“We can do small things with great love.”
Mark 16:15-20
I sometimes wonder about those signs Jesus said would accompany believers in today’s Gospel. Not the speaking in tongues – you find that in any prayer meeting. But, casting out devils? Drinking poison unharmed? Sick people who recover? Where are all these signs Jesus talked about. There certainly doesn’t seem to be a lot of miracles happening these days, one might think.
Yet, the word of God is made manifest not merely in the supernatural, but in natural life. By our prayers and patient attention, we help those dealing with the demons of depression, addiction, and other struggles. We are unharmed by the poison of gossip when we refuse to internalise the malicious words of detractors or to share unkind stories about others. We help the sick to cope when we lay hands and journey with them through their illness. As Mother Teresa once said, ‘Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.’ That is how we proclaim the Good News and show ourselves to be believers, just by living right.