The Scriptures for the Feast of St. Mark the Evangelist are both a call to action for the sanctity of life and a guide to our conduct as we undertake our work for the unborn, the ill and the aged. In the powerful words of Isaiah the Prophet, we are called to, “Awake, awake” and to to put on our strength to be about the work of freeing “captive Jerusalem”-in this case a culture captive to the culture of death. (Is. 52:7-10)
Why go about this work? Again, from the Isaiah, we do this work because we are a redeemed people, “redeemed without money”, redeemed by the God who reigns and who commands us to be evangelists and bearers of the message of a life-giving, life-restoring faith. In many ways, it it is the prophetic call of Isaiah repeated in the beginning of the Gospel according to St. Mark, “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight—”(Mark 1:1-4) We are in a real sense crying out in a cultural wilderness, but “ How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good tidings, who publishes peace, who brings good tidings of good, who publishes salvation…” (Isaiah 52:7)
How are we to go about our work for life when it seems that “the nations conspire, and the peoples plot in vain?” and “The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and his anointed…” (Ps. 2:2-3) Certainly, it seems like there are so many who revile those who affirm life and even the resources of the officials, elected and appointed, are brought to bear against us.
St. Paul speaking from prison begs us “to lead a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called.” (Eph. 4:1) This is a tough requirement as anyone who has hade to deal with our opponents well-understands. However, the mark of a Christian, even when dealing with the invective and slurs of counter-protesters and opponents, is to conduct ourselves “ with all lowliness and meekness, with patience, forbearing one another in love”. (Eph. 4:2) “Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ.” In this way alone does our movement grow and “upbuilds itself in love.” In this way, the Faith once delivered to the saints spreads throughout the world, and in this way only will the Gospel of live resonated in our culture.