HOMILY FOR THE THURSDAY 4TH WEEK OF EASTER YEAR B
HOMILY THEME: EMULATING THE FAITHFULNESS AND PASSION OF ST. MARK
BY: Bishop Gerald M. Musa
1 Peter 5:8-14; Mark 16:15-20
The Church celebrates Mark the evangelist on April 25th. St. Mark, also known as John Mark in the Acts of the Apostles (Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; 15:37), was the son of Mary of Jerusalem and a cousin of Barnabas. He accompanied Paul and Barnabas in their missionary journeys (Acts 12:25) and assisted Peter as a co-worker, interpreter, and travel companion.
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Paul requested John Mark, saying, “For he is very useful in serving me” (1 Timothy 4:11). Peter calls him “My Son” (1 Peter 5:13). Tradition has it that Mark started the Church in Alexandria, northern Egypt, where he became the first bishop. Therefore, he is noted as the first missionary who brought Christianity to Africa. Evidently, he wrote the Gospel that is named after him, the Gospel of Mark, the first and the shortest gospel, written under the guidance of Peter and from which St. Luke and St. Matthew drew inspiration.
We celebrate Mark for his role in building the early church, particularly through preaching and documenting the good news. We celebrate him for being a humble companion, a good team player, a passionate preacher, and a prolific writer. Mark faithfully carried out the injunction of Christ: “Go into all the whole world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation” (Mark 16:15). Can we be as passionate as the evangelist Mark in preaching and writing about the good news of salvation?
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