St. Mark is traditionally considered as the author of the Gospel according to Mark. His symbol is the winged lion, one of the four living creatures, along with Matthew (man), Luke (calf), and John (eagle) of Revelation 4. Mark is said to have founded the Church of Alexandria.

Reflection: The evangelist Mark gave his life to give witness to Christ. He wrote the gospel not only with his pen but also with his blood. His martyrdom became an interpretation of the gospel of Christ that he wrote. By living and dying for Christ he conquered the world (1 Jn 5:5). He wrote the gospel to teach the people that the crucified Jesus is the Son of God, has defeated the death and has ascended into heaven. The purpose of Mark’s gospel was to encourage the believers to face the persecutions without giving up faith. Peter encourages the believers to humble themselves in the presence of God. God exalts the humble but rejects the proud (1 Pet 5:5-6). As Jesus travelled towards his glory through his passion and death, the sufferings of the believers will lead them to the glory of God.