Bible Study: 1st Peter 5,
5 to 14 and Mark 16, 15 to 20.
Today, we celebrate one of the great heroes of our Christian
Faith, a man about whom nothing much would have been known if he had associated
with the right persons at the right time. Mark was a personal assistant to the
first Pope, St. Peter and as a very good secretary, the Gospel he wrote was the
content of everything he heard St. Peter preach as they went from place to
place in the mission of evangelization.
As we read in our first reading this morning, St. Peter refers
to St. Mark as a Son. Being called a son is the best qualification any
assistant can get from his master. It shows that Peter was very satisfied with
Mark’s excellent service. Like any biological son, Mark proved himself a worthy
assistant, humble and resourceful in applying his own talents and gifts towards
the overall goal of the mission.
In life, we cannot all be bosses, we must learn to bring
ourselves down and serve in whatever capacity God so desires of us. Sometimes,
your greatest achievement may just be having to work in the background. No one
might acknowledge you but someday, somehow, the world itself would know how
indispensable you are. This is a lesson we get from the life of Mark.
It is not surprising that in that same first reading where Peter
referred to Mark as a son, he began by saying: “Clothe yourselves, all of you,
with humility toward one another, for “God opposes the proud, but gives grace
to the humble.” Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that
in due time he may exalt you.” 1st Peter 5, 5 to 6.
It is believed that Mark must have been among the Seventy that
Jesus sent out two by two to go into the surrounding countries where he himself
was to visit and at the end of their mission, they came back rejoicing
declaring how the evil spirits obeyed their bidding. This is the same reality
that Mark tries to convey in his Gospel passage which we read today. “And they
went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and
confirmed the message by the signs that attended it.” Mark 16, 20. In other
words, apart from being a writer, Mark was also a preacher himself.
According to scripture scholars, Mark was the first person to
have written a Gospel as early as 64 A.D. and others such as Matthew and Luke
copied from him. This accounts for the deep similarities in the three Gospels.
While Mark’s Gospel tends to appeal to the common people given that he wrote it
in simple Greek, Matthew addresses a traditional Jewish audience and Luke
appeals more to the Gentile community. Saint Mark’s journey with Saint Peter
and Saint Barnabas is recorded in Acts as they travelled through Cyprus and
Rome carrying the Word. Church writings accredit Saint Mark as founding the
Church in Alexandria and consequently, serving as bishop there.
Let us pray: Lord Jesus, teach me to be humble and never hold
back my talents for use in the spread of the Gospel. Amen
St. Mark, pray for us.
God bless you. Good morning. Be
Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. Happy new week.
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