DAILY HOMILIES #mark

One shining virtue we should all have is humility. Without it, we cannot learn from others or grow. We should never do anything to attract praise or exaltation to ourselves; let us allow God himself to exalt us.

The valleys to be lifted represent the good things we ought to do that we have failed to do. The mountains and hills to be made low are our bad habits, sinful inclinations and evil deeds that must be removed to allow the baby Jesus to enter our lives.

It is believed that Mark was among the Seventy that Jesus sent out two by two to go into the surrounding countries in Luke 10: 1-20. And as Luke narrates, the seventy came back rejoicing and declaring how the evil spirits obeyed their bidding. This is the same reality that Mark tries to convey in the concluding part of his Gospel passage which we read today. “And they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by signs that attended it.” (Mark 16:20)

God wants us to win in the game of life; to bear fruits, and to fulfill our calling. A football player who doesn’t play well, who continues to pass the ball to the opponent, who even scores his own side will soon be removed and replaced. A cook who consistently misses the mark in the kitchen will produce food that he cannot even eat.

According to scripture scholars, Mark was the first person to have written a Gospel as early as 64 A.D. while Matthew and Luke copied from him thereby accounting for the deep similarities in the three Gospels. Saint Mark’s journey with Saint Peter and Saint Barnabas is recorded in Acts as they traveled through Cyprus and Rome carrying the Word. Church writings accredit Saint Mark as founding the Church in Alexandria and consequently, serving as bishop there.