The Beginning Is Now

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Saint Mark the Evangelist - Holy Day
Eve of Easter IV

Today's Readings:
[ Eph 4:7-8, 11-16; Ps 2:7-13; Mk 1:1-15 ]

The Gospel of Mark begins without ornament: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. No genealogy, no birth narrative—just a voice crying in the wilderness, a call to prepare, and the startling nearness of God’s reign. It is fitting that on this feast we are given such a beginning, because the life of faith is always beginning again.

In Mark’s account, the kingdom is not distant or abstract. Jesus proclaims, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news”. Near... and not earned, not constructed, but given. From a Franciscan perspective, this nearness speaks of a God who delights in drawing close to creation, not standing apart from it. The Incarnation is not an afterthought but an expression of divine love that longs to be with us, even in our wilderness places.

Ephesians reminds us that this nearness is not passive. Christ “gave gifts to his people… to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ”. Each of us receives grace not as a possession, but as a calling. Like John the Baptist, we become voices—sometimes quiet, sometimes bold—preparing the way by how we live, forgive, and love.

Franciscan spirituality invites us to hold these together: the humility of the wilderness and the joy of the good news. We are not asked to be impressive, but faithful. Not to control outcomes, but to witness to the One who is already at work.

Psalm 2 warns against resisting God’s reign, yet it ends with an invitation: “Happy are all who take refuge in him”. Refuge, not fear, is the final word. The good news Mark proclaims is not a burden but a homecoming.

So today, we begin again. We listen for the voice in the wilderness—perhaps in our own restless hearts—and we respond with simple trust: repenting where needed, believing anew, and stepping into the grace we have been given. The kingdom has come near. The beginning is always now.

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