Liturgical day: Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Gospel text (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 too 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 stubbornness 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».
«Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation»
Fr. Jacques PHILIPPE
(Cordes sur Ciel, France)
Today, relying on the risen Jesus, we must rediscover the Gospel as the "Good News". The Gospel is not a law that tyrannizes us. Occasionally, we may have fallen into the temptation of thinking that non-Christians are more tranquil than us and do what they want, whereas we have to abide by a list of commandments. This is a merely superficial view of things.
Personally, one of my biggest concerns is that the Gospel may always be presented as good news, happy news that fills our hearts with joy and consolation.
The teaching of Jesus is certainly demanding, but Thérèse of the Child Jesus helps us to really perceive it as a good news, since for her the Gospel is nothing but the revelation of God’s tenderness, of God’s mercy with each one of His children, and it points out to the laws of life that lead to happiness. The center of Christian life is to welcome with appreciation the kindness and the goodness of God - revelation of his merciful love - and allow us to be transformed by this love.
The spiritual journey taken by Saint Thérèse, the "little way", is an authentic way of holiness, a path with room for all, made in such a way that no one can get discouraged, neither the humblest nor the, poorest or more sinner. Thérèse anticipates thus the Vatican II Council that strongly affirms that holiness is not an exceptional way, but a call to all Christians, which nobody should be excluded from. Up to the most vulnerable and miserable men can respond to the call to holiness.
This Holiness consists of a «way all about confidence and love». Thus, «it is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to Heaven (…).You, my God, have exceeded my hope, and I would like to sing your mercies' (St. Thérèse of Lisieux).
«Mary of Magdala went and reported the news to his followers, but they would not believe»
Fr. Raimondo M. SORGIA Mannai OP
(San Domenico di Fiesole, Florencia, Italy)
Today, the Gospel offers us the opportunity to meditate upon some aspects which each one of us has experience of: we are certain of our love for Jesus, and we consider him the best of our friends; nevertheless, who, among us, could be sure of having never betrayed him? Let us recall whether we have never ever traded him for some gaudy illusion of ours? In the second place, though we are often tempted to overrate ourselves as Christians, the testimony of our own conscience forces us nonetheless to remain silent and humiliate ourselves, imitating the publican who, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying «God have mercy on me a sinner» (Lk 18:13).
This said, we should not be surprised to see the disciples' behavior. They have personally known Jesus, they have witnessed his mind and heart capacities, the unmatched qualities of his preaching. However, when Jesus Christ had already risen, one of the women of the group —Mary of Magdala— «went and reported the news to his followers, who were now mourning and weeping» (Mk 16:10) and, instead of stopping their tear shedding and starting to dance in joy, they do not believe her. This is the evidence that the earth is the center of our gravity.
The disciples had before them the hitherto unheard of announcement of the Resurrection, and yet, they chose to keep on lamenting themselves in deep sorrow. We have sinned, yes! We have betrayed him, yes! We have celebrated some kind of pagan funeral rite, yes! From now on, it will never be again: after having beaten our chest, let us throw ourselves to his feet, our head well lifted unto heaven and... carry on!, let us get going behind him, keeping his pace. French writer Gustave Flaubert has wisely said: «I think that if we kept on looking at the sky without stopping we should end up by developing wings». As of today and forever more, man who was submerged in sin, ignorance or in half-heartedness, must know that, thanks to the Resurrection of Christ, «he finds himself immersed in bright daylight».