There is an ancient tradition that the Gospel of Mark is based on the preaching of Peter the Apostle. We think Mark traveled with Peter. Most likely, Mark was originally from Palestine. He is probably the same Mark mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles who is a nephew of Barnabas and who traveled for a little while with Paul. It seems like Mark had a very interesting life.
Think about this for just a moment. Mark traveled with Peter and he heard the stories of Jesus. Over and over again as Peter preached in different places and to different peoples, Mark heard the stories of Jesus. He heard about the call of the first disciples. He heard about some of the miracles. He heard about the battles with the demons. He heard about some of the healings, and he heard about the suffering and the death of Jesus. Again and again, Mark heard the story of Jesus from the voice of Peter.
And then he wrote it down. He heard it. He thought about it. He organized it. Mark wrote down the story of Jesus that he heard from the voice of Peter. He listened and he believed and he shared.
We will hear from the Gospel of Mark on most of the Sundays of Ordinary Time this year. We will hear an echo of the voice of Peter on most of the Sundays of Ordinary Time this year. In a certain way, we get to travel with Peter the Apostle and Mark the evangelist.
But the story we will hear is not centered on Peter and does not even mention Mark. The story that Mark writes that he heard from Peter is about Jesus. We come to know the Lord Jesus through the writing of Mark and the preaching of Peter.
Our Holy Father Francis, who speaks with the voice of Peter, invites us on this Sunday to a deeper embrace of the Word of God in the Bible. The Pope invites us to pick up the Scriptures, to read the words of Mark, to hear the voice of Peter, and to know the Lord Jesus. And as we take up the scriptures and allow ourselves to be nourished by the Word, we are prepared more and more to be nourished by the Eucharist. When we come to know the Lord in his Word we will come to recognize him more and more at his table. The Lord invites us to be nourished. He wants to feed us. Amen.
