Bible Diary

Daily Reading

Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist

LECTIONARY
555

FIRST READING

1 PT 5:5B-14

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.

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.
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.

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.

PSALM

PS 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17

Response: For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

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.

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?

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.

GOSPEL

MK 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.

Daily Reflection

Today, the Church remembers St. Mark the Evangelist. Much of what we know about him comes from the New Testament and early Christian tradition. He was the son of Mary of Jerusalem, whose home became a meeting place for the apostles and he was a very good friend of Peter who referred to Mark has 'his son’. Mark joined St. Paul and St. Barnabas on their first missionary journey to Antioch in 44 A.D. He lived for many years in Alexandria, where he eventually died a martyr.

The Gospel is, fittingly, the ‘Great Commission’: Jesus’ final command to the apostles to go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news to all of creation. St. Mark did this faithfully and his Gospel is living testimony of that. The same Commission is given to all who profess Christ, at Baptism and at every Eucharist. We are called to make the Kingdom of God a reality for everyone, particularly those on the peripheries, the despairing and the abandoned.

Are we, like Mark, faithful to our commission?