Mark 16:15-20

1 Peter 5:5b-14

Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17

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.

Opening Prayer: Lord God, you are all-powerful and know all things. You know how my life will unfold and how I will be judged. I renew my trust in you that you will guide me and bring me to safe harbor. Strength me in times of temptation and trial so that I may share in the victory of your Son.

Encountering the Word of God

1. Who was Mark the Evangelist? John Mark was the son of Mary of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12), a cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), and the author of the second Gospel. He was an early convert and accompanied Barnabas and Paul on their first missionary Journey. For some reason, Mark abandoned them on the mission and returned to Jerusalem (Acts 13:13) (see Catholic Bible Dictionary, p. 573). After the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15:1-29), Paul and Barnabas disagreed about taking Mark with them on their second missionary journey: “Barnabas wanted to take with them also John, who was called Mark, but Paul insisted that they should not take with them someone who had deserted them at Pamphylia and who had not continued with them in their work. So sharp was their disagreement that they separated” (Acts 15:37-39). Paul would take Silas on his mission to Syria and Cilicia and Mark continued with Barnabas on a mission to Cyprus (Acts 15:39-41). Pope Benedict XVI reflected on this episode and the dispute and disagreement among the saints: “And I find this very comforting, because we see that the saints have not ‘fallen from Heaven.’ They are people like us, who also have complicated problems. Holiness does not consist in never having erred or sinned. Holiness increases the capacity for conversion, for repentance, for willingness to start again, and, especially, for reconciliation and forgiveness” (Benedict XVI, Jesus, the Apostles, and the Early Church, p. 141). Mark later reconciled with Paul and was with him while Paul was imprisoned in Rome. Mark was also with Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13), and according to Papias, was the interpreter for Peter and wrote down Peter’s teaching in the Gospel according to Mark. After the death of Peter, Mark went to Alexandria in Egypt and was the first bishop there (see Catholic Bible Dictionary, p. 573).

2. Jesus as the Suffering Messiah and Son of God: The Gospel of Mark focuses on Jesus as the Messiah and demonstrates that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1). The first half culminates in the confession of Peter, who proclaims that Jesus is the Christ (Mark 8:29). The second half culminates in the confession of the Centurion, who proclaims that Jesus is the Son of God. In the first part of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus often conceals his identity as the Messiah. This was important so that the people could understand him not as a political or military Messiah, but as a servant Messiah who suffers and dies to liberate the people from the devil, sin, sickness, and death. The mystery of Jesus’ divine sonship is also hidden from the Gospel’s characters. Jesus reveals his divine sonship through displays of divine power, parables of wisdom, and riddles. “Only at the Crucifixion is the Sonship of Jesus fully recognized as he surrenders his life with love to the Father” (see Ignatius Catholic Study Bible: New Testament, p. 62).

3. Discipleship according to Mark: When we hear the Gospel of Mark, we are challenged to become one of Jesus’ disciples and conform our lives to that of the suffering Messiah and Son of God. “Just as the truth of Jesus is found only in the cross, so is the secret to discipleship. To be a follower of Jesus is to share intimately in his life and destiny” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, p. 24). The trials, successes, and failures of Jesus’ disciples are on full display in the Gospel of Mark. The fact that the disciples abandon Jesus in his hour of need is not the final word. Though the disciples stumble, “Jesus remains true, and through his total fidelity to the Father gains forgiveness and restoration for them. Just as in the Old Testament story of Israel, God’s love is often met with infidelity and betrayal, yet is constantly renewed, so the Gospel ends with the joyous promise of an encounter with the risen Lord” (Healy, The Gospel of Mark, p. 24).

Conversing with Christ: Lord Jesus, I believe that you are the Christ and the Son of God. You have called me to be your disciple and follow you on the way that leads to the Cross. Keep me close to you so that I may learn your ways and truly be your disciple in this world.

Living the Word of God: Like the disciples in the Gospel, we will sometimes fail and abandon Jesus. But we are comforted to know that God knows this and can restore us when we turn from sin and ask for forgiveness. Are there any attachments to sin or to this world that are keeping me from being a true disciple of Jesus, the suffering Messiah?