WEEK B-E7 Mark 16:15-20

Jesus said to his disciples: “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. These signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will drive out demons, they will speak new languages. They will pick up serpents with their hands, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not harm them. They will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” So then the Lord Jesus, after he spoke to them, was taken up into heaven and took his seat at the right hand of God. But they went forth and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the word through accompanying signs.

1. Explore It!

In the Gospel this week, Jesus commands his disciples to go out into the world and proclaim the gospel everywhere. Their task was to be missionaries in the world to baptize and bring those who do not believe to receive the word of God. He tells them that those who believe will be saved and will be capable of marvelous deeds through his word while those who do not believe will not be saved. After Jesus had given his final command to his disciples and promised to be with them in their mission, he ascended into heaven.

It is often easy to confuse a command with obligation. Jesus commands his disciples to go out into the world and proclaim the gospel, but he didn’t take away their free will. Jesus gives everyone the freedom to proclaim the gospel in whatever manner they see fit. The same goes for all of us today although in a different sense. When we are young, being obedient to our parents is how we lived this mission.

2. Connect It! As we grow older, we are given more tasks and responsibilities. It is through how we live with these responsibilities and how we share our graces in our experiences with others that can be our way of proclaiming the gospel in our lives. We aren’t obligated to spend every single moment of our lives findings ways to proclaim the Gospel, but rather, if we share the graces that come from what we already do every day, that is enough for God.

3. Reflect It!

4. Live It! [ ENCOURAGEMENT ]

A command to go out and proclaim the gospel can seem daunting. However, when taken into the context of the church, the universal church is given this commandment to go and proclaim the gospel. In what ways can you contribute to the proclamation of the gospel as a member of the church? How can you take the things you do every day and share the graces you may find from it with others? Think about your life from when you were really young to where you are today and find moments where you felt a lot of joy and happiness. These can be thought of as moments where the gospel was and is alive in your life. Think about how you can share these experiences with others and go do it!

ENCOURAGEMENT—the action of giving someone support, confidence, or hope.

As mentioned in the previous sections, the command that Jesus gives to us doesn’t come with an obligatory deadline that we have to meet. Rather, it is an encouragement. We have the freewill to take our time in accomplishing this task. In addition, we are free to decide how we wish to accomplish it. So, this week, try to find moments in your every day tasks where you can experience the gospel being alive in your actions. It can be simple as helping someone pick up something they may have dropped or helping someone with the door. Find opportunities to share joy with your family

5. Remember It!

6. Pray It!

“SO

Dear Jesus, thank You for always watching over us and encouraging us to be the best version of ourselves even when we may not feel like it. Please continue to watch over us and show us ways where we can bring Your word to life and to bring others to do the same. Help us to show others how to live the gospel every day. Amen.

THEN THE LORD JESUS, AFTER HE SPOKE TO THEM, WAS TAKEN UP INTO HEAVEN AND TOOK HIS SEAT AT THE RIGHT HAND OF GOD.” (MARK 16:19)