1Reflection for April 25, Monday Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist: Mark 16:15-20

Gospel: Mark 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “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.”  

So 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:

A soldier was about to be assigned in a faraway place so he said to his wife: “Take care of the children. Teach them about our faith so that they’ll grow up to become responsible and God loving individuals.”  

The wife followed the command of his husband. She taught their children the teachings of the faith, she introduced Jesus to them and she educated them about discipline good manners and values. After five years he came back. His children were all grown up and he was so happy because they were all wonderfully brought up by his wife.   

Before Jesus ascended to heaven, He gave His disciples this marching order: “Proclaim the gospel to every creature.” (Mark 16:15) All the disciples lived to the hilt this command of Jesus. In fact majority of them were martyred for the sake of advancing the gospel of Jesus.  

The words of Jesus are like stream of water it endlessly flows with the passing of time and it speaks to us now so that we can respond to it. It tells us that we too have a mission and what is that mission? We are also tasked by Jesus to proclaim and live the good news. Have we shared and lived the gospel?  

Majority of us may have not shared and lived it yet we therefore have to live and share it. Not tomorrow, not next week but now, why now and not on a later date? This is for the reason that many are in need of the life transforming words of Jesus. Many are being eaten alive by worldliness, hedonism and sinfulness.  

We therefore should share the good news as the disciples shared it because the Lord is commanding us to do so. Let us share Jesus’ teachings by how we live. We have to remember that we become more fruitful and useful followers of Jesus when we obey Him and when we help Him advance His teachings.  

We allow ourselves to become blessings for others when we share and give Jesus to them. We also allow Jesus to bless us more not with material wealth but with spiritual gifts when we follow His marching order. – Marino J. Dasmarinas