But there is more to Mar Mari than the simple
reputation he has earned as being Mar Addai’s disciple and associate worker in
the Edessan Church. When we delve into the history of Mar Mari as we read from the
Acts of Mar Mari the Apostle, we start to truly unveil the magnitude of this holy man’s
character and personality as portrayed
through his mighty faith and humble works in the name of the Lord Jesus.
Our Lord Jesus had instructed the Apostle Thomas to ensure one was sent to heal King Abgar of Edessa of his illness as He had promised him by letter when the King had faithfully requested healing from the Lord. After Christ's ascension, Saint Thomas commissioned Mar Addai,
one of the seventy-two of Christ’s disciples to go to Edessa to heal King Abgar in the name of the Lord Jesus. After King Abgar’s
miraculous healing at the hand of Mar Addai, and the subsequent healings and
miracles he performed in the name of the Lord, the whole city of Edessa and its
suburbs were converted to Christianity.
After he had built the church in Edessa,
equipped it with whatever it deserved, and appointed priests and deacons in the
city and in its suburbs, Addai the Apostle left this world in peace on Thursday,
the fourteenth of the month of Iyyar (May), ending his lovely contests with the
trophy of victory. 1
Before the blessed Addai died, he selected one of his
disciples named Mari who was
living in the love of God and was adorned with virtuous manners. He placed his
right hand on Mari as conferred to him by our Lord Jesus Christ (Syameeda/Ordination), and sent him to the
eastern region, to the land of Babylonia, ordering him to go and preach there
the word of our Lord. The blessed Mar Mari left Edessa to begin preaching until
he reached the city of Nisibis. After the blessed one converted the city of Nisibis,
planted
in it the truth of the true faith,
overthrew its idols, and shattered its statues, he built in it churches and
monasteries and set teachers and a school.
From there, he moved to the land of Arzen, with Anasimos the priest who came with him from Edessa,
along with Philippus, Malkiso, and Adda — his disciples — as well as with many other people. He
dispatched one of the latter—Philippus by name—to Qardu. 2
Mar Mari was held in honour by the King of the city of
Arzen in particular, because of his gentleness, humbleness, and joyful
countenance—for Mar Mari was very meek and very kind toward everyone,
and in him jealousy and anger had no place whatsoever.
Mar
Mari and his companions travelled throughout the cities of Mesopotamia
performing miracles in the name of the Lord Jesus and gaining the faith of all
the pagan inhabitants he had preached to by performing miracles of healing to
many of the cities kings and nobles while also exposing the worthless pagan gods they
worshipped through the power and light of the One true God.
One
of the many great miracles that Mar Mari performed was immediately after he had
healed the king of Erbil from leprosy by anointing him with oil and water which
he had blessed in the sign of the living Cross. The military commander of the king
witnessed the miracle and begged Mar Mari to heal his son who had been
tormented by a spirit in such a way that he had to restrain him with two
chains. The name of that child who was very handsome, was Daway.
The Apostle Mar Mari said to him: “Go and bring your child
here, so that you may realize the love of my Lord Christ for him.” When the
child came in, he screamed loudly and foamed at the mouth, and the demon threw him down as if he were dead.
Then the Apostle Mar Mari drew near to him, and said to
that devil: “I order you, accursed demon, in the name of Jesus Christ who
overthrew your power and who is now destroying You, get out of this creature of
God, without harming him in any way!”
The accursed demon shouted, saying:
“Where do you order me to go?” The blessed one said to him: “Go with all your company
to Lower Tartarus (Hades)!” Then that accursed demon came out, turned as it were into
a dark whirlwind, and was never found again. Then the child stood up, praised
God, and fell at the feet of the blessed Mar Mari the Apostle and kept kissing them.
On the same day, the king and all the members of his
family, the military commander and his son Qardway and all their relatives, the
eunuchs
of the king, and all his nobles were
baptized. Realizing the signs and the miracles that were performed, one high
priest of the king and the members of his family believed in our Lord. They
threw down the idols, which they used to worship, and smashed them, throwing
their dust into the Greater Zab. Mar Mari won the entire region of Athor and
Nineveh to the true and glorious faith. 3
The miracles that Mar Mari had performed in the region of the (two) Zab (rivers) are many. The mouth is indeed not able to relate them, nor
can books contain the signs, miracles, and wonders that our Lord performed
through his hands. Let us not be surprised, my beloved ones, and say that he
was the last among the apostles, for Paul was chosen after all the other
apostles.
Though in terms of selection he was
the last of (all) the apostles, the region, which became his lot, testifies
about his greatness, for he is numbered with Simon Kepha. For Paul converted
the first among all other cities, Rome. He too converted the most important among
the lands within the (four) regions of the whole world, bringing them to the
faith in Christ.
The natives of Seleucia proved to
be the most challenging and obstinate of Pagans for Mar Mari to convert. But
after a whole year of perseverance and patience, he converted the king and
natives of the city of Seleucia and through performing further miracles also converted
the city of Ctesiphon across the river. He had the pagan temples demolished and
Churches built in their place. The famous temple of the pagan goddess Ishtar
that sat on the banks of the Tigris River was demolished and the famous
Patriarchal Church of Kokhe was built in that area.
The blessed one circulated through the territories of the
East for many years, consecrating churches and harmonizing them. He also
appointed a person who would be a leader of the Church of Kokhe and who would
stand at the head of the bishops of the East, for in terms of spiritual instruction,
she is the oldest. After many years during which he was engaged in instruction
and absorbed by virtuous deeds with the fear of God, he left the cities of
Seleucia and Ctesiphon in which he lived during that time and arrived at the
church that was built in Dura-d-Qunni for him. He called upon his disciple Papa before the entire church and appointed him leader in his
stead. While people, young and old, were assembled around the blessed Mar Mari
he spoke and said to them:
“As you saw with your own eyes, as I instructed you, and
as I conducted myself with you, you too must conduct yourselves among each
other accordingly. And as my colleagues the apostles conducted themselves
according to the rites and rules that were set for the disciples in Jerusalem, you
too must conduct yourselves according to them. Do not turn away from them,
neither to the right nor to the left. Take care to practice unity among
yourselves, and may you watch over it with fear and awe. May you keep up the
time of prayer continuously. Do not be friends of the crucifiers, lest you be
answerable along with them for the blood for our Lord Jesus Christ.”
Papa and his colleagues answered and said to him: “Christ
who sent you to us is witness: you have taught us the true faith in which we live,
and as we heard from you thus we will do!” After these events the blessed Mar
Mari
left this world, departing to the
eternal life. His holy body was deposited and buried in the church, which he
himself built and completed in Dur-Qunni, before the sanctuary, and inside
which his commemoration is perpetuated to the end, following the order of Papa,
the heir of his see who also continued the faithful work of the honourable and
distinguished Mar Mari established priests and leaders in the whole land of the
East. 4
Let us faithful of the Assyrian Church of the
East in the 21st Century also take heed of the blessed Mar Mari’s
words and be encouraged by his unmoving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. The
faithful works of this saint should be esteemed, remembered and praised for
converting so many pagans to the Christian faith through the strength and aide
of the Lord. Let us look to Mar Mari’s
disease-healing, demon-exorcizing, fire-extinguishing faith and aim to
live with the same zealous and passionate trust in the Lord to conquer our
everyday obstacles as we continuously grow in our faith for the glory of God.
This
week’s song: Hymn before the gospel – Assyrian Church of the East
1.
Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar
Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of
Mar Mari the Apostle , pp 11. Society of Biblical Literature,
2005.
2.
Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar
Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of
Mar Mari the Apostle , pp 14-15. Society of Biblical Literature,
2005.
3.
Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar
Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of
Mar Mari the Apostle , pp 22. Society of Biblical Literature,
2005.
4.
Harrak, Amir. "The Acts of Mar
Mari the Apostle/ translated from Syriac ." In The Acts of
Mar Mari the Apostle , pp 77. Society of Biblical Literature,
2005.
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