Today it is Saturday of Bright Week and that means that the Easter Week comes to its end and, therefore, the Resurrection is celebrated again. In addition, the Orthodox Church commemorates the Apostle and Evangelist Mark.
The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark, also known as John Mark, was a Hellenised diaspora Jew whose mother Mary was the sister of the Apostle Barnabas. His family owned a big house in Jerusalem for Christian gatherings. Jesus’ last supper with His Disciples took place there.
The Apostle Mark is the founder and first Bishop of the Church of Alexandria. He went to Egypt around the end of 62 AD, where he was arrested, fiercely tortured, and threw in prison by the pagans. The following Sunday in Easter, he was dragged through the streets of Alexandria and became a martyr. The Christians translated his holy relics to a monument, where a church was built in his honour. The holy relics of the Apostle and Evangelist Mark were later transferred to Venice.
Saint Mark wrote one of the four Gospels of the New Testament from which we learned the traditions of the Church and the teachings of Christ. It is noteworthy that there is a deeper theological meaning hidden behind the words, which shows that the Risen God-man, Jesus Christ, was the fulfilment of the promise of God for the salvation of mankind.
Source: Church of Cyprus
