Be Humble, Worry Less, Be on Guard and Preach the Gospel.


Homily for April 25, 2018.


“And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:17-18.

Today is the Feast day of St. Mark. One thing that stands out about this great man was that he was a close assistant of St. Peter. He not only accompanied Peter in his missionary journeys, he was his secretary. St. Mark, being learned was the first person to write down the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This Gospel was basically what he heard St. Peter preach whenever they went on missionary outreaches.

It is not surprising that today’s first reading comes from a selection of the first letter of Peter where he even refers to Mark as a son. In the same letter, we find some of the best advice for the Christian life which Peter must have taught Mark:

One; Humility especially towards fellow human beings. Never assume you are better than anyone else. You are only different.

Secondly; Worry Less. St. Peter says: “Cast your anxieties on God for he cares about you.” The more you pray with faith, the less tensed you become. Trust that God knows your name, he is your biggest lover and he is All-powerful.

Thirdly; St. Peter says: Be on Guard; be sober (opposite of drunkenness) and watchful. Stand up against the devil. Resist him, firm in your faith. Do not fall asleep in your spiritual life. Do not give room for bad thoughts to grow in your heart, do not skip your daily prayers, do not let sin grow in you in the name of catching fun or enjoying life.

With these three keys; humility, less worry and watchfulness in spiritual matters, the devil cannot mess with you. Indeed, the sky is your limit. Mark was attentive in his spiritual life so much so that he was able to remember the preaching of Peter which he then committed into writing. Again, even as he wrote, we know he was inspired by the Holy Spirit who is the real author of the Bible.

Today, we read the concluding part of Mark’s Gospel which though similar to the conclusion of the other Gospels particularly emphasizes the fact that God worked with the Apostles confirming the message they preached with signs and wonders. Of course, Mark was referring to the miracles worked by Peter which include the healing of the man lame from birth at the beautiful gate, the raising of Dorcas (Tabitha) from the dead and so many others.

The life of Mark teaches us the virtue of humility in service. Mark served Peter as a son would serve his father. This is unlike many of us today who soon grow tired of answering “yes sir, yes sir.” We want to be on our own, we want to build our own churches by fire or by force.

Another lesson we learn from Mark is that he was quick to commit the Gospel he heard to writing. It was from him that the other Gospel writers copied. I urge you to start keeping a journal today. Even if it is only one line you write every day, just do it. If you cannot write, at least learn how to type and start keeping an electronic diary. It may save the life of generations to come after you.

Above all, let us be humble, cast our worries to God, be vigilant in prayers and continue to spread the Gospel message. It is not for us to seek out signs for display, God himself would work signs and wonders that we would even be shocked to see.

Let us pray: Lord Jesus, use me like St. Mark, use my talents, use my time, my energy, use me completely and in any way possible to spread your kingdom. Amen.

Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God bless you. (Feast of St. Mark. Bible Study: 1st Peter 5:5-14 and Mark 16:15-20).

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