Friday
April 25/May 8 ns 2026
Wine & Olive oil
C O M M O R A T E D T O D A Y
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark was a companion and helper of the Holy Apostle Peter in his journeys.
Peter, in his first Epistle, calls him his son, not after the flesh but after the spirit (I St. Pet. 5:13). When Mark was with Peter in Rome, the faithful begged him to write down for them the saving knowledge of the Lord Jesus, His miracles and His life. So Mark wrote his Gospel, which the Apostle Peter himself saw and testified to as true.
Mark was chosen by the Apostle Peter to be bishop, and sent to Egypt to preach. And so Mark was the first preacher of the Gospel and the first bishop in Egypt. Egypt was oppressed by a thick darkness of paganism, idolatry, divination and malice. But, with the help of God, St Mark succeeded in sowing the seed of the knowledge of God in Libya, Ammonia and Pentapolis. From Pentapolis, he went to Alexandria, whither the Spirit of God led him. In Alexandria, he succeeded in establishing the Church of God, in giving her bishops, priests and deacons and in rooting everything firmly in faithfulness and devotion.
Mark confirmed his preaching with many great miracles. When the pagans brought accusations against Mark as a destroyer of their idolatrous faith, and when the governor of the city began to search for Mark, he fled again to Pentapolis, where he continued his earlier work. After two years, Mark again returned to Alexandria, to the great joy of his faithful, whose number had already increased very greatly. The pagans took the opportunity to seize Mark, and they bound him firmly and began to drag him over the cobblestones, crying: 'We're taking the ox to the stall!' They threw him into prison all injured and bloodstained, where there appeared to him first an angel from heaven, who encouraged and strengthened him, and then the Lord Himself. Jesus said to him: 'Peace to thee, Mark My Evangelist!', to which Mark replied: 'And peace to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ!' On the next day, the wicked people hauled Mark from prison and again dragged him through the streets with the same cry: 'We're taking the ox to the stall!' Utterly spent and enfeebled, Mark said: 'Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit', and thus breathed his last and went to the better world. His holy relics were given burial by Christians, and through the ages they gave healing to people from every pain and ill.
Mark confirmed his preaching with many great miracles. When the pagans brought accusations against Mark as a destroyer of their idolatrous faith, and when the governor of the city began to search for Mark, he fled again to Pentapolis, where he continued his earlier work. After two years, Mark again returned to Alexandria, to the great joy of his faithful, whose number had already increased very greatly. The pagans took the opportunity to seize Mark, and they bound him firmly and began to drag him over the cobblestones, crying: 'We're taking the ox to the stall!' They threw him into prison all injured and bloodstained, where there appeared to him first an angel from heaven, who encouraged and strengthened him, and then the Lord Himself. Jesus said to him: 'Peace to thee, Mark My Evangelist!', to which Mark replied: 'And peace to Thee, my Lord Jesus Christ!' On the next day, the wicked people hauled Mark from prison and again dragged him through the streets with the same cry: 'We're taking the ox to the stall!' Utterly spent and enfeebled, Mark said: 'Into Thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit', and thus breathed his last and went to the better world. His holy relics were given burial by Christians, and through the ages they gave healing to people from every pain and ill.
1 Saint Peter 5:6-14 KJV
6 Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time:
7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
8 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
9 Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.
10 But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
11 To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.
12 By Silvanus, a faithful brother unto you, as I suppose, I have written briefly, exhorting, and testifying that this is the true grace of God wherein ye stand.
13 The church that is at Babylon, elected together with you, saluteth you; and so doth Marcus my son.
14 Greet ye one another with a kiss of charity. Peace be with you all that are in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Saint Mark 6:7-13 KJV
7 And he called unto him the twelve, and began to send them forth by two and two; and gave them power over unclean spirits;
8 And commanded them that they should take nothing for their journey, save a staff only; no scrip, no bread, no money in their purse:
9 But be shod with sandals; and not put on two coats.
10 And he said unto them, In what place soever ye enter into an house, there abide till ye depart from that place.
11 And whosoever shall not receive you, nor hear you, when ye depart thence, shake off the dust under your feet for a testimony against them. Verily I say unto you, It shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrha in the day of judgment, than for that city.
12 And they went out, and preached that men should repent.
13 And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them.
EXPLANATION BY ST THEOPHYLACT OF OHRID
(ca. 1050/60-ca. 1108)
He tells them to shake off the dust as a testimony to those who do not receive them. By this the apostles would show them that they had journeyed a long way on behalf of those ungrateful ones, who nonetheless received no benefit thereby. Or it would show that the apostles had received nothing from them, not even the dust on their feet but even this they shook off so that it would be a testimony and reproof to them. "Verily I say unto you, it shall be more tolerable for Sodom and Gomorrah in the day of judgment then for those who do not receive you". from St. Matthew 10:15 KJV
RELATIONSHIP WITH A SAINT
Saint Paisios the Athonite
To have special reverence towards some Saint, the Saint must have spoken within him in one way or another. Each, after some event which occurred through the help of a Saint, has a special love for that Saint. This event can be serious, or it can be simple. For example, because when I was young and I went to the Chapel of St. Barbara in Konitsa, I had great reverence towards St. Barbara. The Saint helped me in the army, when they took me to the radio operators, though I was illiterate, she helped me. And later she also helped me when I was in the hospital after surgery on my lungs. Then the doctors told me that, as soon as they cleaned the lungs, they would take away the chest tubes and the machines. And though they should have been removed in five days, twenty-five days had passed, and they were still there, and I suffered greatly.
Saturday December 3rd I was waiting for the doctors to free me from this martyrdom, but unfortunately, they did not appear. Sunday morning, which was the feast of St. Barbara, I said: "If the Saint were to help me, she would have helped me. The doctors left. Today, Sunday, they wouldn't come. Now, who would remove these?" I then said a few words of complaint: "I went to light the vigil lamps many times at the Chapel of the Saint, with oil I brought,. She couldn't remove these two tubes?" After a short time though, I said: "It appears that I saddened St. Barbara, and for this, she did not arrange that they be removed."
Immediately I heard a commotion. I said: "What's going on? Did something happen?" They said: "The doctors are coming". I don't know what convinced the director to tell his doctors early in the morning: "Go take out the tubes from the monk!" They entered the room and told me: "We have an order to take out the tubes."
It appears that I guilted St. Barbara, because I said a few complaints! You must grumble a bit! But it is better to not grumble, to have nobility and not grumble.
Do you see how a Saint sometimes immediately gives what we seek, and sometimes gives it later? Sometimes they hearken to him who prays because he is in a good spiritual state, and other times, because he cries and grumbles like a small child.
Through the prayers of our Holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us and save us! Amen!
