The Festival of St. Mark, Evangelist
Posted on April 25, 2025 by under
Scripture: Ephesians 4:7-13 (NKJV)
4:7 But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. 8 Therefore He says:
“When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive, and gave gifts to men.”
9 (Now this, “He ascended”—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? 10 He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)
11 And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, 12 for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, 13 till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.
Devotion
The Lord sends for His servants to proclaim His Word: “…He gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers”. But a common, threefold work is given to all those whom the Lord so calls: (1) For the perfecting of the saints, (2) for the work of the ministry, (3) for the edifying of the body of Christ. The Lord’s servants carry out all of their God-given labors for the edification of the Lord’s saints, in order that Christ’s Church would be sustained, nourished, and strengthened as the Lord so wills.
To each of the Lord’s servants a particular role is given. Today, we remember one whom the Lord called to be an Evangelist. Such scant details as are recorded concerning the life of St. Mark offer little for the biographer’s consideration—which is the point. Mark, like all servants of the Word, was a man under authority, fulfilling the calling which the Lord extended to him.
The days of the apostles, prophets and evangelists are fulfilled, but the Scriptures which the Lord utilized them to give to His Church will form the content of all the preaching and teaching of the called and ordained servants of the Lord until the Christ returns in glory.
Collect: O Almighty God, Who hast instructed Thy holy Church with the heavenly doctrine of Thy Evangelists: Give us grace, that being not like children carried away with every blast of vain doctrine, we may be established in the Truth of Thy holy Gospel; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Feast of the Resurrection of our Lord
Almighty God, Who, through Thine Only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, hast overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlasting life: We humbly beseech Thee, that, as Thou dost put into our minds good desires, so by Thy continual help we may bring the same to good effect; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
