Today we celebrate the next to the last day within the Octave of Easter. Once again we celebrate that this is the day the Lord has made (the same Day of Resurrection); let us be glad and rejoice in it!
Today we have St. Mark's very sketchy narration of the resurrection event. He says simply Jesus rose and was seen by Mary Magdalene out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping – but they did not believe her. Later that day Jesus appeared in another form to two walking along their way in the country – they returned and told the others – but they did not believe them either. Later that night, however, Jesus came and stood in their midst – in his risen, glorified body; he rebuked them for their disbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who had seen him. Then he told them to go into the world and proclaim the Gospel – this message of Resurrected New Life that is now available to everyone – to every creature.
What we have today is the tail end of a very long line of people passing on and proclaiming that same message: beginning with those who were there to see it. And unlike the child's game that has a different story told at the end of a line of a dozen people telling supposedly the same story to one another: the Jesus Story remains exactly the same. In fact, Jesus is saying in the gospel passage that it is important and very valid to come to know him at the word of others: this is what preaching and teaching is all about – we, the preachers and teachers, pass on what was handed to us – and we need not worry – if we pray and ask the help of the Holy Spirit, it will indeed be the exact same story.
The bottom line is that more and more people come to know the risen Jesus – fully live their baptized life in him – and proclaim that he is alive and helpful to everyone who needs to hear it.
In the first reading we see how Peter and John told the Jewish leaders that they simply could not stop preaching, teaching and proclaiming Jesus: it was their joy and their job to make him known – and they would do so in season and out! Billions have come to believe in Jesus and share in his life because of the bold and fearless proclamation of the Gospel that began with them!
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. My strength and my courage is the Lord, he is my savior!
This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.
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