Saint Mark, Evangelist
Martyr, Feast
Liturgical Cycle: A, B, C | Lectionary Cycle: I, II
Introduction
A disciple of Peter, Mark writes in simple words how, with Jesus, came the time of salvation and repentance. He shows Jesus as both the Son of God and the Son of Man, whose life led to his death but who revealed himself fully in the resurrection. The disciple must follow his master.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
there is much in us that obscures your word
and keeps us from being truly your Church.
We pray you today:
Call us, as once you called Mark,
to speak and live your word.
Inspire us through your Spirit
and teach us to live in the hope
that your kingdom will come
and remain among us
through Jesus Christ, our Lord,
now and forever.
First Reading
Similarly, let the younger among you respect the elders’ authority. All of you should wear humility in your interactions with one another because God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.
Bow your knees before God’s power so he may exalt you at the right time.
Trust him with all your worries because he cares for you.
Be sober and alert, because your enemy, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.
Stand firm in your faith and hold your ground, knowing that your brothers and sisters, scattered across the world, are facing similar struggles.
God, the giver of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you forever after you suffer a little.
To him be dominion forever. Amen.
Final Greetings
I have written these few lines of encouragement to you from Silvanus, our brother, whom I trust. I want to remind you of God’s kindness truly present in all this. Hold on to it.
Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark.
Greet each other warmly. Peace be with all of you in Christ.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (2) Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The favors of the LORD I will sing forever;
through all generations my mouth shall proclaim your faithfulness.
For you have said, “My kindness is established forever”;
in heaven you have confirmed your faithfulness.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
The heavens proclaim your wonders, O LORD,
and your faithfulness, in the assembly of the holy ones.
For who in the skies can rank with the LORD?
Who is like the LORD among the sons of God?
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Blessed the people who know the joyful shout;
in the light of your countenance, O LORD, they walk.
At your name they rejoice all the day,
and through your justice they are exalted.
R. Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
We proclaim Christ crucified;
he is the power of God and the wisdom of God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Mission of the Disciples
Then he told them:
“Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.
The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.
Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my name they will cast out demons and speak new languages;
they will pick up snakes, and if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.”
Ascension of Jesus
So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God.
The Eleven went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message through the signs that accompanied it.]]
Prayers of the Faithful
– For all who speak the word of God, that they themselves may be filled with it and out of this fullness proclaim it with conviction and warmth, we pray:
– For all who hear the word of God, that they may receive and treasure it in their hearts and bear fruits of goodness and peace, we pray:
– For those who do not yet know Jesus Christ, God’s living Word and image, that the lives of many convinced Christians may open their eyes to Jesus, the true light who came among people, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Lord our God,
you invite us to gather around your Son,
that he may share himself with us
in the signs of bread and wine.
May he also share his Spirit with us,
to speak his word
and to become to all those around us
signs of your goodness and peace,
that people may praise your name
through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord our God,
accept our thanks for making known to us
how good and inspiring your Son is.
May we bring something
of his goodness and his good news
in the world of today
and may the way we live
be part of this message.
We ask you this through Christ our Lord.
Blessing
May we too be people of the word of God, who know it and put it into practice, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTION:
Mark 16:15-20
Proclaiming the Gospel means living like Christ
Today is the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist. Mark wrote the Gospel to tell the story of Jesus to the catechumens in Rome. The Gospel is also known as Saint Peter’s Gospel because St. Mark wrote it while he was in Rome with Peter, listening to his preaching.
In today's Gospel, Mark speaks of the Lord's command to spread the message of the Gospel to everyone. "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature." This highlights the missionary nature of faith. Pope Francis emphasizes that if we are not actively sharing our faith, we may not truly have faith at all. True faith compels us to go out and share it through our actions and way of life.
Pope Francis explains that Jesus's mission command to "Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature" is often misunderstood as asking people to change their religion and get baptised as if recruiting for a football team or a charity. Preaching the Gospel does not mean proselytising. Instead, it challenges us to live like Christ. If I say I am a Christian but live like a pagan, that doesn't convince anyone.
The Pope shared a story about a university student in Poland who approached him. The student asked, "I have many atheist classmates. What can I say to convince them?" The Pope responded, "Nothing! Your first consideration shall be not to speak anything. Begin living your life, and they will witness your example and ask, 'Why do you live like this?'" Faith should be demonstrated through our actions, not just words. Let's ask St. Mark to pray for us, so that we may mirror the life of Christ.