيرا ومنه درس التعاليم المسيحية .

وحدث أن أرسطو بولس وولده مرقس كانا يسيران بالقرب من الأردن وخرج عليهما أسد ولبؤة وهما يزمجران فخاف أبوه وأيقن بالهلاك ودفعته الشفقة علي ولده أن يأمره بالهروب للنجاة بنفسه ولكن مرقس طمأنه قائلا لا تخف يا أبي فالمسيح الذي أنا مؤمن به ينجينا منهما . ولما اقتربا منهما صاح بهما القديس قائلا " السيد المسيح ابن الله الحي يأمركما أن تنشقا وينقطع جنسكما من هذا الجبل " فانشقا ووقعا علي الأرض مائتين فتعجب والده وطلب من ابنه أن يعرفه عن المسيح فأرشده إلى ذلك وآمن والده وعمده بالسيد المسيح له المجد .

وبعد صعود السيد المسيح استصحبه بولس وبرنابا للبشارة بالإنجيل في إنطاكية وسلوكية وقبرص وسلاميس وبرجة بمفيلية حيث تركهما وعاد إلى أورشليم وبعد انتهاء المجمع الرسولي بأورشليم استصحبه برنابا معه إلى قبرص .

وبعد نياحة برنابا ذهب مرقس بأمر السيد المسيح إلى أفريقية وبرقة والخمس المدن الغربية . ونادي في تلك الجهات بالإنجيل فآمن علي يده أكثر أهلها . ومن هناك ذهب إلى الإسكندرية في أول بشنس سنة 61 م وعندما دخل المدينة انقطع حذاؤه وكان عند الباب إسكافي أسمه إنيانوس ، فقدم له الحذاء وفيما هو قائم بتصليحه جرح المخراز إصبعه فصاح من الألم وقال باليونانية " اس ثيؤس " ( يا الله الواحد ) فقال له القديس مرقس : " هل تعرفون الله ؟ " فقال " لا وإنما ندعو باسمه ولا نعرفه " . فتفل علي التراب ووضع علي الجرح فشفي للحال ، ثم أخذ يشرح له من بدء ما خلق الله السماء والأرض فمخالفة آدم ومجيء الطوفان إلى إرسال موسى وإخراج بني إسرائيل من مصر وإعطائهم الشريعة وسبي بابل ثم سرد له نبوات الأنبياء الشاهدة بمجيء المسيح فدعاه إلى بيته وأحضر له أولاده فوعظهم جميعا وعمدهم باسم الأب والابن والروح القدس .

ولما كثر المؤمنون باسم المسيح وسمع أهل المدينة بهذا الآمر جدوا في طلبه لقتله . فرسم إنيانوس أسقفا وثلاثة قسوس وسبعة شمامسة ثم سافر إلى الخمس المدن الغربية وأقام هناك سنتين يبشر ويرسم أساقفة وقسوسا وشمامسة .

وعاد إلى الإسكندرية فوجد المؤمنين قد ازدادوا وبنوا لهم كنيسة في الموضع المعروف ببوكوليا ( دار البقر ) شرقي الإسكندرية علي شاطئ البحر وحدث وهو يحتفل بعيد الفصح يوم تسعة وعشرين برمودة سنة 68 م وكان الوثنيون في اليوم نفسه يعيدون لألههم سرابيس ، أنهم خرجوا من معبدهم إلى حيث القديس قبضوا عليه وطوقوا عنقه بحبل وكانوا يسحبونه وهم يصيحون " جروا الثور في دار البقر " فتناثر لحمه وتلطخت أرض المدينة من دمه المقدس وفي المساء أودعوه السجن فظهر له ملاك الرب وقال له " افرح يا مرقس عبد الإله ، هودا اسمك قد كتب في سفر الحياة وقد حسبت ضمن جماعة القديسين " وتواري عنه الملاك ثم ظهر له السيد المسيح وأعطاه السلام فابتهجت نفسه وتهللت " .