Jesus uses “gospel” for the message that he preaches. He brings a living word of hope; he announces that the salvation announced by the prophets is now accomplished even as he speaks. His word is good news. The message of Jesus will be transmitted by the apostles and ministers of the word. Later, the apostolic preaching will be put to writing, and Mark is credited to have begun the literary genre called gospel. In the Gospel of Mark, we find for the first time the words and deeds of Jesus as remembered and proclaimed in a written form. But “gospel” is intended neither as a formal historical treatise nor as a biography of Jesus—it is a proclamation. It is a document of faith intended to call people to faith. As evangelist, Mark is symbolized by a lion, the king of beasts, at home in the wilderness. This fits the opening scene of his Gospel: the desert where John the Baptist proclaims a baptism of repentance (cf Mk 1:4).

Gospel • Mk 16:15-20

Jesus appeared to the Eleven and 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. 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.” 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. SOURCE: “366 Days with the Lord 2020,” ST. PAULS, 7708 St. Paul Rd., SAV, Makati City (Phils.); Tel.: 632-895-9701; Fax 632-895-7328; E-mail: [email protected]; Website: http://www.stpauls.ph.