Before ascending to the Father, Jesus sends the disciples out to preach and addresses them with parting words. He calls them to proclaim the good news to the whole world, to "all creation," and after this He lists the miracles that are to accompany those who believe. These signs of divine presence look simply fantastic, and there is a strong temptation to understand them figuratively rather than literally. Yet in the last verses of this chapter Mark clearly says that their preaching was carried out with "the word confirmed by the signs that followed."

How often we preach only with words, retelling Gospel truths, but do not embody them in our own lives. The Savior warns us against this before His Ascension, insisting that words must be accompanied by signs. Of course, our faith is not as strong as the apostles' faith was, and we cannot heal the sick with our own shadow, as Peter did. What we can do is only to trust that the Lord Himself will work a miracle, and according to our strength to try to relieve our neighbor's suffering. This will be a real sign of our living faith.

Now Paul addresses his fellow countrymen from the steps of the Roman fortress. To understand the situation better, one needs to see how unfavorable his position is. Accused of renouncing the Mosaic law, he is seen in the city in the company of the "Gentile" Trophimus, accused of defiling the Temple, which was punishable by death, and people want to punish him. Let us note that the Jerusalem Christians from among the Jews are not even mentioned in this episode; evidently they did not sympathize much with Paul's position. But the unit of the Roman centurion, occupiers in the eyes of the Jews, prevents the carrying out of this judgment, which in their opinion is lawful. They arrest Paul, thereby ensuring his safety, and allow him to address the people.

It would be completely natural to hear from Paul a word in defense of Christianity, a description of his meeting with Christ, an indication that it is lawful and righteous for a Jew to believe in Jesus because He is the Messiah. But to speak about mercy for the Gentiles and their calling to eternal life - not here and not in this situation, not from the tower of the occupiers' garrison! Christians of the Soviet Union were in a similar situation during World War II, when in the occupied territories the Germans allowed them to open churches destroyed by Soviet power and bring the Gospel to people - by the mercy of enemies. Paul is willing to respect the feelings of his people, to respect their views and customs, as we saw in the previous reading. But Paul cannot renounce the words of the Lord Jesus, his calling to bring to the Gentiles and to the enemies of his people the message of forgiveness of sins and salvation by faith in Christ.

Mark depicts the events after Christ's Resurrection very briefly. Almost every episode in this account is described in more detail in the other Gospels. Mark wants to emphasize the most important thing. So the disciples are hiding from persecution, overcome by grief and despair. Only certain women, who did not leave Jesus in the hour of His death, now want to pay Him their last duty and complete the burial they had not finished because of the Sabbath rest. It is to them, His most faithful followers, that the Angel announces the stunning, fearful, and at the same time joyful news: He has risen. He is not here. But the disciples cannot believe Mary Magdalene, to whom Jesus appeared, or the two other disciples who saw Him. They are so absorbed in their grief and despair that their hearts close themselves to hope, even though Jesus had repeatedly predicted His Resurrection to them. Finally, Jesus Himself appears among them and rebukes them for hardness of heart and unbelief. By His appearing He scatters their grief and fear.

The risen Savior sends the disciples to proclaim to "all creation" the joyful news of the new life that began with His Resurrection. He says that through faith and baptism a person already in this life enters salvation: liberation from slavery to fear, sin, death, and eternal condemnation. Christ names the miraculous signs and gifts now possessed by the new humanity, reborn and raised to life in God. The authority of Christ's disciples over death, illness, and dark powers is testimony to the presence of Christ Himself among them. Even now He lives among us and in us, blessing the preaching of the Gospel of Life.