Good News Everywhere - St. Mark's Day

Jesus said to the apostles, "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. Mark 16:15-20

Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Mark the Evangelist. His was the first gospel, the sparest gospel, and the most profound in its simplicity. Mark is said to have founded the church in Alexandria, the present day Coptic Orthodox Church and the Greek Orthodox Church of Alexandria. It is speculated that Mark, was actually John Mark, one of the seventy Jesus sent out and present at the last supper and in other places. He wrote and in his writing people believed. Mark's symbol is a winged lion. He gave the church his gifts, shared his story and forever changed the world of faith.

Today we read the end of Mark's gospel, a very simple account of Jesus' ascension. He put the disciples to work, sending them out into all the world. When he had ascended, they seemed to get right to it. And the "Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by signs that accompanied it." Our work as servants of God, as evangelists always comes with the promise that we are working alongside God, alongside the risen Lord.

Today I ask God to help me use the gifts I have been given to carry the love of God to the world. May we all know that we are never alone as we go forth but that we are accompanied by the Lord working alongside us all.