April 25 is the feast of St. Mark, one of the companions of the apostles and the author of one of the gospels.
St. Mark is commonly identified as:
- The figure John Mark from the book of Acts
- The figure referred to in St. Paul's epistles simply as "Mark"
- The figure in St. Peter's epistles also referred to simply as "Mark"
- The author of the second gospel
- The first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt
What do the Church Fathers say about Mark?
A good summary is provided by St. Jerome in is De Viris Illustribus (On Illustrious Men): Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter wrote a short gospel at the request of the brethren at Rome embodying what he had heard Peter tell. When Peter had heard this, he approved it and published it to the churches to be read by his authority as Clemens in the sixth book of his Hypotyposes and Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, record.
Peter also mentions this Mark in his first epistle, figuratively indicating Rome under the name of Babylon. She who is in Babylon elect together with you salutes you and so does Mark my son.
So, taking the gospel which he himself composed, he went to Egypt and first preaching Christ at Alexandria he formed a church so admirable in doctrine and continence of living that he constrained all followers of Christ to his example.
He died in the eighth year of Nero and was buried at Alexandria, Annianus succeeding him [De Viris Illustribus 8].
What is the earliest testimony we have linking St. Mark to the second gospel?
We actually have a first century source on this! According to a first century figure known as John the Presbyter: Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, though not in order, whatsoever he remembered of the things said or done by Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor followed him, but afterward, as I said, he followed Peter, who adapted his teaching to the needs of his hearers, but with no intention of giving a connected account of the Lord's discourses, so that Mark committed no error while he thus wrote some things as he remembered them. For he was careful of one thing, not to omit any of the things which he had heard, and not to state any of them falsely.
