Mark 16:9-15 NRSVue
9Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. 10She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. 11But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
12After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. 13And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
14Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table, and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation.
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Reflection on Mark 16:9-15
Inspiration from 2025-04-26 Daily Prayer
From their encounters with him the apostles will now go out as witnesses of the resurrection from Jerusalem to the whole world. As followers of Jesus we too are called to go and be witnesses to the truth of his resurrection.
The meeting of the risen Jesus with his friends by the lakeshore is one of the most intimate scenes in the gospels. In his humanity Jesus knows they will be tired and hungry and disappointed after their night of fruitless fishing. He has prepared breakfast for them. He is still their Lord and Master and he will be their companion for ever. This holds good for each of us too. Let us be with him now in our prayer.
Jesus asks Simon Peter, ‘Do you love me?’ This is the third question Jesus asks of all his followers, the other two being, ‘What do you seek? (John 1:38), and ‘Who do you say that I am?’ (Luke 9:18). This third question is the most important of the three and it can include the other two. Let us allow the Lord to ask each of us these three questions now.
In the Fourth Week of his Spiritual Exercises St Ignatius of Loyola gives us prayer points for the resurrection. In these the whole mood is one of rejoicing with Jesus in his great victory and in his joy at now having won everything for us. Jesus is seen as the great Consoler. Let us enter into that mood of rejoicing with Jesus and ask for the gift of his consolation as we continue on our own pilgrim way.
Jesus complains to his disciples about their lack of faith and their stubbornness. In the encounter on the road to Emmaus he also says to the two disciples, ‘So foolish and slow of heart to believe in the prophets who had foretold the suffering and death of the Messiah.’ Let us acknowledge our own slowness of heart to believe.
Further reflection
Faith in the risen Christ came slowly to some if not all of the apostles. It took a few occasions and apparitions to convince them that the Lord had risen from death. All faith has its ups and downs; prayer has its good times and tough times. Faith grows in a trust that God is always near, though it may not seem so. It is sometimes a dark love; and love in the darkness is what brings faith to life.
Mary is a witness for the disciples but they 'who been with him' thought they knew better and would not believe her. How often do we disregard the witness of others in our daily lives?
Often, like the disciples, we hold on to our sadness and our negative feelings, refusing to believe. Jesus upbraids the eleven for their stubbornness. 'Today, if you should hear his voice, harden not your hearts', Psalm 94 says. Where is the stubbornness and hardness of heart in my life that prevents me from giving myself more completely to faith in him today?
Mary Magdalene might not have seemed the most likely of witnesses to those who would not believe. I draw inspiration from her as a witness to life, an announcer of truth.
The lack of faith that the disciples had was a disappointment to Jesus yes he sent them to proclaim the good news. Jesus knows my failures but trusts me.