Feast of Saint Mark, Evangelist
After his ascent into heaven, Jesus will no longer be seen by his followers, as we read in today’s Gospel. But every baptized person is invited to partake in the mission he gave to his apostles. All are called to be missionaries. What’s the job description of a missionary? To spread the Good News that Christ promulgated while he was on earth.
But one can’t give what he doesn’t have. So, what’s needed to fulfill this vocation of being a missionary? An intimate knowledge of Christ and his message. How does that come about? Scripture reading, daily prayer and frequent reception of the Holy Eucharist, as has been stressed in the meditations of this week.
Conclusion: like the Apostles and St. Mark, whose feast we celebrate today, each one of us is called to be a collaborator of Christ in his work of salvation. We are never alone in carrying out this calling. He is with us, at our side, giving us the ability to respond with faith, humility and gratitude.
Resolve: Each evening before retiring, I’ll spend some time thanking Jesus for calling me to be his collaborator. Next, I shall ask myself how, during the day, I have responded positively or failed to respond to my calling. Then, I shall ask him for the grace to be more aware during the day-to-come of how I can better respond to opportunities presented to be closer to him and those he has sent my way.