“ Lo I am with you always even unto the end of the world. “  
Perhaps the most comforting words of all in the Gospels for Christians today. 
In  Matthew Jesus “ Go ye therefore and teach all nations , baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost.”  
St. Mark “ Go ye therefore into the world and preach the gospel to every creature. “ 
St. Luke:   Repentance and the remission of sins should be preached in His name among all nations beginning at Jerusalem. …And behold I send the promise of my father upon you. “
St. John:  No final words.   The gospel ends with the description of the conversation between Simon Peter & Jesus when the latter asks Peter if he loves him and Peter confirms that he does :  “ Feed my sheep.”   
The time has come for the disciples to go out into the world and change it.  We can believe and pray, or even as Thomas have some doubts:  but what we do will show the  world what we are made of. 
Longfellows monk.
Suddenly, as if it lightened,
An unwonted splendor brightened
All within him and without him
In that narrow cell of stone;
And he saw the Blessed Vision
Of our Lord, with light Elysian
Like a vesture wrapped about him,
Like a garment round him thrown.
Who am I, that thus thou deignest
To reveal thyself to me?
Who am I, that from the centre
Of thy glory thou shouldst enter
This poor cell, my guest to be?
Then he hears the bell for him to feed the poor. 
Deep distress and hesitation
Mingled with his adoration;
Should he go, or should he stay?
Should he leave the poor to wait
Hungry at the convent gate,
Till the Vision passed away?
Then a voice within his breast
Whispered, audible and clear
As if to the outward ear:
"Do thy duty; that is best;
Leave unto thy Lord the rest!"
Off he goes to feed the poor.
And the inward voice was saying:
"Whatsoever thing thou doest
To the least of mine and lowest,
That thou doest unto me!"
Unto me! but had the Vision
Come to him in beggar's clothing,
Come a mendicant imploring,
Would he then have knelt adoring,
Or have listened with derision,
And have turned away with loathing.
Thus his conscience put the question,
Full of troublesome suggestion,
As at length, with hurried pace,
Towards his cell he turned his face, 
But he paused with awe-struck feeling
At the threshold of his door,
For the Vision still was standing
As he left it there before
Through the long hour intervening
It had waited his return,
And he felt his bosom burn,
Comprehending all the meaning,
When the Blessed Vision said,
"Hadst thou stayed, I must have fled!"
The message is that whilst prayer, thanksgiving for God’s mercies and the world around us are all important:  what we shall be judged on is what we do. 
The message on the North Wall at St. James’s 
Lives of great men all remind us /  we can make our lives sublime and in passing  leave behind us footsteps in the sands of time. 
Role models power. But we don’t have to follow Great Men Example  “Let us now praise famous men..” . Ecclesiaticus.
Must not be put off by our inability to imitate., Mother Teresa or Alexander Fleming or Roger Bannister. 
BUT ordinary people can  remind us that we can leave footsteps in the sands of time. 
Stephen Sutton: 
Teenage cancer charity. 
4 and a quarter million pounds.  179,000 people.  11ooo at his funeral. 
Pride of association with him. 
“Measure your life by what you achieve not by how long you live. “
Litchfield Cathedral 11,000 people. 
