THURSDAY APRIL 25, 2024
THURSDAY OF THE FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER B
FEAST OF SAINT MARK
1 Peter 5:5-14
Mark 16:15-20
BEING A TESTIMONY AND WITNESSING FOR CHRIST
Mark the evangelist, whose feast we celebrate today wrote the gospel of Mark. And he intended it as a way of proclaiming the works of God in creation. The mandate to preach and proclaim was what Mark intended to carry out in writing this gospel.
At the base of Christianity is equally the mandate extended to all believers in Christ to the effect that we are commissioned to be preachers and proclaimers of the word of God. As such, the resurrection of Christ and the saving mysteries of Christ is made public, known and brought to those for whose interest and profit this is suffering, death and resurrection of Christ is accomplished.
The mandate therefore to preach is not limited to a selected few, but rather to all believers. As soon as one believes in Christ, that mandate to preach and proclaim is automatically accepted by each believer.
And what are we to proclaim by the way? It is the goodness of God in Christ Jesus, the saving mysteries of Christ’s death, suffering, resurrection and ascension into heaven and the need to begin to modify our lives to conform to his ideals, his teachings and his way of life. In doing this, we become envoys and ambassadors of his love and mercy in the world.
We preach by becoming models and by carrying our exemplary actions, living lives that influence people positively and draw them closer to their God.
Saint Mark did this preaching in grand style by leaving us a testimony of the truth of Christ in a very raw and natural ways. His gospel was a great testimony that can not be disputed. He exerted his energy, his time and his resources in committing to writing these testimony. Even though he never also relented in being a disciple of one of the Key apostles of Christ as found in the first reading today. He, so worked closely with the apostles, and he was able to leave a great imprint of his testimony for posterity to see and learn.
We must begin to ask ourselves what and how we are testifying to the goodness of God? What are we leaving for posterity to judge us? Have we left legacies in history in order to perpetuate our testimony and life with Christ? We could in our modern times think of bearing everlasting testimony to the truth of the gospel by building schools, writing of books for humanity, leaving legacies of love, helping the destitute, orphans, widows like Mother Teresa and touching lives in the most humble way.
We can do this if we have dedicated ourselves to it and humbly accepted to tread that path of being soldiers of Christ, proclaimers of his kingdom and advocates of his life style and creed of the Christian faith.
Heavenly Father, you called us to be witnesses of the gospel message of salvation. May we give ourselves wholehearted to the task of proclaiming and preaching the gospel, standing up for the truth of the gospel and touching lives positively in imitation of Christ our Saviour. May we win souls and better lives of people through our testimony for Christ and his kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Fr Norbert Uchuno
