Thanks Remnant, learned things I didn't know about patron saint.

Happy Patronal Feast Day!

Thank you.

Today's also the Major Rogation Day

On the Byzantine Catholic calendar it's also the Feast of Mid-Pentecost. Today is exactly halfway between Pascha and Pentecost:

Troparion, Tone 8: At the mid-point of the Feast, O Saviour,* water my thirsty soul with streams of true godliness;* for You cried out to all: Let any who thirst, come to Me and drink.* O Source of Life, Christ our God, glory to You!

Troparion, Tone 3: Learning from Peter the chief apostle* you too became an apostle of Christ,* and shone on various lands like the sun.* O blessed one, adornment of Alexandrians,* through you Egypt was freed from deceit.* For you are a pillar of light for the Church* enlightening all with your teaching of the Good News.* Therefore, we feast your memorial, O Mark, divinely inspired.* Ask God whom you preached to all to grant our souls forgiveness of sins.

Source: Royal Doors

It's also tradition that the young man who ran away naked in the Garden of Gethsemane was St Mark.

It was common for ancient writers to sign their work like that.

Who else did that? It's the first I've heard of that being a common practice at the time.

(And I do accept that that was Mark in that scene, unless someone can disprove it or if that's heresy)

Heard it was Mark also, because he was the only one of the 4 Evangelists to mention that scene in the Gospels.
And it's certainly not heretical....doesn't speak to any of the teachings of the Church.

Yes, there are many theories on this--ranging from Lazarus, to Mark, John Mark, St. John the Evengelist and even just an anonymous gardener.

If I remember, there is an interesting story about how the relics of St. Mark ended up in Venice. Thank you for this small post; it is good to just have something more joyful to think about rather than the present goings-on in the Church.

Yes ,it's a very interesting story .In 1249 ,two merchants from Venice ,Rustico da Torcello and Bono da Malamocco stole St. Mark's relics in Alexandria of Egypt . In order to avoid any searching by the islamic authorities , they wrapped up St. Mark's relics in pork and put them in a basket . Since then , St. Mark's relics are in the Basilica di San Marco in Venice . By the way , the island of Torcello - a few miles far from Venice- has its little place in American literature . Ernest Hemingway lived there in late autumn 1948. In Torcello there is only one ,little ( but expensive ) hotel . The hotel's owner kept the hotel open for only one guest : Hemingway . Please excuse my mistakes , I'm not fluent in English . Regards to Mr. Matt : I hope we'll meet in Gardone Riviera in July .

The Alexandria here is in Egypt, not Northern Virginia. I have a Coptic Church down the street from me. I'll keep those people in my prayers for the Church and for their conversion.
On another note, St. Mark was a big advocate of the theology of the cross. I don't know much about it, but I do know that 9 days from now is the feast of the Finding of the True Cross.