First reading 1 Corinthians 9:16-19,22-23
I should be punished if I did not preach the Gospel
I do not boast of preaching the gospel, since it is a duty which has been laid on me; I should be punished if I did not preach it! If I had chosen this work myself, I might have been paid for it, but as I have not, it is a responsibility which has been put into my hands. Do you know what my reward is? It is this: in my preaching, to be able to offer the Good News free, and not insist on the rights which the gospel gives me.
So though I am not a slave of any man I have made myself the slave of everyone so as to win as many as I could. For the weak I made myself weak: I made myself all things to all men in order to save some at any cost; and I still do this, for the sake of the gospel, to have a share in its blessings.
Responsorial Psalm 116(117):1-2
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News.
or
Alleluia!
O praise the Lord, all you nations,
acclaim him all you peoples!
Strong is his love for us;
he is faithful for ever.
Gospel Mark 16:15-20
Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News
Jesus showed himself to the Eleven and said to them:
‘Go out to the whole world; proclaim the Good News to all creation. He who believes and is baptised will be saved; he who does not believe will be condemned. These are the signs that will be associated with believers: in my name they will cast out devils; they will have the gift of tongues; they will pick up snakes in their hands, and be unharmed should they drink deadly poison; they will lay their hands on the sick, who will recover.’
And so the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven: there at the right hand of God he took his place, while they, going out, preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word by the signs that accompanied it.
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God continues to call
“Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation”. Today, we celebrate the feast of St. Francis Xavier, who responded to Jesus’ command to “Go” by dedicating his life and exhausting himself to preach the gospel to Goa (India), Melaka (Malaysia), Borneo and Japan. His missionary journey ended in Shangchuan Island, where he died on 3rd December 1552. What compelled this Spanish Jesuit saint to preach the gospel with urgency and zeal? He went because, firstly, he experienced himself loved by God, and secondly, he saw that there were multitudes of people who had not experienced being loved by God.
Today, Jesus calls us, “Go”. It is not for us to do what St. Francis did, but in our own ways, we can commit ourselves to be authentic witnesses of the gospel. We may bring many people to fall in love with God through our words and lives. Let us ask the Holy Spirit to revive our love for Christ and our passion for His people.
Reflective question:
Today, is there someone to whom I can witness God’s love?
Today, is there someone to whom I can witness God’s love?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
