NECESSITY OF PRAYER IN SPIRITUAL DESERT - 04/25/22 (Feast of St. Mark)

Mark 16:15-19

15 And he said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in My name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover." 19 So then the Lord Jesus, after He had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God.

For the full readings, click here: 

https://www.ewtn.com/catholicism/daily-readings

For more information on St. Mark the Evangelist, click here:

https://mycatholic.life/saints/saints-of-the-liturgical-year/april-25---saint-mark-the-evangelist/

Blessed Feast of St. Mark! St. Mark the Evangelist was one of the earliest, if not the first, authors who wrote about the life of Christ in the gospel. The Gospel of St. Mark was believed by scholars to be written based on the experiences of St. Peter, the mentor of St. Mark. 

Today, the gospel reading is from the writing of St. Mark when our Lord commanded the disciples to preach the gospel and baptize for the salvation of souls. When we are baptized as infants, we receive the Holy Spirit and His gifts. And, we are cleansed from the stains of original sins. We truly became adopted children of God. But, after we are baptized, we still need to be faithful to the gospel and live our faith as Catholics. Our life here on earth is like a desert because of the numerous trials, problems, and temptations we experience. The virtue that is foundational for us to persevere is humility, and the two ways we can practice this virtue is by praying for ourselves and for others. 

The signs that are mentioned in the readings are extraordinary signs and graces. But, these signs have application to our spirituality in simple ways. When we are physically sick or suffering, to pray for our health and the strength to endure it is an example of humility. This shows us that we recognize the blessings that God gives, and we are aware that if it's His will for us to be physically healthy, God is inviting us to use our bodies to glorify Him even more. At the same time, we should also pray for ourselves when we are spiritually sick because of the sins we committed. By begging for forgiveness and mercy from God, we recognize that only He can heal the wounds of our souls. There are many temptations that will make us lose our faith as Catholics or commit sins. And yet, by praying for the graces to grow in virtues and to avoid the temptations, Jesus will protect us from evil spirits. The demons are casted by the power of Christ which He bestows on people who depend on Him in prayer and sacraments. 

We should not just pray for ourselves. It is also important for us to pray for other people, so we can be instruments of God's healing mercy. When we see someone, whether a family member or not, who is sick, it may be an invitation for us to pray for this person. God is pleased when He sees us praying for the healing of another person and the strength for them to endure the sufferings they experience. It is because we recognize that it is God who grants us the blessing of good health. Let's entrust to the Blessed Virgin Mary the people who are physically and spiritually sick. God is delighted when we seek the help of our Mother, especially for people who are in the state of grave sin and who oppose the teachings of the Church. Before the apostles were capable of picking up serpents, the Blessed Virgin Mary, with her Son, already crushed the head of the Serpent, Satan (Genesis 3:15). This is the reason why Satan is angry with our Mother and her spiritual children (Revelation 12:17). 

When we are on the side of Jesus and Mary, we will be victorious against Satan and evil spirits. And, we can trust that God will grant His mercy and graces to people whom we pray for. Let's persevere in our prayers for ourselves and for all sinners, especially through the rosary, as we live in our spiritual desert. The Ascension of Jesus gives us the hope of entering heaven, the eternal home of the Holy Trinity.

 Amen +

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

 

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Reflection by: Dominic