CELEBRATING ST. MARK; THE GREAT EVANGELIST. (Homily for April 25, 2016. Monday of the 5th Week of Easter)


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.

No comments:

Post a Comment