St. Mark
Mk 16: 15-20
And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
What is Your Gift to Share?
I have a confession to make: When I read today’s Gospel, the signs that are meant to mark believers don’t immediately resonate with me. I don’t lay hands on the sick in the hopes of their recovery, and I’ve never driven out any demons. Fortunately, it’s easy for me to recall that I am but one member of this Body of Christ. When I consider the Ignatian family, I see creative teachers “speaking in tongues” by communicating in ways that make sense to their students. I see courageous and loving people “picking up serpents” by going to unsafe places to bring food and education, as well as comfort and hope, to those who need it. I see pastoral ministers whose compassionate listening and wise counsel drive out the demons of despair and disbelief.
We are marked by the gifts we have and how we share them. What gift will you share with those around you?
—Therese Fink Meyerhoff is the provincial assistant for communications for the Jesuits USA Central and Southern Province.
Prayer
God our Creator, thank you for the gifts you’ve blessed me with. Help me to recognize them and share them with the confidence that, as your creation, I am enough. Grant me the grace to value my family in faith and the part I can play in proclaiming the Gospel. Amen
—Therese Fink Meyerhoff