Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint 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.
Saint Mark the Evangelist
1. Go into the world. Proclaiming the Gospel requires us to leave our comfort zones. It’s not just about being a missionary or evangelizer; it means stepping out of familiar routines, breaking away from the habits and structures we’ve built that might actually be limiting us, even if we don’t realize it. Move beyond your usual group and disrupt the pattern where only your own perspective seems valid. Make an effort today to go out and look beyond your typical boundaries.
2. Believe and be baptized. We’re not social workers or therapists; we are people called to reveal that Jesus is real, and that the greatest joy is becoming God’s child through baptism. I recognize that Christianity faces resistance in today’s world. Society has changed, but sometimes Catholics have closed doors through our own rigidity. Overly fanatical people who obsessively judge others with statements like “you’re condemned” or “this is a sin” have made many feel unworthy or fearful of the Church, treating religion as nothing but rules. Jesus’s message isn’t about moral judgments; it’s about having a relationship with Him that brings genuine joy—what we call holiness.
3. It will not harm them. Trusting that God cares for you is comforting. This passage encourages me to continue sharing the Gospel, embracing my personality, my quirks and uniqueness. Even though some may be waiting for me to stumble, and sometimes even those within the Church might try to discourage me, it’s important to keep going. God never leaves us alone. I often think of Padre Pio: his own superiors, and even a bishop, made things difficult for him, but the truth prevailed and God protected him. Remember, God doesn’t remove your cross; He helps you carry it. I reflect on the image of Jesus with Simon of Cyrene—Jesus accepted help, and so should we. So, allow yourself to be helped as well.
Remember something good is on the way.
God bless you and guard you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
