I love how Jesus showed Himself first to Mary Magdalene—from whom he had driven seven demons. Why do you think Jesus appeared to her first—and not to someone holier, purer, or more worthy? Why to a former public sinner?

I believe the answer is to give us hope. If Jesus could appear first to someone with a very dark past, then He can and will appear to us too.

If you read the whole story, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb, saw it empty, then called the other disciples. Peter and John came rushing to the tomb, but when they saw that it was empty, they went home. But Mary Magdalene? She stayed and waited.

Jesus gives you hope. But you also have to do your part. Come to Jesus. Call others, even if they may just go home after. But stay and wait. He will appear to you—and your life will never be the same again. Alvin Barcelona (apb_ayo@yahoo.com)

Reflect:

Do you think your past is too dark that Jesus can no longer show Himself to you? Try Him. Come to Him, and see Him change your life—forever.

Thank You, Lord, that despite my dark past, You still continue to show Yourself to me. Grant me the grace to not give up coming to You—to stay and wait for You. Amen.

St. Paul Tinh, pray for us.

The Apostles have found a new source of authority other than the regular Jewish leaders. It is the same authority that we share as baptized members of the Church. Each of us must have authority over our lives and choose to do away with sin. We are now adopted sons and daughters of the Father. Each of us must choose how we will live our lives in response to His call to follow Him.

¹³ Observing the boldness of Peter and John and perceiving them to be uneducated, ordinary men, the leaders, elders, and scribes were amazed, and they recognized them as the companions of Jesus. ¹⁴ Then when they saw the man who had been cured standing there with them, they could say nothing in reply. ¹⁵ So they ordered them to leave the Sanhedrin, and conferred with one another, saying, ¹⁶ “What are we to do with these men? Everyone living in Jerusalem knows that a remarkable sign was done through them, and we cannot deny it. ¹⁷ But so that it may not be spread any further among the people, let us give them a stern warning never again to speak to anyone in this name.” ¹⁸ So they called them back and ordered them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. ¹⁹ Peter and John, however, said to them in reply, “Whether it is right in the sight of God fo us to obey you rather than God, you be the judges. ²⁰ It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard.” ²¹ After threatening them further, they released them, finding no way to punish them, on account of the people who were all praising God for what had happened.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 118:1, 14-15, 16-18, 19-21

R: I will give thanks to you for you have answered me.

¹ Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever. ¹⁴ My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior. ¹⁵ The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just. (R) ¹⁶ “The right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power.” ¹⁷ I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord. ¹⁸ Though the Lord has indeed chastised me, yet he has not delivered me to death. (R) ¹⁹ Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord. ²⁰ This gate is the Lord’s; the just shall enter it. ²¹ I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior. (R)

Gospel | Mark 16:9-15

Once we know the truth, we are left with only one option: To share with others what we have experienced. How we do this is a different question. Each of us has our own network of friends and acquaintances, so this is a good place to start. Whether God is calling us into a religious vocation is another matter altogether. What we know is that we are called to live in the power and the graces of the resurrection of Jesus.

Gospel Acclamation

This is the day the Lord has made; let us be glad and rejoice in it.

⁹ When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. ¹⁰ She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe. ¹² After this he appeared in another form to two of them walking along on their way to the country. ¹³ They returned and told the others; but they did not believe them either. ¹⁴ But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they had not believed those who saw him after he had been raised. ¹⁵ He said to them, “Go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”

To whom did Jesus send you to proclaim His resurrection?

How did he/she receive the good news?

Read the Bible in one year! Read 1 SAMUEL 13 - 16 today.

Mark’s is the shortest of all the four Gospels. Mark is the most unschooled among the evangelists. His presentation of the Jesus event is often lacking in sophistication, in poetic style. It is unadorned, straight to the point, and oftentimes blunt.

In today’s Gospel, Mark narrates in brief sentences three Resurrection appearance stories that occupied full chapters in the other three Gospels. More so, Mark says it as it is. He ended the three appearance stories in today’s Gospelwith “. . . but they did not believe it.”

We may question Mark’s literary style, or that he may be compromising the message of the Apostles. But that is where the real power of the message lies.

The Apostles were given the mandate to “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation” (see v. 15), not because they were the most eloquent of preachers. It is because they had the most eloquent message to preach. They were chosen to be witnesses not because they had it all together, but because they, too, grappled with their unbelief and doubts. They were sent as heralds of the Gospel not because they were strong, but because they were weak, and in that weakness, God’s power might be revealed all the more.

Today’s First Reading from the Acts of the Apostles proves this.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, the religious leaders wanted to silence the Apostles but they could not do so because, although “they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). They were all left in wonder and amazement that they could only ask in exasperation, “What are we to do with these men?” (see v. 16). It is not always about the instrument. Most of the time, it is about the hands on whom it is placed. Fr. Joel O. Jason

Reflection Question:

Does everything seem to fall apart? Place your life into God’s hands and see everything fall into place. God is a master at creating masterpieces out of scraps. After all, He created this wonderful world from nothing.

Pour out Your grace on me, O Lord. Restore me, recreate me, reinstate me. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________