Today, April 25, as our church celebrates the Feast of Mark, Evangelist, our Church invites us to first read and reflect on a passage from the letter of the apostle Paul to the Ephesians (4:1-16), entitled "The various graces for the different ministries in the one body of Christ". Our treasure, which follows, is from the treatise Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus, bishop.
Saint Mark, a cousin of Barnabas, accompanied Saint Paul, on his first missionary, journey, and later, went with him to Rome. He was a disciple of Saint Peter, whose teaching was the basis for Mark's Gospel, the earliest and shortest of the four Gospels. Writing with urgency and simplicity, he presents Jesus as the suffering Son of God whose actions reveal His authority and mission. Mark's Gospel emphasizes discipleship—showing both the struggles and the call to follow Christ faithfully, especially through suffering. Closely associated with Saint Peter, Mark is believed to reflect Peter's firsthand preaching, giving his account a vivid and direct character. His legacy is a powerful, action-centered witness to who Jesus is and what it means to follow Him. Mark is said to be the founder of the church of Alexandria.
"Preaching Truth," taken from Against Heresies by Saint Irenaeus teaches that the truth of the Gospel is faithfully preserved and proclaimed through the apostolic tradition of the Church. Irenaeus emphasizes that the apostles first received the message directly from Christ, then handed it on in preaching and in written form, ensuring that the same truth is accessible to all. This authentic teaching is safeguarded in the Church through the succession of bishops, standing in continuity with the apostles. The reading highlights that the Gospel preached by evangelists like Mark is not a private or invented message, but the reliable, unified, and life-giving truth entrusted to the Church for all generations.
The main teaching of Ephesians 4:1–16 is a call to live out the unity and maturity that come from life in Christ. Paul the Apostle urges believers to live with humility, patience, and love, preserving the unity of the Spirit as one body with one faith and one Lord. At the same time, Christ gives different gifts and roles within the Church—such as apostles, pastors, and teachers—to build up the community. The goal is that all grow together into spiritual maturity, no longer divided or easily misled, but firmly rooted in truth and united in love, becoming more and more like Christ.
