Saint of the Day: Mark the Evangelist

Today is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist.  The following comes from American Catholic:

Most of what we know about Mark comes directly from the New Testament. He is usually identified with the Mark of Acts 12:12. (When Peter escaped from prison, he went to the home of Mark's mother.) 

Paul and Barnabas took him along on the first missionary journey, but for some reason Mark returned alone to Jerusalem. It is evident, from Paul's refusal to let Mark accompany him on the second journey despite Barnabas's insistence, that Mark had displeased Paul. Because Paul later asks Mark to visit him in prison, we may assume the trouble did not last long. 

The oldest and the shortest of the four Gospels, the Gospel of Mark emphasizes Jesus' rejection by humanity while being God's triumphant envoy. Probably written for Gentile converts in Rome—after the death of Peter and Paul sometime between A.D. 60 and 70—Mark's Gospel is the gradual manifestation of a "scandal": a crucified Messiah. 

Evidently a friend of Mark (Peter called him "my son"), Peter is only one of the Gospel sources, others being the Church in Jerusalem (Jewish roots) and the Church at Antioch (largely Gentile). 

Like one other Gospel writer, Luke, Mark was not one of the 12 apostles. We cannot be certain whether he knew Jesus personally. Some scholars feel that the evangelist is speaking of himself when describing the arrest of Jesus in Gethsemane: "Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked" (Mark 14:51-52). 

Others hold Mark to be the first bishop of Alexandria, Egypt. Venice, famous for the Piazza San Marco, claims Mark as its patron saint; the large basilica there is believed to contain his remains. 

A winged lion is Mark's symbol. The lion derives from Mark's description of John the Baptist as a "voice of one crying out in the desert" (Mark 1:3), which artists compared to a roaring lion. The wings come from the application of Ezekiel's vision of four winged creatures (Ezekiel, chapter one) to the evangelists.

Comment:

Mark fulfilled in his life what every Christian is called to do: proclaim to all people the Good News that is the source of salvation. In particular, Mark's way was by writing. Others may proclaim the Good News by music, drama, poetry or by teaching children around a family table.

Quote:

There is very little in Mark that is not in the other Gospels—only four passages. One is: “...This is how it is with the kingdom of God; it is as if a man were to scatter seed on the land and would sleep and rise night and day and the seed would sprout and grow, he knows not how. Of its own accord the land yields fruit, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear. And when the grain is ripe, he wields the sickle at once, for the harvest has come” (Mark 4:26-29).

Salesians Help Fight Ebola in Africa

SALESIANS AGAINST EBOLA from Art.43 TV on Vimeo.
Please help fight Ebola by assisting the Salesian Missions in West Africa!

St Francis Xavier, A Fiery Apostle

The following comes from the Catholic Exchange:

The last words that St. Ignatius said to Francis Xavier before he was sent as the greatest missionary after St Paul were: Go set all on fire!  He embarked for India, then to Japan and died on the shore overlooking China.  His missionary work was completed in only 11 years and he died of exhaustion at 46 years of age.

Like Francis Xavier all followers of Christ are called to be prophets, evangelizers, and missionaries. Both Blessed Pope John Paul II and the present Pope Benedict XVI insist on followers of Christ encountering Christ as Friend and Lord and then sharing Jesus with others. It is a contradiction in terms to keep the priceless treasure of Friendship with Jesus to oneself. St. Andrew teaches us this lesson. After being called by Jesus, Andrew filled with joy hurries to tell the Good News (“Gospel”) to his brother Peter.

How did St. Francis Xavier in such a short time convert, baptize, and teach the Catholic faith to thousands? What was his secret to success?

1.    SPIRITUAL EXERCISES.   His conversion came about by having been directed and completing the Spiritual Exercises directed by St. Ignatius himself. Ignatius challenged Xavier with the Biblical quotation:  “What would it profit a man to gain the whole world if he lose his soul in the process?”   The Spiritual Exercises done well enlighten, convert, and transform those who do them into fiery apostles.

2.    OBEDIENCE.   The Holy Father asked Ignatius to send some of his followers from the Company of Jesus to India and the Far East and Francis Xavier obeyed. Obedience to God, the Pope, and the Church is always a true sign of holiness by which God blesses with abundant graces.  “Lord, not my will but yours be done!”  (Prayer of Jesus to the Father in the Garden of Olives).

3.    LOVE FOR POVERTY. Upon arriving in India, Xavier’s heart overflowed with love for the poor of the country. His love knew no bounds.  Identification!   Instead of seeking out comfortable lodgings and ease, Xavier decided to live with the poor, sleep like the poor, eat and drink with the poor, and become poor himself.  Jesus’s first Beatitude exemplifies this attitude of heart: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5: 3).

4.    LOVE FOR THE CHILDREN.   Jesus taught love for children. “Let the children come to me for such is the kingdom of heaven.”  Francis Xavier loved the children and they loved him. He taught them their catechism, as well as their prayers. Such was the love the children had for him that barely did he have time to say his prayers or even eat!

5.    APOSTOLIC CREATIVITY.  Xavier was a genius, as teacher and missionary. As a tool for memorization of the catechism, Xavier made use of the song. In simple verse and rhyme Xavier taught the children the basics of catechism. Domino effect!  Then the children would return home and sing the catechism thereby teaching their own parents. Pope John Paul II exhorts followers of Christ to be opened to the Holy Spirit and new apostolic creativity and initiatives.  Jesus said to Nicodemus that the spirit blows where He wills. Like Xavier let us be open to the wind-direction of the Holy Spirit and follow!

6.    BAPTISM.  It all starts with the sacrament of Baptism. After instructions, Francis Xavier would baptize in the hundreds leading to the thousands! At the end of his day at times he could no longer hold up his arm any longer due to the huge numbers of Baptisms he would do.

7.    ORDER THE DISORDER/ORGANIZATION.   This great saint after finishing his time in one place, would leave well-formed catechists to carry on with the mission of forming the people in the community. Helpers and lay leaders! Now more than ever zealous priests need zealous lay leaders to help to carry on the task of evangelization.   “The harvest is rich but the laborers are few.”

8.    INCULTURATION. While travelling to Japan, Xavier had to learn the social mores and customs of another country. In this case dressed in rags caused the Japanese Emperor revulsion. As St. Paul says, “I become all things to all men so as to win as many to Christ as possible.” Xavier donned the most elegant clothes fashionable and gave gifts to the Emperor, thereby winning the Emperor’s friendship and opening up the door to the preaching of the Gospel message in Japan.

9.    PRAYER AND PENANCE.  It is impossible to find a saint who did not take the “two P’s” seriously: prayer and penance! At the end of his exhausting day, Xavier spent hours in front of the Most Blessed Sacrament, praising the Lord, thanking the Lord and imploring for the sanctification and salvation of the people God placed in his path. The consolation that God sent  Francis Xavier during his prayer was so intense (very much like that of his contemporary St. Philip Neri) that he begged the Lord “basta”— “enough” of the consolation lest he die of its intensity! May Xavier attain for us the fire of intensity in our prayers! Penance? He slept very little so as to accompany the Lord and offer himself as victim for the salvation of souls.

10. APOSTOLIC ZEAL.  The favorite prayer of Xavier was “Give me souls!”  Another saint who had a similar motto was Saint John Bosco whose motto was posted on the wall of his office: “Give me souls and take all the rest away.” St. John of the Cross asserts: “Authentic charity is manifested by apostolic zeal.” Indeed if we truly love God then we should love what God loves— the salvation of immortal souls.   In the Office of Readings for the Feast of  St. Francis Xavier, in a letter written to St. Ignatius, there is a passionate appeal for more workers to gather in the harvest, specifically reproaching the proud and learned at the Universities of Europe (especially Paris).  The words of Xavier explode with apostolic zeal and intense suffering for the salvation of immortal souls.   Let us meditate attentively the words of St. Francis Xavier:

“Many, many people hereabouts are not becoming Christians for one reason: there is nobody to make them Christians. Again and again I have thought of going round the universities of Europe, especially Paris, and everywhere crying out like a madman. Riveting the attention of those with more learning than charity: What a tragedy:  how many souls are being shut out of heaven and falling into hell, thanks to you! I wish they would work as hard at this as they do at their books, and so settle their account with God for their learning and the talents entrusted to them.” (Office of Readings, Dec. 3, Feast of St. Francis Xavier)

Missionaries and Martyrs

The following comes from Fr. Dwight Longenecker: 

Today on the SonRise Morning Show Brian Patrick asked me what the difference was between the national saints of England and the national saints of the United States.

Missionaries and martyrs! The saints of North America are all missionaries. Yesterday, for example, St Rose Philippine Duchesne. What a life! She comes to the new world from France, winds up in New Orleans, travels up the river to St Louis where she starts a school in a log cabin. The bishop asked what she was seeking. She said, “A cross.” He said, “That’s all I have to offer you!”

The Native Americans named her, “Woman Who Prays Always”. This tall, dignified Frenchwoman would pray all night straight backed and watching and waiting for the Lord. Once a school girl crept in and placed paper scraps on the back of the saint’s legs as she knelt. They wanted to see if the paper would be moved by morning when the saint got up. It was still there in the morning.

Think of the other missionaries of the Americas: Isaac Jogues, Francis Xavier Seelos, Bishop John Neumann, Elizabeth Ann Seton, Damien of Molokai. Their example and their lives fill me with such zeal and desire for a radical discipleship!

In England, on the other hand, the most memorable saints are the English martyrs. Margaret Clitherow- crushed slowly for hiding a priest, Ann Line – who before she was hanged for harboring a priest cried out that she would gladly have harbored a thousand. Ambrose Barlow the Benedictine, Cuthbert Mayne the convert priest, Nicholas Owen–the dwarf and master craftsman who devised holes for hiding priests.

Read the lives of the saints! They will spur you on and cheer you up and help you to see the world’s true priorities. This is what I so love about reading the lives of the saints. They stand the world on its head. The concerns of this world are put into perspective, the yawn inducing cowardly conformity of most people is shown to be shallow and dull as death.  The saints show us the way to heaven and the way is one of excitement, miracles and marvels.

Missionaries to remind us that the world still needs messengers of the gospel who will give all to spread the Catholic faith–martyrs who remind us that persecution is always surrounding the church and that the ultimate sacrifice is what is demanded of every follower of Christ in one way or another. He does not say, “You may take up your cross and follow me if you like…” The cross is part of the way of the disciple.

How different it is today. St Rose Philippine Duchesne’s bishop said, “A cross is all I have to offer you.” In modern America we religious people offer everything BUT the cross. Here a wonderful liturgy, there a zesty youth group, here a splendid choir, there a hip hop pastor with a line in groovy sermons, here a parish self help group, there an apologetics cruise, there a mission trip to Disneyland…

If we looked to the saints more we would understand the catechism and the Scriptures for the saints incarnate the catechism. The saints are lived theology, they are the catechism come alive, the scriptures living and breathing and walking among us. The saints show us that Christianity is not an idea. It is a Life. Christianity is not an ideology. It is a Person and a Family of persons. The saints show us that Christianity is not a theory. It is reality.