April 25, 2013

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Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist, read more

Lectionary: 555

Reading 11 PT 5:5B-14

This reading was probably chosen because St. Mark was mentioned at the end.  St. Mark was known for being St. Peter's secretary.  In fact, his Gospel is considered to be the preaching of St. Peter set down in writing.  

Beloved: 

Clothe yourselves with humility

in your dealings with one another, for:

God opposes the proud
but bestows favor on the humble.

So humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God,

that he may exalt you in due time.

Cast all your worries upon him because he cares for you.

God grants mercy to the righteous.  And the righteous are generally humble.  The righteous do the works of God without asking anything in return.  And God exalts them and has set a place ready for them in heaven.

Be sober and vigilant.

Your opponent the Devil is prowling around like a roaring lion

looking for someone to devour.

Resist him, steadfast in faith,

knowing that your brothers and sisters throughout the world

undergo the same sufferings.

St. Peter seems to be talking about persecution.  But it is not just so.  But also, within the deviousness of our mind, we have to fight sin in our flesh.  Because even when we set out to do good, we wind up doing sin instead.  St. Paul says this:

Romans 7: 24 O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death?  25 I thank God through Jesus Christ our Lord. So then with the mind I myself serve the law of God; but with the flesh the law of sin.

The God of all grace

who called you to his eternal glory through Christ Jesus

will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you

after you have suffered a little.

To him be dominion forever. Amen.

This is not just a reference to persecution, but also to the suffering which we will undergo in Purgatory.  Where God, by His merciful grace, will cleanse us of any remaining sin.

I write you this briefly through Silvanus,

whom I consider a faithful brother,

exhorting you and testifying that this is the true grace of God.

Remain firm in it.

The chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting, as does Mark, my son.

Greet one another with a loving kiss.

Peace to all of you who are in Christ.

The term "The Chosen one at Babylon sends you greeting" some say is a reference to St. Peter, himself.  But personally, I think it might be a reference to St. Paul, whom Jesus chose on the way to Damascus.  And who was preaching in Rome (i.e. Babylon) hand in hand with St. Peter during that time.

Responsorial PsalmPS 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17

R. (2) For ever 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. For ever 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. For ever 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. For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
or:
R. Alleluia.

We must always remember the goodness of God and praise His Holy name.  Especially, those of us who have acknowledged that we received His blessings.  We must be grateful.  And we must be joyful.

GospelMK 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.

Jesus Christ appeared to the Apostles and empowered them to Teach His commands to the whole world.  Note carefully the instruction on Baptism.  Who ever is to be Baptized MUST BELIEVE in the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I fear that too many people go to Baptism thinking its only a ceremony.  I hope that isn't true.  Those who come to the fountain of grace must believe that God washes their soul with grace.

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.”

Many people wonder what happened to this promise.  It is ongoing.  The Catholic Church has canonized the people which this verse describes.  They are the Saints on the rolls of the Catholic Church.  Look them up.  The Canonized Saints have brought the dead back to life, spoken languages they never heard, appeared in places they never physically visited, and the Devil himself runs away in fear when they approach.

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.

And they preached everywhere and because of them, we preach and continue to will continue to preach until  God calls us home.