On life (125) -”The Destroyer of Heathendom” – 7/5/2016

   Tomorrow, Egypt and several countries celebrate the martyrdom of St. Mark, the Evangelist of Egypt. He was also called the “destroyer of heathendom”, for, due to his evangelism, he converted many people from heathendom to faith. We learn the following lessons from St. Mark’s life:

1. Weakness is changed to strength:

   When Christ was arrested, St. Mark was a youth who fled in fear. Yet, he changed to a great evangelist who never feared death. Rather, he roamed heathen countries, destroying paganism therein. In fact, St. Mark was that young man who was wearing “nothing but a linen garment… When they seized him, he fled naked, leaving his garment behind.” Like everybody, Mark got scared. Yet, he overcame fear after the Resurrection, and went to evangelize with Christ amidst pagans, fearless of weariness, danger, jail, and even death. He was martyred in 68 A.D. by heathens. It is true that we go through weakness and despair. Yet, resorting to God and strongly believing in eternal life and good people help us overcome this tribulations. Do not give up to weakness or despair, lest you waste your life.

2. Correcting the path of life:

   St. Mark accompanied St. Peter in his evangelism in Jerusalem and Judea, after which he accompanied Sts. Paul and Barnabas in their first evangelistic trip. Yet, he decided to leave them and return to Jerusalem. Nobody knows why he did so. Yet, he embarked on another journey with Barnabas, heading to many countries in endless service. He went to Cyprus, then Africa where he evangelized in the Western Pentapolis. Then, he came to Egypt where he established the See of Alexandria and became the first patriarch of the Coptic Church. What a long, hectic journey, full of toil to fulfill his mission! He might have hesitated at first. Yet, he was able to evaluate his life and correct his path.

3. Facing ideas with ideas

   When St. Mark arrived in Alexandria, the cultural capital of the Roman Empire then, he found it full of creeds and ideologies. So, he decided to face ideas with ideas, which is why he founded a theological school through which he refuted pagan ideas and philosophies and paved the way for sound ideas to last forever. Many happy returns!

General Bishop

Head of the Coptic Orthodox Cultural Center