The Festival of St. Mark, Evangelist, 25 April, anno Domini 2,022

Collect of the Day for the Second Sunday of Easter

Grant, we beseech Thee, Almighty God, that we who have celebrated the solemnities of the Lord’s Resurrection, may, by the help of Thy grace, bring forth the fruits thereof in our life and conversation; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

Collect for the Festival of St. Mark, Evangelist

O Almighty God, Who hast instructed Thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of Thy Evangelists: Give us grace, that being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the Truth of Thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.

Readings:   Isaiah 52: 7-10  Psalm 146  2 Timothy 4: 4-18  St. Mark 16: 14-20

Bio:  St. Mark was the author of the second Gospel, which he composed, according to some Early Church Fathers, when the Christians in Rome asked him to write down the preaching of the apostle Peter. Mark, also known as John Mark, was originally from Jerusalem, where the house of his mother Mary was the center of the early Jerusalem Church(Acts12:12). He was brought from Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas to Antioch(Acts12:25), and it was from this city that they set out on the first missionary journey. When Paul and Barnabas were preparing to go on the second missionary journey, Barnabas wanted to take Mark with them again, but Paul objected because Mark had left them during the first journey. Barnabas took Mark and went to Cyprus, while Paul took Silas as his new companion (Acts15:37-40). Later, Paul reconciled with Mark and was working with him again (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy4:11). Finally, Mark was found laboring with Peter in Rome (1 Peter5:13). Tradition says that Mark was instrumental in founding the Church in Alexandria, becoming its first bishop, and also that he suffered a martyr’s death.

Writing for St. Mark, Evangelist:

We shall add, as being a matter of primary importance, a tradition regarding Mark who wrote the Gospel, which [Papias] has given in the following words: “And the presbyter said this. Mark having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately whatever he remembered. It was not, however, in exact order that he related the sayings or deeds of Christ. For he neither heard the Lord nor accompanied Him. But afterward, as I said, he accompanied Peter, who accommodated his instructions to the needs [of his listeners], but with no intention of giving a regular narrative of the Lord’s sayings. That is why Mark made no mistake when he wrote these things as he remembered them. Above all else, he took special care not to omit anything he had heard and not to put anything fictitious into what he wrote.”—Fragments of Papias  (Greek: Παπίας) (writing in the first third of the 2nd century) was a bishop of the early Church, canonized as a saint.)

We pray to the Lord on the 2^nd Sunday of Easter that the fruits of His Resurrection be brought forth in, “…our life and conversation”.  On the Road to Emmaus, the risen Lord walked with two of His disciples and they engaged in a crucial conversation.  In His earthly ministry, Jesus conversed with many people, high and low and in between, gently, and powerfully, leading them into the reign of the King. So much conversation is about trivial pursuits.  Those conversations have their place, as in talking about the weather, our jobs, our hobbies and avocations and the like.  Two types of conversations, many times put together, can quickly turn bad and into anger:  politics and religion.  The reason may be that they touch upon so much of what it means to be human.  In these discussions, the Collect for the 2^nd Sunday of Easter, takes on a great importance:  the fruit of the Lord in our “life and conversation” The Lord gives us guidance for the words that proceed from our mouths:  Proverbs 15: 1 “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.”

Note that “life and conversation” are put together in this prayer.  Life and conversation are related as so much of our lives and life are conveyed in what we talk about.  St. Mark wrote a Gospel of the God-Man Who practiced perfect conversation with those He came to save.  He led them from trivial pursuits to seeking the Kingdom of God.  We pray His Words come and be part of our words in conversation for the building up of our neighbor and showing the neighbor Jesus Christ.  The heavenly doctrine of St. Mark and all of the Scripture is so needed in a generation bent on hell which has proved the saying, “Talk is cheap”.  How do we do learn Godly conversation? 

First: As written here, pray. The opening versicle and response of Matins, morning prayer, every day is:    “O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.” (Psalm 51: 15: note this Psalm is King David’s prayer of confession after committing adultery and murder.) 

Second: pray as we did, for, “…the help of Thy grace”.  “What but Thy grace can foil the tempter’s power?”(LSB #878, “Abide with Me”)

Third:  learn always from Scripture, and in particular the Gospels, the godly way of conversation.  We can get ourselves into trouble when serious discussions are fueled by drink and the results: not only wrath, but also godless humor and insult.  Learn from Jesus Christ to speak.  Learn from His apostles in their conversations recorded in Acts and their Epistles.  Colossians 4: ⁵ Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. ⁶ Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer each person. As ye are the “salt of the earth” (St. Matthew 5: 13). Salt is different from that which it seasons and preserves. The Lutheran Study Bible has this footnote on verse 6:  “We should strive for sincerity, tact, and eloquence so that our conversational is always tasteful, for a good example, see Paul’s Letter to Philemon.” Our conversation will be different, not to win points over others, but also to listen.

As I look at myself, I have much to learn to be conversant for Christ.  Maybe we are still learning to talk!  And so, “As newborn babes:  desire the sincere milk of the Word.” (see 1 Peter 2:1-3!)

Almighty God, You have enriched Your Church with the proclamation of the Gospel through the evangelist Mark.  Grant that we may firmly believe these glad tidings and daily walk according to Your Word;  through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.