The Feast of St Mark the Evangelist: Reflection

THEME: CAST ALL YOUR ANXIETIES ON CHRIST, FOR HE CARES ABOUT YOU.

Reading: 1Peter 5:5b-14

The devil, our enemy, who mounted obstacles on the way of St Mark and the other disciples of Jesus in their missionary works, still prowls around like a roaring lion in our own time, looking for someone to confuse, mislead, exploit, and devour. The first reading for today encourages us to be alert and always resist him, standing strong in faith (1Pet 5:8–9), as St Mark and the other disciples did.

Most times, when a person stands strong against the lure of the devil and holds firm his faith in Christ, the devil retaliates aggressively, bringing all sorts of troubles and hardships upon the person to weigh him down, as it happened to Job and the disciples of Christ. Today’s first reading advises that in such moments of untold problems or hardships, we should cast our worries and anxieties on Christ, because He cares for us (1Pet. 5:7). It assures us that the God of grace will restore us, establish and strengthen us after any suffering caused by such problems or hardships (1Peter 5:11)

So, dear friends, no matter how tough the circumstances surrounding are, submit them to Jesus, for He cares about you. And when these circumstances get more difficult despite having been entrusted to Jesus, hold your head high, for at such moment, your redeemer is closer to restore you.

May God’s angels stand by your side to defend you against the attacks of the enemy this Thursday. Amen.

St Mark, pray for us

Fr Isaac Chima