Mark 16:15-18

In this reading, Jesus sends out his disciples to proclaim the Gospel to every creature. He tells us the signs that will accompany those who are baptized and believe, and all that can be accomplished in his name, through the power of oneness with the Holy Spirit. Here even the newly baptized will have these abilities in Jesus’ time. To us in modern times, these sound difficult to believe, but our human minds should not assume there are limits in what is possible for God. Through life experiences that have stacked up one after another, you have learned through experience that with prayer, unexplained healings have occurred and can occur.  Blindness can indeed be healed, bones can rebuild, and doctors say, “we can’t explain how this happened.”  Through prayer, people have been protected from storms, and the weatherman said, “it’s funny how it went around that town.” 

Although we don’t go around testing the Lord by drinking poison, since testing the Lord is not to be done, we can understand from this phrase that people of prayer can transform toxic situations into beneficial ones.  It is like a kind of alchemy, that when psychological toxicity touches a person of prayer, it is transformed, because with prayer God turns all things to the good. Similarly, we do not seek out venomous snakes to mess with, but we know that with the power of God’s presence St. Francis of Assisi radiated love for all creatures, so that they trusted him and drew near to him gently.  So too with loving hearts we can win the confidence of others and even of wild creatures (with all due caution of course). 

Amen.

It is not just through writing that you can help others.  Look for opportunities to help others wherever you go.