Gospel: April 25, 2024
April 25, 2024 (Thursday)
Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist
Psalter: Proper / (Red)
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 89: 2-3, 6-7, 16-17
Forever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.
1st Reading: 1 Peter 5: 5b-14
All of you must clothe yourselves with humility, in your dealings with one another, because God opposes the proud but gives his grace to the humble. Bow down, then, before the power of God, so that he will raise you up at the appointed time. Place all your worries on him, since he takes care of you. Be sober and alert, because, your enemy, the devil prowls about, like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. Stand your ground, firm in your faith, knowing, that our brothers and sisters, scattered throughout the world, are confronting similar sufferings. God, the giver of all grace, has called you, to share in Christ’s eternal glory, and after you have suffered a little, he will bring you to perfection: he will confirm, strengthen and establish you forever. Glory be to him forever and ever. Amen.
I have had these few lines of encouragement, written to you by Silvanus, our brother, whom I know to be trustworthy. For I wanted to remind you of the kindness of God, really present in all this. Hold on to it. Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark. Greet one another with a friendly embrace. Peace to you all who are in Christ.
Gospel: John 16: 15-20
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.” 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 forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
Reflection: “Our God saves”
The first of the four canonical Gospel versions to have been written is named after St. Mark. It narrates the life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Prior to the written Gospel, the Good News was proclaimed orally. Thus, the kerygmatic proclamation of the Good News by Jesus’ disciples had been part of the oral tradition. It was then when the first generation of Jesus’ followers were all dying out that the evangelists decided to write down their Gospel versions. The evangelists took up the responsibility, ensuring that the future generations of believers will have the written Gospel. Today’s Gospel is the canonical ending of the Gospel of Mark. It narrates Jesus sending his disciples to proclaim the Good News to all creation. It emphasizes that Jesus did not abandon them. In fact, Jesus accompanied them, working with them through the miracles done in Jesus’ name. Due to the present climate crisis, it has become more difficult to proclaim the Good News to all creation. But as Christians, we should not lose heart. Jesus is with us. It is our Christian responsibility to care for our common home, ensuring a better world for future generations.
