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 it.

Reflect:

“Our God Saves” The first of the four canonical Gospel versions to have been written
is named after St. Mark. It narrates the life, ministry, passion, death and resurrection
of Jesus Christ. Prior to the written Gospel, the Good News was proclaimed orally.
Thus, the kerygmatic proclamation of the Good News by Jesus’ disciples had been
part of the oral tradition. It was then when the first generation of Jesus’ followers were
all dying out that the evangelists decided to write down their Gospel versions.
The evangelists took up the responsibility, ensuring that the future generations of
believers will have the written Gospel. Today’s Gospel is the canonical ending of the
Gospel of Mark. It narrates Jesus sending his disciples to proclaim the Good News to
all creation. It emphasizes that Jesus did not abandon them. In fact, Jesus
accompanied them, working with them through the miracles done in Jesus’ name.
Due to the present climate crisis, it has become more difficult to proclaim the Good
News to all creation. But as Christians, we should not lose heart. Jesus is with us. It
is our Christian responsibility to care for our common home, ensuring a better world for
future generations.

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