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(25th April) 

Homily for the Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist

READ: (1 Pet 5:5-14; Mk 16: 15-20)

REFLECT: Be God’s proclaimers in word and deed…

Dear friends, today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mark, the Evangelist. Mark is the author of the Second Gospel in the Bible and his name is also known as John Mark. The Gospel of Mark is the first and shortest of the four Gospels to have been written. Mark’s Gospel provides us with a clear account of Jesus’ life and teachings. Mark does not speak anything about the birth stories of Jesus like Mathew and Luke who mention about it. The Gospel begins with the Ministry of John the Baptist and ends with the resurrection of Jesus the tomb being empty.

St. Mark’s Gospel is represented by the winged lion. It is because of the references of Prophet Isaiah in the beginning of his gospel that begins: “Here begins the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” and the quote of Prophet Isaiah, “I send my messenger before you to prepare your way: a herald’s voice in the desert, crying, “Make ready the way of the Lord, clear Him a straight path.”  The voice in the desert crying” reminds one of a lion’s roar, and the prophetical spirit descending to earth reminds one of a “winged message.” The lion also signifies royalty, an appropriate symbol for the Son of God.

From other New Testament book like Acts of the Apostles and the letter of St. Paul we hear, he is also known to have accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their journeys. Mark is first mentioned as the son of a woman named Mary whose house was being used as a place for believers to gather and pray (Acts 12:12). Mark is the companion of Barnabas and Paul during their travels together (Acts 12:25; 13:5) and Mark is the cousin of Barnabas as well (Col 4:10). Perhaps Mark was not present in the entire missionary journey. He leaves Paul and Barnabas in Pamphyliya (Acts 15:38) and we don’t know for what reasons as bible does not record the reasons for it. However in the first missionary journey of Paul along with Barnabas, Mark was assisting them. We have only one conversion event is recorded in Cyprus (Acts 13:4-12) and that too with lots of opposition and difficulty. Probably Mark might have left them because of opposition and difficulty faced there, discouraged at the stubbornness and hardness of people.

In the second missionary journey of Paul, Paul does not take Mark when Barnabas proposes that Mark be taken (Acts 15:37), because Mark did not remain with them during their missions in Pamphylia. As a result of which both separate themselves for missions, Barnabas takes John Mark to Cyprus and Paul takes Silas to Syria and Cilicia (Acts 15: 39-41). We see in the later stages of Mark’s association with Paul, where Paul calls Mark as fellow worker (Phil 1:24) and on other occasion Paul sends a request to Timothy from a Roman Prison to get Mark and bring with him, because Mark is helpful to me in the ministry (2 Tim 4:11). So we see the reconciliation that had taken place between Paul and Mark. Probably Paul realized that Jesus works through him too and by the time Mark too might have been matured in knowledge and experience to proclaim the Gospel of Christ to all. Mark’s name is mentioned as well the first letter of Peter as “Mark my son,” (1 Pet 5:13).

According to church tradition, Mark worked not only with Barnabas and the apostle Paul (Acts 13:5, 13:13, 15:37-41), but also later, with Peter in Rome. The early church father Papias says that Mark became Peter’s interpreter and that his Gospel reflects Peter’s version of the Gospel. In 1 Peter 5:13 suggests that Peter and Mark worked together in Rome. If Peter’s authority stands behind Mark’s Gospel, this would help to explain the Gospel’s acceptance by the church and also why Matthew and Luke would be willing to use it as a source for their Gospels. The church in Rome was suffering severe persecution under Emperor Nero about this time (64 B.C.E.). This context of persecution fits well with Mark’s narrative theme and purpose as Mark presents Jesus as the suffering Messiah.

It is also believed that St. Mark, after the martyrdom of St. Peter and St. Paul returned to Alexandria in 65 A.D, worked miracles and converted many to the catholic faith. He was believed to have been imprisoned before being murdered as a martyr. His neck was tied with a rope and dragged in the streets of Alexandria in the year 68 A.D. They could not cremate his body because of the thunder, lightning and rain and was buried in a church he founded in Alexandria, The Church of Alexandria. He is considered as the patron saint of Venice, lawyers, notaries, painters, interpreters and lions. So based on the life of St. Mark the Evangelist and the liturgy of the day, I would like to share with you three points of reflections;

1.     Proclamation by the gift of writing:

All of us cannot be exclusively or exceptionally good at all things. If we have such gifts, let us boast in the name of the Lord and use it for the greater glory of God. One of the most important testimonies or evidences about our faith we have is the bible (the word of God). It is an inspired writing dictated by God, written by human person under the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. Yes, quite a lot of things we know and have been made accessible to learn lots of events in the bible. It is because someone has recorded and put it in writing; we have them for our reference to know and to build faith in Christ. Perhaps, all of us do not have the gift of writing, but most of us do have. One such person is St. Mark, the Evangelist, who wrote the Gospel and made it available for us the works of God manifested in Jesus Christ. The literary skill and style of writing of St. Mark we find in the way he had made the presentation of his Gospel. It is short and  straight to the point.

We see in the Gospel of Mark a systematic and continued flow up of structure that provides key understanding of Jesus’ identity and purpose and the author’s purpose itself. The first half of Mark’s Gospel concerns the identity of Jesus as the mighty Messiah and Son of God (Mark 1:1-8:30). The second half concerns the mission of Jesus (Mark 8:31-16:8). Mark Presents Jesus as the Messiah who suffers and dies as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. However Jesus’ crucifixion does not deny the fact that Jesus is Messiah, but confirms it. The faithfulness of Jesus to the mission entrusted by God becomes the model for all discipleship. Therefore, following Jesus would mean denying oneself, taking up one’s cross, and follow Jesus (Mark 8:34).

Today, it is an opportune time for all of us to make known Jesus in our little talents that we have. Perhaps talents are god-given gifts and they are to be gifted to God in return by way of our words and deeds. So whether it is by speech or writing, let our aim be to proclaim and make known Christ to one another. When we use our talents for God’s work, God intensifies our talents and gives us extra energies to excel better in life. Just as St. Mark presented Jesus as he experienced or had been told to narrate as others experienced, we too shall make efforts to present Jesus to others as we experience. I am sure such God-experience will transform and enhance our lives to be true proclaimers of God’s word and deed in life. For such a profound experience of God we need humility. That’s what we hear in the first reading from the letter of first Peter, “clothe yourselves with humility toward one another for God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” So let us humble ourselves with the talents that we have and use it for the greater glory of God.

2.     Proclamation by service:

Pope Francis very beautifully says, “There are different ways of carrying out the plan that God has for each of us, which is always a plan of love. The greatest joy for every believer is to respond to this call, to offer all of himself at the service of God and his brothers and sisters.” Yes, one such aspect of serving God and others is what we find in the life of the Evangelist St. Mark. Mark is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles and the Pauline epistles as the travelling companion with St. Paul and Barnabas assisting them in the ministry of proclaiming God’s word. Perhaps nothing is mentioned in the bible about St. Mark that he had quarrels with St. Paul and Barnabas for posts, power and position but we see him assisting them in the ministry of God’s work. He worked alongside these two faithful followers of Christ to spread the Gospel across the nations.

Today to be at the service of God, we need to be servants to one another as Jesus came to serve and not to be served (Mk 10:45). We never hear anything in the gospel or letters of the New Testament that Mark refused to join St. Paul and Barnabas. In the first missionary journey of Paul along with Barnabas, Mark also goes, contributes his share in the proclamation of God’s work and on another occasion when Barnabas takes Mark for the ministry, Mark does not refuse rather joins Barnabas. It shows that he was interested, willing and dedicated himself to serve God in whatever ways he could. Today, Mark the evangelist becomes an inspiration to all of us to serve God willingly and joyfully yet faithfully in whatever ways we can. We may feel sad or discouraged working for God without titles or power but no one can take away from us the power that God invested in us, his instruments. God uses his power to empower us and to empower others, provided we show our willingness and readiness to serve God and his people.

3.     Proclamation by life:

The Gospel reading of the day spells out the last part of Mark’s Gospel concerning the mission of Jesus to be continued. That’s what we hear, “Go into the entire world and proclaim the gospel to whole creation.” Yes, the evangelist St. Mark did not merely write what Jesus told but he even became part of Jesus’ mission command, preaching good news and reaching out to people in different places. The Journey with Paul and Barnabas by Mark is a proof for it. Of course we can’t deny the fact that it was Jesus’ grace and the accompaniment of the Holy Spirit that Mark could engage in the mission of Christ. But we see in the life of St. Mark that He did not only write or preach but took it seriously in preaching the good news of Jesus and reaching out to people the word of God near and far. We need courage to give up our ways and rely on God’s providence for it.

The mission command in the Gospel of Mark is a command that Jesus gives us all today. Jesus promises us that as we go preaching and performing miracles in his name he will accompany us just as he accompanied his disciples with the power of his presence and his words. Mark in his Gospel emphasizes what Jesus said, “These signs will accompany those who believe” and later summarizes that after Jesus was taken up to heaven, “They went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.” Yes, when we do what Jesus has commanded us to do, we will experience the accompaniment of Jesus and the accomplishment of God’s mission in our lives. 

Pope Francis while speaking on the passage of St. Mark 16: 15-20 tells us that “we Christians need to go out where Jesus is not known, or where Jesus is persecuted, or where Jesus is disfigured, to proclaim the true Gospel. He further says, “To go out in order to proclaim.” The preacher risks his life in this going out. He is not safe; there are no life insurance policies for preachers. If a preacher seeks a life insurance policy, he is not a true preacher of the Gospel: He doesn’t go out; he stays in place, safe. So, first of all: Go, go out.” Yet, this ‘going out’ does not necessarily mean leaving one’s home as cloistered contemplatives, or the sick show us. For preaching the Gospel first means going out of oneself to be united with the Lord.”

Surely, Evangelist St. Mark went out of himself and united with the Lord in service by way of proclamation in life. The martyrdom he attained in Alexandria for proclaiming God’s word to people is a wonderful witness of life.  This is what we are called to do in sharing the mission of God, leaving behind our vested interests and desires, uniting ourselves with God, sharing the good news of God to one another around the world. Indeed, the path is not so smooth and easy as we think, but if we work for God and his glory, God works wonders in us and in others as well. So let us proclaim the word of God by life in little opportunities that we get or by an act of little kindness we show to one another.

RESPOND:

Do we use our talents and gifts given by God to proclaim Christ?

Do we proclaim Christ as servants to one another in loving service?

Do we proclaim Christ only in words or in deeds also?

Let us make use of the God-given gifts and talent to proclaim Christ, be at the service of God in word and deed. Amen.

Happy Feast of St. Mark! God bless us all! Live Jesus

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968