Everybody has a gap to close.

At church on Sunday after the Gospel has been read, it is a fruitful exercise to ask yourself: "If I just lived this one Gospel reading 100 percent, how much would my life change?" The answer will probably be the same every Sunday: radically. Our lives would change radically if we just lived one parable or teaching from any of the four Gospels 100 percent.

What that tells us is that there is a gap between our lives and the life Jesus invites us to live in the Gospel.

Saint Mark knew this when he was writing the Gospel, and went to great lengths to show it. He even portrayed himself running away naked when Jesus was arrested. That’s a striking image of the gap that exists between all of us and the life Jesus calls us to live by his own example.

We do not know a lot about Mark apart from the New Testament. We do know that he was very close with Saint Peter, who was likely one of the strongest influences on the Gospel of Mark. We also believe that Mark’s Gospel was the first of the four to be written. There is also the scuffle Mark had with Saint Paul, though the two were later reconciled and became close friends again.

But Saint Mark’s greatest gift to the Church is his Gospel. As the first Gospel to be written, it was the first written testimony to show all of us the gap that exists between ourselves and the life Jesus is calling us to.

The first words Jesus speaks in the Gospel of Mark are "Repent and believe in the Gospel." Jesus wants us to close the gap between our lives and him. He wants us to grow closer to him so we can live the life he calls us to. 

So how do we grow closer to Jesus? Jesus points us to the answer: believe in the Gospel.

One way that even the busiest person can grow closer to Jesus is to read the four Gospels, over and over again, for fifteen minutes each day. 

If this feels overwhelming, try starting with the Gospel of Mark, the shortest of all the four Gospels. Keep reading until it becomes a habit you look forward to each day.

Our lives change when our habits change. God uses new habits to transform us. This habit will have a beautiful and radical impact on your life if you allow the word of God to sink its roots deep into your life.

So, begin now. This is a fresh start. Be bold. Embrace it with the enthusiasm of a child. Resist any temptation to put it off.

Close the gap.

Patron Saint of: Venice, Notaries, and Barristers

Also Known As: Saint Mark the Evangelist

Symbols: Winged Lion

Feast Day: April 25

Feast Day Shared By: Saint Franca of Piacenza