March 29th - Saint Mark of Arethusa
In a startling departure from the script expected of a saint who has died
in
martyrdom, St. Mark miraculously managed to survive an ordeal of torture
to
transform his tormentors into compassionate human beings and go on to
great
glory in the name of Jesus Christ. Just when he was about to die a
remarkable
reversal of the customary ending of a saintly life served to make the
invincible
St. Mark unique among those who have suffered and died for the Messiah.
After the proclamation of Constantine the Great granting Christianity
toleration, the transition from paganism to Christianity was not
accomplished
immediately. Mark of Arethusa lived in a period of turmoil in the early
fourth
century, during which time he was of inestimable value as a young priest
who
shouldered the responsibility of bringing order out of religious chaos and
conflict.
With the mandate from the emperor several priests came forward to replace
pagans
and temples with Christians and churches, but nowhere in the empire could
they
find a more capable promoter for the Prince of Peace than the ebullient
Mark. He
was a young priest with great promise when he emerged from his small
parish
near
the city of Arethusa (in the province of Thessalonike) to undertake the
spiritually rewarding, but ever hazardous, chore of physically
transforming
pagan temples into Christian churches. He left the tranquility of his
parish
on
the banks of the river Strymon, later called Rendina, to assume much more
awesome and demanding duties in the name of the Savior. These duties
eventually
brought him glory and grief, but eventually brought him the highest in
spiritual
attainment. He was well into this laudable campaign when he was appointed
bishop
of Arethusa, an office whose influence he would bring to many other areas
in
the
course of his holy work.
Specially appointed to direct the changeover, Mark countered the expected
resistance in some areas with compelling oratory which won enough converts
to
acquire a strength in numbers sufficient to offset the last-ditch
defenders
of
paganism. Then came the actual transformation whereby temples became
churches
with the replacement of the sacred cross of Jesus Christ for idols. When
the
architecture of a temple did not allow for conformity with a church, it
was
simply taken down piece by piece and rebuilt to Christian standards. Those
edifices that posed too many problems were made into hospitals or places
of
refuge for the needy.
Mark showed not only a bold administrative capacity while these
proceedings
were
taking place, but a genuine concern for the populace as a whole. Thus he
acquired a reputation for generosity, compassion and humility which
stamped
him
as a rare human being and dedicated servant of God and man. Even those who
opposed him grudgingly admitted that for all of his quiet demeanor he was
not a
man to be trifled with, nor one who would slacken the pace of his mission.
Years of devotion to this procedure brought Mark and his Christian
community
a
hitherto unknown tranquility. But this peace was shattered when the
Emperor
Julian the Apostate succeeded to the throne in AD 361 and disavowed Jesus
to
revert to paganism. Almost overnight the advances of Christianity were
stemmed.
With this shabby disavowal came a persecution of Christians.
Mark found himself the target of the rabble he had put to rout. These
people
had
been given heart by a perfidious ruler who was not the least interested in
having his people live in harmony. Instead, he encouraged the pagans to
vent
their spleen on Christians once again. Mark was dragged into the streets
by
a
frenzied mob who tortured him without mercy, again and again inflicting
the
cruelest of punishment they could devise. Their rage subsided in the face
of
the
durability of the holy Mark who summoned renewed strength and convinced
the
mob
that the Lord had given him a seeming indestructibility. He went on about
conversion until he died on 28 March 389.
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Whoever will come after Me, let him deny himself. (Matthew 16:24)
"The greatest gift one can receive from God in this world is wisdom, power
and
will to conquer himself, by denying self-will" -St. Francis of Assisi
The Abbot Pastor had the highest opinion of this exercise, and used
to
say
that our own will is an iron wall that disunites and separates us from
Cod.
St. Colette, of the Order of St. Francis, often said that she thought
it a
greater mortification to deny one's own judgment and will than to abandon
all
the riches in the world, and therefore she practiced it to the utmost of
her
ability.
St. Bernard also entertained the same sentiments, and said that all
evils
spring from a single root, which is self-will.
(Taken from the book "A Year with the Saints". March - Mortification)
Bible Quote:
25 Jesus said to her: I am the resurrection and the life: he that
believeth
in
me, although he be dead, shall live:26 And every one that liveth, and
believeth
in me, shall not die for ever. Believest thou this? (John 11:25-26)
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PRAYER FOR OUR PRIESTS
O LORD, who Hath ordained that Thy word should be
preached and sacraments administered by the ministry of
Thy priests, grant them, we beseech Thee, the continual
assistance of Thy Holy Spirit. When duty calls them to the
exercise of sublime offices, give them grace to live in the
midst of the world without being of the world; to have hearts
of fire for charity and hearts of bronze for chastity. Give them
strength and courage to lead vast armies of Christians
through the din of the battle of life to the everlasting peace
and happiness of heaven. Amen.
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