Treasures and Tales

St. Mark’s body was saved in a wonderful way after he gave his life for Christ. Tradition says on April 30, 68 AD, in Alexandria, pagans hurt him greatly and tried to destroy his body, per the Coptic Synaxarion (30 Baramoudah). But God sent a storm with strong winds and rain, scattering the crowd, per The Coptic Encyclopedia. Mark’s friends, led by Anianus, his successor, bravely took his body and buried it safely under the Baucalis church altar, wrapped in special cloths, per Coptic tradition.

Copts love this story, read during 30 Baramoudah liturgies, seeing God’s protection over Mark, their lion, shown in icons. Some say Ethiopian stories, told on Miyazia 30, echo this, honoring Mark’s strength through Christ, per The Churches of Ethiopia. The storm was God’s shield, proving Mark’s importance. Kids at Cairo’s St. Mark’s Cathedral, taught in Sunday school, imagine the thunder, picturing Mark smiling from heaven. Like a hero’s escape, this shows Mark’s story, through Christ’s power, lives on.