25 April, 2023 Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
Gospel : Mk 16:15-20
Jesus appeared to the Eleven and said to them:
"Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.
Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved;
whoever does not believe will be condemned.
These signs will accompany those who believe:
in my name they will drive out demons,
they will speak new languages.
They will pick up serpents with their hands,
and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them.
They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover."
Then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them,
was taken up into heaven
and took his seat at the right hand of God.
But they went forth and preached everywhere,
while the Lord worked with them
and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.
Reflection:
On the Feast of St Mark, we remember him as the first one to script narratives of Jesus' Life. John Mark is named in the Acts of the Apostles as an assistant accompanying Paul and Barnabas on their missionary journeys.
The Gospel Passage speaks about the time before the Ascension. Before ascending to heaven, Jesus sent forth his disciples to preach to all nations in His name and baptise them. The miraculous signs further show that Christ’s power was working through them. In giving his instruction, he promised the gift of the Holy Spirit, who would provide them with the strength and guidance to fulfill this mission.
Jesus has called all the baptised to continue this apostolic mission in whichever state of life we are. We are to share Christ's message using all our gifts, talents, and wealth, and most importantly, we are to walk in his footsteps. This will draw others to Christ, and one day when we ascend to the heavenly kingdom of our Lord, He will welcome us with the words: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”
Comments
Post a Comment