Feast of St.Mark
Readings:
1 Peter 5:5-14
Mark 16:15-20
Reflection:
Today we celebrate the feast of St Mark the Evangelist. We don’t have certainty about the person who was inspired to write the shortest and oldest gospel but whoever it was they did a great service to Christianity.
Interestingly, the gospel for today, although coming from the gospel of Mark, is thought to have been written much later than the original gospel which finishes abruptly at Mark 16: 8 with the empty tomb and no post-resurrection appearances by Jesus. Today’s gospel comes from “The Longer Ending of Mark”, possibly added centuries later, maybe from a sense that the original needed rounding out or more consistency with the other gospels.
However, what is different here from the other gospels is that the commissioning of the disciples is not to proclaim the good news to all peoples or all nations, but to all creation.
How do we share with creation that it is known and loved by God?
Do we listen to the voice of creation as Pope Francis urges us to do?
Knowing that the impacts on creation to change in climate are felt most by those who are the poorest and most disadvantaged, the crucified in our world today, how are we taking positive actions to help those who are suffering?
Alison Gore is a parishioner at St Paul of the Cross, Glen Osmond. She works in education and formation.