4.25.14

Lectio: Mk 16.9-15     
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   
Meditatio: “But later, as the eleven were at table, he appeared to them and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart because they did not believe those who saw him after he had been raised.” MK 16.14

Oratio: "O God, You use human beings in their frailty and limited knowledge to make known the things that are important for our salvation; and because they are humans, they do not always capture the issues fully the facts but always fully  the bottom line.
       
I remember that in the Gospel of Mark the evangelist recorded that Jesus rebuked the disciples for not believing in those who reported their belief in seeing Him following His resurrection. This would have been according to Mark’s account, the reports of Mary Magdalen and the two disciples who were walking to Emmaus; Yet in the Gospel of John the disciples did believe. We must remember Mark’s Gospel account was written shortly before 70 AD and not by one of the apostles; and not be one who would have witnessed directly the post resurrection events. Moreover this inconsistency is part of the longer ending which was not written by the original evangelist. Despite this the bottom line of Mark is that Jesus rose from the dead and that is the key belief of our faith and that is what we affirm and believe. Moreover the Gospel of John was written @ 90 to 100 AD by an eyewitness who recorded Jesus appeared several times to individuals after He rose and the disciples did believe. He too affirms the resurrection for which we are the beneficiaries and for whom we give thanks..

I  ask this and all things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You
and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.
                                               
Contemplatio: spend some time in silence and meditate on the selected passage and hear what.
God is saying to you

Operatio: “rebuked....not believed...he had been raised; Mark records Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene and to the two disciples walking to Emmaus and that their reports were not believed; this event in the Gospel of Mark is corrected by an eyewitness account in the Gospel of John. But both Gospel affirm that Jesus did rise from the dead which is the foundation truth of our faith. Therefore the inconsistency in the timing and how the disciples came to belief is not material for our faith. In prayer thank God for the Evangelists who did their best to record the story of our salvation. 

Tomorrow's reading: Jn 20.19-31