Daily Reflection for Monday January 25, 2021
Peace and Blessings, Friends and Parishioners,
We encourage you to reflect on Monday’s readings at this link:
http://usccb.org/bible/readings/012521.cfm
If you prefer to use your own Bible, the readings are:
First Reading: Acts 22: 3-16 or Acts 9: 1-22
Responsorial: Psalm 117: 1BC, 2
Gospel: Mark 16: 15-18
Our reflection on Monday’s readings:
“He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned.” Mark 16: 15-16.
Today we celebrate the conversion of Saint Paul, the Apostle. The Lord had chosen him to carry God’s name to the people of the world. Then we read in the Gospel for today of Jesus commissioning his Apostles to go into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel—the good news that the kingdom of God—Love and Truth—is here. All good.
The reading from Acts 9, tells us that Paul will suffer because of his preaching and his example. And, in the Gospel reading, Jesus tells the Apostles they will drive out demons, and pick up serpents and drink deadly poisons, but they will not be harmed. Yet tradition tells us Paul was beheaded, and the other Apostles, with the possible exception of John, were also executed. How did all that preaching and proclaiming work out for them?
Honestly, the Gospel reading for today has bothered me for decades. Growing up as a Lutheran, I took the words from verse 16, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved; whoever does not believe will be condemned” to mean that those who aren’t baptized and not Christian are going to hell. I hope that’s not true.
Now, much later in life, maybe the light has helped me see and the scales have been removed so I’m not blind. Proclaiming Jesus through my words, actions, example, and demeanor means proclaiming love, truth, and peace. I don’t think that will require martyrdom like it did for Paul and the other Apostles. But, it does require effort to not be “of this world.” It means working and praying for the kingdom of God, and that God’s will—love, truth and peace—is done “on earth as it is in heaven.” My faith tells me this is true.
Maybe I won’t go into the whole world to proclaim the Gospel, but I hope I proclaim the Gospel in the world in which I live.
Peace and blessings,
Al Mytty