Apostleship of Prayer

The author of the Gospel that bears his name is identified with John Mark, whose mother Mary’s house was used as a meeting place by the early Church in Jerusalem (see Acts 12: 12, 25). His cousin was St. Barnabas and, when Sts. Paul and Barnabas went on a missionary journey, Mark accompanied them. But Mark left them and St. Paul’s loss of confidence in him led to a split with Barnabas. Even in the early Church there were conflicts and hard feelings. In time they were reconciled and Mark helped Paul when he was in prison in Rome (Colossians 4: 10). It was while Mark was in Rome that he got to know St. Peter (1 Peter 5: 13) from whom he acquired the material he used to write his Gospel. As we continue our prayer with a focus on this month’s Mission Intention, let us pray that future priests may develop a deep love for Scripture. By meeting the Lord Jesus present in the Scriptures may they grow closer to him and be filled with a desire to share the Good News of Jesus with everyone they meet and serve.

In October the Synod of Bishops will meet to discuss the importance of the Scriptures. Our reflection today is from Pope Benedict’s January 21, 2008 address to the committee that is preparing for that Synod.

The next General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops will reflect on “The Word of God in the Life and Mission of the Church”. Among the Ecclesial Community’s many and great duties in today’s world, I emphasize evangelization and ecumenism. They are centered on the Word of God and at the same time are justified and sustained by it. As the Church’s missionary activity with its evangelizing work is inspired and aims at the merciful revelation of the Lord, ecumenical dialogue cannot base itself on words of human wisdom (1 Corinthians 2: 13) or on neat, expedient strategies, but must be animated solely by constant reference to the original Word that God consigned to his Church so that it be read, interpreted and lived in communion with her. In this area, St Paul’s doctrine reveals a very special power, obviously founded on divine revelation but also on his own apostolic experience, which confirmed anew the awareness that not wisdom and human eloquence, but only the power of the Holy Spirit builds the Church in the faith (1 Cor. 1: 22-24; 2: 4f).

Today’s Readings:  1 Peter 5:5b-14;  Psalm 89:2-3, 6-7, 16-17;  Mark 16:15-20

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