The image shows us the evangelist, seated before his Gospel, with the lion, his emblem, at his right. His clear gaze speaks eloquently of what he has himself seen and heard. His Gospel ends abruptly, with the words ‘And they went out and fled from the tomb; for trembling and astonishment had come upon them; and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid’. The remaining verses of the chapter are thought to be a later addition.

Trembling, astonishment, fear … we are no strangers to these, but we do not normally associate them with the resurrection, which is full of glory and light. What they, and we, are faced with, is the awareness of divinity, beyond our human reach. But it is Love that reaches into us, Love that we may trust, and Mark bears witness to this in his gospel.

May we trust his message, and may God bless you this day.