A person passes through the waters of Christ s death-passage to share his Spirit and power. Baptism immerses the Christian into the life-sharing relationship of the Father, Son, and Spirit. The presence of Jesus makes effective the whole life and activity of the Church. In the power of Jesus, Christians live in a way that attracts and forms disciples. In his power they go forth and make him present in the world.
Faith is born in witness of signs.
This ending of Mark s Gospel, which in all probability was not part of the original writing, shows how Jesus remains present with his Church. By his power, the disciples will manifest the same signs of the presence of God s kingdom that he showed. The important thing here is not the sign itself different signs may be appropriate for different times but the faith that is God s gift. When the Church proclaims and lives the Gospel, and bears witness to the presence of Christ, the Lord himself is at work. In Year C both the Gospel and the first reading contain Luke s account of the Ascension of Jesus, but they are very different.