April 5, 2025. My dear child, The truth is that I had 13 apostles, not 12. John Mark was a little apostle who followed Me and knew Me since he was 11 years old.

 Dear Teacher,

I have often been taught that you had 12 apostles, is that true, and who was John Mark, the writer of the Gospel?

According to early Christian tradition, one of the four Gospel authors was John Mark, a companion of Paul, of Barnabas, and a close associate of Peter.

Early Church Fathers, such as Papias, identified John Mark as the author of the Gospel of Mark, and linked him with Peter, claiming that he wrote the Gospel according to Peter's teachings and experiences.

John Mark is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles as a companion of Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journeys.

The Gospel of John Mark was written in Rome, probably around the time Peter was ministering there, and focuses on the actions and teachings of Jesus.

John Mark is also mentioned in other letters of the New Testament, such as 2 Timothy 4:11 and Philemon 24.

So, Teacher, who is John Mark? Did John Mark write the Gospel based on what Peter told him?

My dear child,

The truth is that I had 13 apostles, not 12. John Mark was a little apostle who followed Me and knew Me since he was 11 years old.

That was the day I was baptized by John the Baptist, at the ford of the Jordan River.

John Mark witnessed this baptism, followed Me and the first 12 apostles from that day.

John Mark's parents were Elijah and Mary Mark. They were knowledgeable and open-minded people, so they let John Mark follow Me even though he was very young.

On Holy Wednesday, only one day before I was arrested, I wanted to go up the mountain to pray alone. That day, John Mark was 13 years old, and had been with Me for 3 years. But when I had just left the Gethsemane camp to go, I saw John carrying a basket of food. John  said:

“Master,

I know that you will be hungry after spending the whole day on the mountain praying, so I prepared this basket of food for you. Please let me go with you to bring food for you. I promise not to ask any questions so that you have time to pray.”

“It’s okay, if you really want to follow me, just ask me any questions you have, I will answer them.”

“I’m sorry I’m still too young, not as old as the other apostles, to go preach with you like they did.”

“It’s okay, you will grow up, you will have many years to go preach the Gospel.”

It was also at John Mark’s house that  I and the apostles had the Last Supper held in the upper room of this house.

John Mark ran after Me and the apostles into the garden of Gethsemane that Thursday evening. When I was arrested, John Mark was chased by Roman soldiers and lost his cloak.

John Mark, who had no wife or children, devoted his entire life to preaching the Gospel.

He accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey.

John was martyred in Alexandria, Egypt, for his faith.

He was condemned to death, dragged through the streets of Alexandria with a rope around his neck.

A storm arose, preventing his executioners from burning his body, allowing his followers to retrieve his remains and bury him.

John Mark was truly a great apostle who followed Me from a very young age. His life spoke of absolute sacrifice for the Gospel, living and dying for the spread of the Love of God the Father and of his Master.

The Gospel according to John Mark is not just a record of what Peter said, but what John Mark remembered and commented on during the three years he followed Me, from the day he met Me by the Jordan River’s ford, until my arrest on the night of Thursday to Good Friday.

Dear Jesus,

Let me know You and let me know myself. Know You to listen to Your Word and practice it in my daily life. Know myself to change my path into Your righteous one, to have Heaven in my heart, and  You will  be always with me.

 Please bless the body and soul of all people who read this meditation in my BLOG.

 Amen.