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

Gospel: Mark 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.

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Reflection:

Have we done something to share the Good News about Jesus?

One of our foremost missions as followers of Jesus is to share Him with others. Yet sometimes, we may feel uncertain about how to speak about Him. In those moments, we are gently reminded that we can still proclaim Him through the witness of our lives. For evangelization is not limited to words alone—it is made visible in the way we love, forgive, serve, and remain faithful in both joy and suffering.

When the disciples were sent by Jesus on their mission, He may not have explicitly said it, but His expectation was clear: they were to live as He lived. Their effectiveness did not come merely from what they preached, but from how deeply they allowed His life to take root in them. They carried not only His message, but His very presence through the way they lived.

The same calling is given to us today. We are invited not only to speak about Jesus, but to reflect Him in our daily lives. Our actions, our choices, and even our silent sacrifices can become powerful testimonies of His love. For without living the life of Jesus, our words may sound empty, and our witness may fail to touch the hearts of others.

Many people, both within and outside the Church, profess to follow Jesus, yet their lives do not always reflect His humility, simplicity, and compassion. When this happens, our proclamation can become superficial—heard, but not felt; spoken, but not lived. But when our lives are rooted in Him, our witness becomes authentic, and hearts are quietly transformed.

Let us, therefore, examine ourselves with sincerity. As we go through our daily lives, do others see Jesus in us? Do our words bring hope, and do our actions reveal His love? Are we truly living in a way that draws others closer to Him?

Have we truly shared Jesus—not only with our lips, but with our lives? And if someone were to look closely at us, would they encounter Jesus?—Marino J. Dasmarinas