A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark
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.
Today’s Gospel passage is taken from the last chapter of Saint Mark’s account of the Gospel. Honored today by the Church, Saint Mark tells us that Jesus speaks to the Eleven, telling 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.” After commissioning the Eleven to go out and preach the Gospel to all creation, Jesus then ascends into heaven and takes his seat at the right hand of God. From these Eleven Apostles, the Church has grown to what it is today. As Mark tells us, the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word of God through their actions. By extension, Jesus’ words are universal, and he speaks to me as he did to the disciples. What small part do I play in this great drama whose glorious story still unfolds?
God, before ascending into heaven, Jesus said to the Eleven Apostles: “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 words of Jesus in today’s Gospel are not to be taken lightly. Help me see the still-unfolding relevance in today’s world of your Son’s commissioning of the Eleven. What small part do you have in mind for me in proclaiming the Gospel? In the final words of Saint Mark’s Gospel, he says of the Eleven, “But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” Work with me today, Lord, so that I understand your word and do your will. In few words, the Gospel acclamation makes the task clear to me: “We proclaim Christ crucified: he is the power of God and the wisdom of God.”
Lord, stay with me as I strive to bring you into today’s inevitable conflicts and uncertainties in the people and situations I encounter. Give me courage to proclaim the Gospel and the grace of ever-greater faith in your kindness and mercy.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.