Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist
(I Peter 5:5b-14; Mark 16:15-20)
Today’s first reading was probably chosen because the
passage cites a certain “Mark.” It was presumed for centuries that this Mark is
the author of the third gospel. But it could
have been chosen because of its first line: “clothe yourselves with humility.” After all, Mark’s is seen as the humblest of
the four canonical gospels.
The gospel’s size is only about two-thirds that of Luke’s,
the longest gospel. It was also the
first written and contains some inaccuracies and crudeness of composition. Nevertheless, it more than adequately conveys
the good news of Jesus’ ministry, passion, and resurrection from the dead.
Many of us can identify with the humility of Mark’s
gospel. We may often become tongue-tied
or confused in thought. These
impediments will make proclaiming Jesus’ lordship difficult. Nevertheless, God often uses people like us to
preach the gospel by loving actions.
