Social responsibility of the church to the world

Good morning, happy Monday, and many blessings.

Today’s Gospel (Mark 16:15-18) forms part of the appendix of the Gospel of Mark which presents a list of some apparitions of Jesus: to Magdalene (Mark 16:9-11), to the two disciples who were walking out in the country (Mark 16:12-13) and to the twelve apostles (Mark 16:14-18). This last apparition, together with the description of the Ascension into Heaven (Mark 16:19-20), forms the Gospel for today.

Also, today the church celebrates the Conversion of St Paul, the Apostle to the Gentiles. That dramatic event is recorded in the Acts of the Apostles, chapters 9 and 22, always worth reading. Why not today?

This startling conclusion to Mark’s Gospel may have been composed because people demanded a more satisfactory ending than the original one which closes with the confusion of the disciples at the empty tomb. This new ending emphasizes the universal scope of Jesus’ mission. It also stresses that belief in Jesus is necessary for salvation: this later led to the unfortunate slogan, ’Outside the Church there is no salvation’ which is not to be taken literally. Demons, tongues, snakes and poison are dramatic images of the divine power of Jesus which authenticates the disciples’ mission. Christian hope relies on the fact that Jesus has already won the decisive battle against evil.

These words are presented as the last instruction of Jesus to his disciples before he ascended into heaven. They now have the responsibility of proclaiming the good news as he had done. And they must do so with courage. Note the universality of the mission: “to all the world”, “to the whole of creation”.

Do you see how appropriate this reading is on a feast of Saint Paul? His conversion (which is the focus of this particular feast) prepared him to become an apostle to the Gentiles (the pagans). His long journeys led him to cover much of the territory that comprised the Roman Empire. He preached and healed, founded and supported local communities. His life teaches us that mission (outreach) is not an option. The Church is missionary of its very nature.

In this Gospel story we learn of the central truth that Jesus preaches and sends us out to proclaim to all creation. He calls it the “good news” of God’s love, and will, or dream for us. If you wish to bring this truth to prayer, you might consider whether the good news is about something God wants you to do for him or largely about what God wants to do for you.

For today I invite you to meditate on this question: Do I proclaim the Gospel through my words and actions every day, or just sometimes?

Blessings,

Fr. Luis+