1 Peter 5 :5b-14,
Psalm 89:2-3.6-7.16-17,
Mark 16:15-20) Full Readings
Proclaim the Good News
Brethren, today the mother church celebrates the feast of one of the great and early Evangelists, St Mark, who wrote the Gospel of Mark around 60-70 AD. It is believed that it is the first Gospel to be written though it is not the first in the canonical Gospels. His Gospel gives a short but full description and account of Jesus the Son of God, son of David, his life, ministry, passion, his death and burial in a unique way that he even becomes a source to the Gospel of Luke and Matthew. What a great Evangelist.
Who is Mark?
Mark according to the first Reading and to the church tradition, was an associate, in fact a secretary of Peter. Peter calls him his son not a biological one but a spiritual son. He is an important figure in the history of the church in Africa, as he is the one who started the church in Alexandria Egypt, which was among the first evangelised part of the world around 60 AD. The church became strong with many church fathers until its fall under the Arab invasion in around 600 AD, hence the rise of Muslim religion which we see in Egypt today. Mark's symbol is a winged lion symbolising the nature of his Gospel, meaning the emphasis on the risen Christ the King.
St Mark really carried out Jesus' mission which we see in the Gospel today, “Go to the whole world and proclaim the Good News.” Jesus also explains which actions and signs that will accompany the Word: Casting out demons, gift of tongues, picking up snakes with hands and no being harmed, laying hands on the sick and healing them and many others, all in the name of Jesus. Indeed St Mark heeded to this call, by devoting himself to put down in writing the Good News that all generations will have it. He became an Evangelist after Jesus' heart.
Brethren, today is our invitation too, to become Evangelists. Mark and even Luke were not among the Apostles but renown evangelists. Not only Apostles were to become proclaimers of the word but everyone. St Augustine writes: "The Holy Spirit willed to choose for the writing of the Gospel two [Mark and Luke] who were not even from those who made up the Twelve [Apostles], so that it might not be thought that the grace of evangelization had come only to the apostles and that in them the fountain of grace had dried up" (Sermon 239.1). So all of us are called to hear witness to that Good News.
How are we to proclaim that Good News? We are to accompany our proclamation by the signs Jesus mentions in today's Gospel. Brethren, when Jesus was telling his Apostles these signs, he literally meant them, as we see through church history up today there are many miracles being done in Jesus Name by priests religious and even lay faithful.
However these are gifts from God, and we can't force him to give , he gives to whoever he wills. And so we have to be careful, where one gets such gifts, even Jesus warns us, that they will come in his name but some will be deceivers. Brethren do not be taken by these, ask the spirit of discernment so that you will distinguish between good spirit and bad spirit. The first Reading warns us that the devil is always prowling around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Let us be careful and watchful with prayer. All of us have one or two or all other gifts, we have to pray to God to fill us with the gift of faith to continue performing these miracles.
Finally, we are to proclaim the Good News with great humility as we see Peter portraying in the first Reading. This is because God hates the proud and always favours the humble. So whatever we do let's not boast as if they are done in our name but let us give glory to God who does such things through us and there we shall be exalted.
Let us Reflect today on how ready we are always to proclaim the Good News in a most Humble way. How are we using our spiritual gifts to proclaim the Good News or are they for boasting about ourselves. Have you discovered your spiritual gifts, pray that they may be nourished by the Holy Spirit or that you may discover them if you haven't and use them in a humble way. And Iet us ask the intercession of St Mark that we may be good evangelists, in the name of Jesus Christ. May we be blessed forever. Amen.
St Mark, pray for us and wishing you a blessed Easter season
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