The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today, the Feast of Saint Mark, evangelist, restate our mission as followers of Christ and asserts our strength in humility.
The reading from the First Letter of Peter offers advice to the Community on humility and strength before giving final greetings and a Benediction.
* [5:5–11] The community is to be subject to the presbyters and to show humility toward one another and trust in God’s love and care (1 Pt 5:5–7). With sobriety, alertness, and steadfast faith they must resist the evil one; their sufferings are shared with Christians everywhere (1 Pt 5:8–9). They will be strengthened and called to eternal glory (1 Pt 5:10–11).
* [5:5] Younger members: this may be a designation for office-holders of lesser rank.
* [5:12] Silvanus: the companion of Paul (see 2 Cor 1:19; 1 Thes 1:1; 2 Thes 1:1). Jews and Jewish Christians, like Paul, often had a Hebrew name (Saoul, Silas) and a Greek or Latin name (Paul, Silvanus). On Silvanus’s possible role as amanuensis, see Introduction.
* [5:13] The chosen one: feminine, referring to the Christian community (ekklēsia) at Babylon, the code name for Rome in Rev 14:8; 17:5; 18:2. Mark, my son: traditionally a prominent disciple of Peter and co-worker at the church in Rome, perhaps the John Mark referred to in Acts 12:12, 25; 13:5, 13; and in Acts 15:37–39, a companion of Barnabas. Perhaps this is the same Mark mentioned as Barnabas’s cousin in Col 4:10, a co-worker with Paul in Phlm 24 (see also 2 Tm 4:11). (1 Peter, CHAPTER 5, n.d.)
Psalm 89 praises God’s Covenant with David.
* [Psalm 89] The community laments the defeat of the Davidic king, to whom God promised kingship as enduring as the heavens (Ps 89:2–5). The Psalm narrates how God became king of the divine beings (Ps 89:6–9) and how the Davidic king became king of earthly kings (Ps 89:20–38). Since the defeat of the king calls into question God’s promise, the community ardently prays God to be faithful to the original promise to David (Ps 89:39–52).
* [89:3–5] David’s dynasty is to be as long-lasting as the heavens, a statement reinforced by using the same verbs (establish, stand) both of the divine love and loyalty and of the Davidic dynasty and throne, cf. Ps 89:29–30.
* [89:7] The sons of the gods: “the holy ones” and “courtiers” of Ps 89:6, 8. These heavenly spirits are members of God’s court. (Psalms, PSALM 89, n.d.)
The Longer Ending to the Gospel of Mark describes the Commissioning of the Eleven and the Ascension of Jesus.
* [16:9–20] This passage, termed the Longer Ending to the Marcan gospel by comparison with a much briefer conclusion found in some less important manuscripts, has traditionally been accepted as a canonical part of the gospel and was defined as such by the Council of Trent. Early citations of it by the Fathers indicate that it was composed by the second century, although vocabulary and style indicate that it was written by someone other than Mark. It is a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus, reflecting, in particular, traditions found in Lk 24 and Jn 20. (Mark, CHAPTER 16, n.d.)
Julie Kalkowski comments that we all can hear what we need to hear to make our lives better if we don’t feel judged or are made to feel ashamed.
After urging humility, St. Peter goes on: “…Cast all your worries upon him (God) because he cares for you.” As the weeks of financial education go on, people build community among themselves. Learning they are not along in their struggles and suffering gives them compassion for themselves and others in the same boat. It also gives them courage to believe in their ability to manage their finances better and to make different choices. They celebrate each other’s small victories and share resources they know about.
Change is not easy nor is carrying out the work Jesus calls his disciples to do in the Gospel. We all do better with a community to support us and keep us focused, whether it’s about managing money or following Jesus. (Kalkowski, 2023)
Don Schwager quotes “The Gospel proclaimed to all creation,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"The command to the apostles to be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth (Acts 1:8) was not addressed exclusively to those to whom it was immediately spoken. They alone would not be the only ones who would carry such an enormous task to completion. Similarly he seems to be speaking to the apostles very personally when he says: 'Behold I am with you even to the end of the world' (Matthew 28:20), yet who does not know that he made this promise to the universal church which will last from now even to the consummation of the world by successive births and deaths?" (excerpt from LETTER 199,TO HESYCHIUS 49) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Peter 5:5-14 comments that a brief look at the Gospel of Mark shows us that some of these stories portray Peter, who referred to Mark as a “son”, in a less than flattering light.
It seems that Mark also struggled at times. Another tradition tells us that he was the same “John Mark” who abandoned Paul and Barnabas very early in their first missionary journey (Acts 13:13; 15:36-38). Like Peter before him, Mark had his own ups and downs along the path of discipleship. But he stayed on that path, and Jesus stayed with him and continued to work in his heart.
Despite their missteps and weaknesses, we honor both Mark and Peter as saints because even in the midst of their struggles, they stayed close to Jesus. Humbled by their failings but lifted up by the love and mercy of the Lord, they learned a very important lesson: Jesus loves us too much to give up on any of us.
May we never give up on him!
“Lord, teach me how to persevere in my faith, just as you taught St. Mark.” (Meditation on 1 Peter 5:5-14, n.d.)
Niall S. Leahy SJ, a deacon of the Irish Province of the Society of Jesus, comments that the first disciples of Jesus are ever-present and important characters in the Gospel of Mark, and the arc of their journey is one that today’s disciples can recognise and learn from.
If the desired human response to Jesus’s public ministry in the first place is faith in the sense of assenting to his divinity, then in the second it is discipleship: fidelity in following Jesus. This is first made clear by Jesus when he exhorts the disciples to ‘take up their own cross and follow me’ (8:34). The Father did not send Jesus into the world on a solo mission: there is also a co-operative dimension to his mission whereby he will gather a community of disciples who will work with him to bring about God’s reign on earth. We are given an early hint as to the priority of this co-operation in the first act of Jesus’s public ministry, which is not the working of a miracle but the calling of the first disciples. From the beginning, Jesus worked on the assumption that discipleship does not just entail knowing him as the Christ but also following him as the Christ. (Leahy, 2020)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the resonance of the language used by Mark with that of Rome, disguised as Babylon, that supports the close connection with Peter and his stories as the basis for the eye witness testimony in the Gospel. The Longer Ending is written by a scribe from material by the evangelists Matthew and Luke. Friar Jude notes that Mark exhorts us to proclaim the Good News to the ends of the earth.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Laura Swan who explores the goal of “apatheia” (mindfulness or equanimity) in the teachings of the desert mystics.
Apatheia is purity of heart. The ammas [desert mothers] teach us to intentionally let go of all that keeps us from the single-minded pursuit of God: feelings and thoughts that bind us, cravings and addictions that diminish our sense of worth, and attachments to self-imposed perfectionism. Apatheia is nourished by simplicity grounded in abundance of the soul. This simplicity is in balance and harmony with the human community and the created world. To cultivate apatheia, we must be uncluttered in mind and heart and continue to be watchful and vigilant about those “seeping boundaries” where we can be deceived out of simplicity and into complexity under the guise of a “good.” (Rohr, 2023)
We are called to attend to the influence of the Spirit as we respond to the mission of Jesus described by Mark and implemented by our work today.
References
Kalkowski, J. (2023, April 25). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042523.html
Leahy, N. (2020, April 23). Faith and discipleship in the Gospel of Mark. Thinking Faith. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.thinkingfaith.org/articles/faith-and-discipleship-gospel-mark
Mark, CHAPTER 16. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/16?
Meditation on 1 Peter 5:5-14. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/04/25/664072/
1 Peter, CHAPTER 5. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1peter/5?5
Psalms, PSALM 89. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/89?2
Rohr, R. (2023, April 25). The Freedom of Detachment — Center for Action and Contemplation. Daily Meditations Archive: 2023. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-freedom-of-detachment-2023-04-25/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 25, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=apr25a
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