by Fr Bill O’Shea
Sr. Mark’s Gospel is the first written record we have of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. It was written between 30 and 35 years after the death of and resurrection of Jesus, and shows us how some Christians at least, in those early years of the Church, understood the person and mission of Jesus.
In this earliest Gospel, the first recorded words of Jesus are found in 1:14-15. We are told that after his baptism, Jesus announced: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe the good news.” This can be seen as a headline-summary of everything that follows. It is a statement of Jesus’ programme or agenda, and everything he subsequently said and did is somehow related to the kingdom of God.