Bishop of Rome

Today is the feast day of Saint Mark. I must say I know very little about him. This is the write up about him that I read this morning:
"St. Mark the Evangelist (1st c.) was born to Jewish parents living in Libya in North Africa, later settling in Cana of Galilee not far from Jerusalem. Mark became one of the 70 disciples of Jesus and the author of the Gospel that bears his name. According to tradition, St. Peter the Apostle was married to a relative of St. Mark's father, and after Mark's father died, Peter looked after him like his own son. Being a close disciple of St. Peter, the first Bishop of Rome, Mark's Gospel is addressed to Gentile converts to the Christian faith living in Rome. Most of what we know about his life and missionary activity is recorded in the New Testament. He traveled to Egypt and founded the Church there, and was martyred c. 68 A.D. by being dragged through the streets of Alexandria until his body was torn to pieces. St. Mark is the patron of lawyers and prisoners. His feast day is April 25."

Today's scripture reading is taken from  1 Peter 5:5-14 and Mark 16:15-20. Along with the selected verses in the Responsorial Psalm (Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17) the theme is very clear: we have been given the Great Commission:
“Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:15-18)

We have been given the divine promise of God's presence (Matthew 28:18-20) and His power over our earthly and spiritual enemies.

The relationship between Saint Peter and Saint Mark is interesting. He admonished the young church in 1 Peter 5:5,

"you who are younger must accept the authority of the elders. And all of you must clothe yourselves with humility in your dealings with one another, for
“God opposes the proud,
    but gives grace to the humble.”


Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time."

It's easy to question authority, especially when there are scandals among the hierarchy in the church. The Pope, who is the "Bishop of Rome" has been given divine authority by Jesus through the first Pope Saint Peter:
"Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
 (Matthew 16:17-19)

Sure we have anxiety. We are anxious that our beloved church will conform to the relativistic culture. But Jesus has promised, "Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you." (1 Peter 5:7)

There will be fierce opposition. But we are called to be disciplined and remain steadfast in our faith:
"Discipline yourselves, keep alert. Like a roaring lion your adversary the devil prowls around, looking for someone to devour. Resist him, steadfast in your faith, for you know that your brothers and sisters in all the world are undergoing the same kinds of suffering. And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, support, strengthen, and establish you. To him be the power forever and ever. Amen." (1 Peter 5:8-10)


And finally, an interesting bible trivia. In 1 Peter 5:13, Saint Peter wrote,
"Your sister church in Babylon, chosen together with you, sends you greetings; and so does my son Mark."
Who is "The chosen one at Babylon"?
I found this Catholic teaching which helps me the most:
"Peter's presence in Rome is indicated in his first letter. The name "Babylon" is used here as a cryptic name for the city of Rome, a characteristic of writings done during times of persecution. During Peter's time (witnessed by his own martyrdom) and most New Testament times (witness the Book of Revelation--classic persecution literature), Rome took on the characteristics of the most outstanding example of a world power hostile to God--ancient Babylon. "

I think the Vatican, the chosen one at Babylon, is in no less persecution than in throughout history, but particularly in more recent time. It's not the kind of persecution when God's people were fed to the lions, but the infiltration of God's enemies into our church has attempted to destroy the church from within. We must heed Saint Peter's words afresh. To be disciplined and remain steadfast in our faith.

Additional reading:
Was Peter the First Pope?
http://www.angelfire.com/ok3/apologia/firstpope2.html

Pope Fiction: Answers to Five Myths and Misconceptions About the Papacy
https://www.catholiceducation.org/en/religion-and-philosophy/apologetics/pope-fiction-answers-to-five-myths-and-misconceptions-about-the-papacy.html