The Lord Jesus brought the message of God’s will on the earth even though it was not popu¬lar and expected by people. People of this age desired a political kingdom as they were under the oppressive rule of the Romans. But Jesus brought the kingdom of love, of grace, of humility for all people which was to be received voluntarily.

According to today’s Gospel proclamation, St. Mark reminds us that the focus of Jesus’ ministry was preaching the Gospel of the kingdom of God. He preached ‘the time is fulfilled, and the king¬dom of God is at hand” (Mark 1.15). Psalm 102.13 says, “You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come”. He wanted people to realise that the time for them to encounter the kingdom of God was so close as your hand. One cannot enter the kingdom of God without a change for the better.That is why Lord Jesus peached ‘to repent, believe in the Lord’.Our minds are naturally and always occu¬pied by something or the other. Therefore, it is a must to change one’s mind, not merely feeling sorry for what we have done. Even though the kingdom of God was at hand, the people were head¬ing towards destruction. When God said to Abraham, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you’, if he did not leave his country, his people and his father’s house, he certainly couldn’t come to the land the Lord showed him. Jesus wanted people to trust God, taking him at his word, and living a relationship of dependence on Him. The dis¬ciples immediately left their nets, parents, hired servants to follow Jesus, by responding to His call.

Today church celebrates the feast of blessed William Carter. He was married and he was a bookseller who established his printing press in London. He published Catholic books for England’s perse¬cuted Catholic population. He had gone through many difficulties and dangers while operating the press and producing books. This work of publication led to his imprisonment and finally execution.

Prayer: Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Amen!