＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

 1 Peter 5: 5b-14

 In the same way, let the younger ones among you respect the authority of the elders.

All of you must clothe yourself with humility in your dealings with one another, be­cause God opposes the proud but gives his grace to the humble.  Bow down, then, before the power of God so that he will raise you up at the appointed time.   Place all your worries on him since he takes care of you.

Be sober and alert because your enemy the devil prowls about like a roaring lion seeking someone to devour.   Stand your ground, firm in your faith, knowing that our brothers and sisters, scattered throughout the world, are confronting similar sufferings.  God, the giver of all grace, has called you to share in Christ’s eternal Glory and after you have suffered a little he will bring you to perfection: he will confirm, strengthen and establish you forever.   Glory be to him forever and ever. Amen.

 I have had these few lines of encouragement written to you by Sil­vanus, our brother, whom I know to be trustworthy. For I wanted to remind you of the kindness of God really present in all this. Hold on to it.  Greetings from the community in Babylon, gathered by God, and from my son, Mark.  Greet one another with a friendly embrace. Peace to you all who are in Christ.

 

Ps 89: 2-3, 6-7, 16-17

For ever I will sing the goodness of the Lord.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Mark 16: 15-20

Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned.   Signs like these will accompany those who have believed: in my Name they will cast out demons and speak new langu­ages;  they will pick up snakes and, if they drink anything poisonous, they will be unharmed.

They will lay their hands on the sick and they will be healed.” So then, after speaking to them, the Lord Jesus was taken up into heaven and took his place at the right hand of God.   The Eleven went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied them.

 

Gospel Reflection：

The First Letter of Peter gives sound advice to those who have now become part of the early Church and who are tasked to bring the Good News to everyone they meet. And they are reminded that they are “to place all their worries” in Jesus because he will always be with them. The Gospel of Mark in fact relates how Jesus, before returning to the Father in heaven, commission his disciples to preach in his name and to trust in his abiding presence.

We are never given a task or a mission that we are incapable of accomplishing, nor do we do it all by ourselves. No Christian is a missionary on his own. We are always missionaries “with the Church”, and we are always “sent by Christ”. We therefore do not preach ourselves or our own message, but the message of the Gospel, given by Christ to his Church, the community of believers to which we belong.