April 25, 2024
by John Shea, S.J.
Creighton University's Biology Department
click here for photo and information about the writer

About St. Mark, from Saint of the Day

Weekly Guide for Daily Prayer

An Easter Blessing

Easter Joy in Everyday Life

Quiz Time! Which of the following passage(s) are from the Gospel of Mark?

1. Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him. (Mk 6:3)
   
   
2. When he disembarked and saw the vast crowd, his heart was moved with pity for them, for they were like sheep without a shepherd; and he began to teach them many things. (Mk 6:34)
   
   
3. And people brought to him a deaf man who had a speech impediment and begged him to lay his hand on him. He took him off by himself away from the crowd. He put his finger into the man’s ears and, spitting, touched his tongue; then he looked up to heaven and groaned, and said to him, “Ephphatha!” (that is, “Be opened!”) And [immediately] the man’s ears were opened, his speech impediment was removed, and he spoke plainly. (Mk 7: 32-25)
   
   
4. They were on the way, going up to Jerusalem, and Jesus went ahead of them. (Mk 10: 32)
   
   
5. Now a young man followed him wearing nothing but a linen cloth about his body. They seized him, but he left the cloth behind and ran off naked. (Mk 14: 51-52)
   
   
6. All the above are from the Gospel of Mark

You may not have expected a quiz today, but I hope everyone correctly answered, 6. Mark’s Jesus is blue-collared, compassionate, earthy, and constantly on the move. He’s a carpenter who’s not afraid to get his hands dirty by touching bodily fluids and other people’s wounds. Jesus is always on a journey, a step ahead of his disciples so you feel an urgency in Mark’s gospel account (the word, “immediately” occurs 27 times in Mark’s gospel). His followers are often confused, afraid and, in some cases, run around naked!

We see these themes in today’s Gospel reading. Jesus tells his followers that they too will get their hands dirty, touching serpents and laying hands on the sick. Jesus then ascends to Heaven while his followers (immediately) get to work, preaching the Good News.

As we celebrate the Feast of Saint Mark, can we be inspired to act “immediately” and preach the Good News to those around us? Or are we too afraid to get our hands dirty by touching those most in need? Like Jesus’ disciples we may feel confused and lost, but can we feel the same compassion that Jesus had for his lost sheep? To paraphrase Pope Francis, can we be humble shepherds with the ‘smell of the sheep’ on our hands?