April 22, 2017

Gospel: Mk 16:9-15
After Jesus rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary of Magdala, from whom he had driven out seven demons. She went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping. But when they heard that he lived, and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.
After this he showed himself in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. These men also went back and told the others, but they did not believe them.
Later Jesus showed himself to the Eleven while they were at table. He reproached them for their unbelief, and hardness of heart, in refusing to believe those who had seen him after he had risen.
Then he told them, “Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation.”

REFLECTION:
The resurrection appearances were many and varied. A mystery such as these need multiple languages to convey a part of its truth. And the Lord understands the limitation of the human mind. It can only take so much. And so, ever respectful of human conditions, the Lord made multiple appearances to His disciples to assure them of the fact of His resurrection. This therefore brought us to question our respect for human nature. Some have such negative evaluation of it to the point that they espouse extreme forms of belief that harshly judge the human in a negative way. And if they seek religious legitimacy of their distorted view the stance becomes hardened.
The Lord in His resurrection reminds us the wonderful and amazing reality and possibilities of being human. This is what He assumed and transformed in His incarnation and resurrection. If we can see the fact that even God deign it worthy to become human Himself, then perhaps we could show more respect and love to our fellow human being here on earth.