Santa Inés de Montepulciano por Ermes Dovico

GOSPEL PEARLS

Events that really did happen

Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. (Mark 16: 15)

Now when he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. She went and told those who had been with him, as they mourned and wept. But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it. After these things he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them. Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.” (Mark 16: 9-15)

The disappointment of Jesus' passion and death still weighed so heavily in the hearts of the disciples that it was hard for them to believe immediately in the announcement of His resurrection. The apostles' human limitations constitutes a sure proof that in the Gospels there are events that really did happen and no less by the Grace of the Son of God. If the Gospels were invented, they would speak only of the disciples' heroic deeds. That said, we must never exploit this weakness of the apostles so as to excuse ourselves when we too find it difficult to believe the truths of our faith. Furthermore, why remember the apostles for their weakness and not for what they did after Christ's Resurrection? When we think about it, it must be said the apostles were not afraid to face martyrdom for the Lord Jesus.