DAILY PRAYER

“Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” (Mk. 16:15-16).

Today we remember St. Mark the Evangelist.  He was a disciple of one of the apostles, yet he did not know Jesus personally.  Nevertheless, he wrote the Gospel of our Lord based on eyewitness accounts from others.

There are four Gospels the Church recognizes as authentic and true. There were many other manuscripts and writings about the life and activities of Jesus, but they were not accepted as Sacred Scripture and do not form a part of the Holy Bible.  We call these books Apocryphal Gospels. These writings are not bad or untrue. In some ways, they help us understand those times better.  Yet they also contain some rather fantastic things and thus lack a measure of historical and theological reliability.

“Gospel” means “good news.” And God’s message to us in the person of Christ is indeed good news!

The Gospels were the first catechisms. The Gospels are about the person of Jesus and his teachings. The purpose was to show Him as the Messiah.

The Gospel of Mark is the most concise account of Jesus’ life.  It was written to convey the story of the person of Jesus: His mission, teachings, Passion, and Resurrection.

St. Mark tirelessly and valiantly shared his knowledge of Jesus and gave his life in the process.

Reflection and commentary

Psalm 71:17:  “God, you have taught me from my youth; to this day I proclaim your wondrous deeds.”

OUR PRAYER CONTINUES