Overview:

The Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist

A Reflection for the Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist

I write you this briefly through Silvanus,
whom I consider a faithful brother,
exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.
Remain firm in it.
The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.
Greet one another with a loving kiss.
Peace to all of you who are in Christ. (1 Peter 5: 12-14)

Find today’s readings here.

This passage serves as the conclusion to the first letter of St. Peter. I am hard pressed to find an excerpt that moves me more.

The letter is worth reading in its entirety. I recently reviewed it again (it’s only five chapters) and several passages were worth underlining. Here’s a favorite: “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good.” 

But it is the simple details in the conclusion that linger. As an editor, I might have cut these lines from a first draft. As a reader, I find them essential. 

First, there is Silvanus: Who is he and why is he making an appearance? Those questions don’t matter, though, as much as the fact that he was a friend of Peter, and that makes the great Peter all the more real to us.

And the humanity of Peter makes what follows all the more urgent: “…this is the true grace of God. Remain firm in it.” He is encouraging his flock one more time before signing off. I sit up and listen.

“The chosen one at Babylon”—most likely a Christian church in Rome—“sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.” The great scribe makes an appearance! Nice to meet you, Mark. But it is the “my son” that sticks with me. How gently these Christians cared for one another.

The final words echo through the centuries: “Greet one another with a loving kiss. Peace to all of you who are in Christ.” 

(A reproof of my feeble post-Covid “wave of peace.”)

St. Peter and St. Mark, whose feast we celebrate today, expressed their faith in words. It was through words that they connected with and encouraged one another. And it is these words we still share and pore over today. 

Here is a reason for my hope: Peter and Mark, reaching out across millennia, speaking to us in ways both mundane and profound.

Tim Reidy joined America’s staff in October 2006 and served as online editor for several years before moving into his current role as the deputy editor in chief. Tim oversees America’s newsroom, directing its daily news coverage as well as working with the editorial leadership team to plan each print issue. Tim also edits the magazine’s Ideas section, where he contributes book reviews and essays. Before joining America, he worked at the Hartford Courant, a newspaper in Connecticut, and Commonweal magazine. In addition to writing for America, he has contributed to The New York Times, the Columbia Journalism Review and the Princeton Alumni Weekly. He has been interviewed about the Catholic Church on WNYC in New York, ABC, Bloomberg TV and other media outlets. Tim also serves on the board of directors of Jesuit Refugee Service USA. He lives in Bronxville, N.Y., with his wife and two children.