Saint Mark
Where was Saint Mark born?
Cyrene, Libya (not in Egypt, west of Egypt)
True or False: Saint Mark was the first Pope in our church.
True
What does white represent in an icon, and when do we see the whole church dressed in white?
- The church changes the curtains for 50 days after the feast of the Resurrection (the holy 50 days)
Martyr: someone who is killed for their love for God
Pagan: people who worship idols
What did Saint Mark establish in Alexandria and what two other things did he do in his lifetime?
- Saint Mark established the School of Alexandria, which helped the number of Christians grow. This school lasted for many years.
- Saint Mark also one of 4 Gospels in the Bible which tells the story Jesus Christs life on earth.
- The second major thing Saint Mark did was writing a liturgy, which is now called the Saint Cyril liturgy.
How did Saint Mark find out that Anianus knew God? And what did he do after? What did Anianus and Saint Mark's relationship look like after this?
- When Anianus was fixing Saint Mark's sandal, he poked his finger and screamed, "Oh God."
- Saint Mark prayed over Anianus' finger, and it was healed by God's grace.
- Anianus invited Saint Mark to his house to preach to all his family, and they were all baptized. Saint Mark ordained Saint Anianus a bishop to take care of Alexandria when he was preaching in other places.
What does red represent in an icon, and when do we see red in icons?
- Martyrdom (martyrs shed blood for Christ), blood, and life (like the Blood of Jesus Christ that we take during communion)
- In the icons of the martyrs, we see red. For example, in Saint Mina's icon, he wears a red cape, which represents how he gave up His life for the love of Christ.
What do we call the event of Jesus’ baptism and what does the word mean?
Epiphany and revelation.
Who is our current Pope?
Pope Tawadros II, the. 118th Pope of our church.
How did Saint Mark travel to Alexandria, what was he wearing and who did he meet along the way?
He traveled by foot (walking) and wearing sandals. When his sandal broke, he went to Anianus, who was fixing his shoes for him.
What was the Holy Family’s (St. Mary, St. Joseph, baby Jesus) third stop? Hint: The first stop was Al Farma in the Sinai desert, the second was Wadi El Natrun also called Shiheet.
Alexandria was the Holy Family’s third stop in Egypt.
What does blue represent in an icon, and why do we see Saint Mary wearing blue in her icon?
- Heaven (like the sky) and Divinity (God)
- Saint Mary wears blue because her womb was like heaven when she carried God
What happened in the Epiphany? Who physically appeared?
- Jesus Christ was revealed as God through the Trinity.
- All members of the trinity appeared, 1) God the Father as the voice coming from heaven. 2) God the Son as Jesus Christ, being baptized. 3) God the Holy Spirit, as the dove coming from heaven.
What happened on the feast of Resurrection in 68 AD?
The pagans attack the Coptic Orthodox Church and took Saint Mark, treating him very badly.
When did Saint Mark come to Alexandria and why (what was Alexandria famous for and what was it missing)?
60 AD. Alexandria was famous for education and learning, yet the schools lacked Knowledge of our Lord, Jesus Christ. This is also called the study of theology (the study of God).
Who is Saint John the Baptist, and what are his parents' names?
- Saint John the Baptist is Jesus' cousin. He is described as a "messenger... who will prepare Your way before You [God]. The voice of one crying in the wilderness" (Mark 1:2-3).
- His parents were Zacharias (a priest) and Elizabeth (Saint Mary's cousin). They both served God.
What does green represent in an icon, and in which icon do we see the color green?
- earthly things, like plants
- In the icon of Palm Sunday, there is green to remind us that Jesus entered Jerusalem, and people laid down palms in front of Him.
What does the sign of the cross remind us of?
- The Holy Trinity
- We say: "In the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit," while putting our three fingers on our forehead, our stomach, and the left shoulder to the right shoulder. This signifies the Father sending the Son, through the Holy Spirit, to take us from death to life.
Who are saint Marks parents, who was saint Mark related to and what two events were hosted at his house?
- saint Marks father was Aristopolus, and his mothers name was Mary.
- saint mark was related to saint Peter, one of Jesus’ disciples
- the Last Supper & Pentecost
For the Last Supper, Jesus told His disciples, ”Go into the city, and a man will meet you carrying a pitcher of water; follow him… then he will show you a large upper room…” (the man carrying the pitcher was Saint Mark)
What do the colors purple and gold represent in icons? Which icons do we see purple and gold in?
- Purple represents royalty and prestige (since purple used to be the most expensive color, it was reserved only for kings and royal people). Gold represents holiness, the glory of God, and the Light of God.
- Purple is used in some icons where Christ is sitting on a throne, which shows Christ our King. Gold is used in the backgrounds of most icons (gold represents holiness, and all saints are recognized for their holiness, which is their relation to God)