MARK OF ARETHUSA

“The people, although they hold back their indignation for a while, however, like a fire hidden in a combustible substance, or like a stream held back by force, if only the opportunity presents itself, it usually ignites and tears apart barriers,” - with such eloquent words Gregory the Theologian begins his narrative about the suffering for the faith of St Mark of Arethusa (+364) in the his 1st sermon against Emperor Julian. Thanks to Gregory, as well as the testimony of Theodoret of Cyrus, and some historical documents, information about the saint has reached us.

The memory of Saint Mark is celebrated by the Church on April 11 (March 29). This day almost always falls during Lent. Mark was the bishop of the Syrian city of Al-Rastan, which in ancient times was called Arethusa. According to Gregory the Theologian, he once saved the life of the future Emperor Julian (361–363), “when his entire family was in danger of perishing.” In his characteristic ancient style of reasoning, when it seems that Homer is addressing the reader rather than one of the most orthodox Fathers of the Church, Gregory the Theologian wonders whether it was because “he preserved such evil for the entire universe” that befell him all future disasters.

These words do not threaten the “reputation of holiness” of the ancient bishop but show well how the Ancient Fathers reasoned about the paths of holiness in history. They saw paradox even in the lives of martyrdom. Holiness is not the gift of stone and the dead, but of the fragile and living (cf. Luke 20:38).

In his Lives of the Saints, Demetrius of Rostov (1651–1709), extensively quotes Gregory the Theologian about Mark, but completely mistakenly attributes them to Gregory of Nyssa. Such an amazing omission of this church writer, who knew both the Scriptures and the Fathers by heart. It was as if Saint Mark himself was thereby again and again emphasizing how unusual his path was.

During the reign of the Christian emperor Constantius (337–361), Mark sided with the Arian heretics. This is evidenced by conciliar documents of that time. Only over time did he move to the side of the Orthodox. Then, as a bishop, he destroyed the local pagan temple. When Julian came to power and declared himself an apostate from Christianity, this act of Mark was still remembered by numerous pagans.

Julian did not destroy Christians with brute force on his own. He returned the pagans to power and hoped that Christians would be dealt with using the “wrath of the people.” It is this vindictiveness of the pagan party in Syria that the above words of Gregory the Theologian speak of. Realizing that he was in danger of immediate reprisal, Mark fled the city. But he soon learned that revenge was being taken on the remaining Christians for his absence, and he returned voluntarily. “Greater love has no one than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Mark stopped others from laying down their souls for him. Such a paradoxical example of his fulfillment of Christ’s words.

Formally, the pagans demanded compensation from him for the destroyed temple. There were even wealthy Christians in the city who were willing to pay this contribution for the bishop. However, his moral sense told him that if he paid any amount, it would look like a sacrifice to idols. Having received a refusal, the pagan crowd began to torture and torment Mark in every possible way. They broke their knees and cut off their ears. It got to the point that he was “poured with honey and decoction so that wasps and bees would sting him in the middle of the day.” This moment became the apotheosis of martyrdom for St. Mark. By the power of grace, he made the confession of the Holy Cross: “I see myself on high.” In essence it was a hymn distorted by pain, “Glory to God in the highest” (cf. Luke 2:13-14). God especially hears those who suffer (cf. Matt. 18:10).

Mark was already at a very old age and the torment inflicted on him was very great. Suddenly, at some point, the powers that be themselves were horrified by what was happening and stopped the bullying of the crowd. Mark survived, and he devoted the remaining time to converting the pagans to faith.

He lived only a year or two. The time he had left was the realization that it was not enough to simply destroy pagan temples and erect Christian churches in their place. After all, demons build houses from human hearts (cf. Matt. 12:45).

Holiness is never a long-distance race. The Son of God, who became man for the sake of us people and our salvation, was holy everywhere and always. The holiness of the saints, by the gift of grace, is revealed in rare moments when a person is visited or taken “into the abode of His Father by the Lord” (cf. John 14:1). In the month of the month, Saint Mark of Arethusa is called a martyr, but is venerated among the confessors. His is a rare example, even for hagiographies, of the amazing interweaving of divine paths and human destinies in the creation of individual human biographies. The original Greek text of the Creed literally calls God “the poet of heaven and earth.” The experience of faith in Christ tells us that God is the poet of the human soul, capable of giving place to grace.