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Go Into All the World with Easter Courage
Where We Are
Alleluia! Saturday within the Easter Octave brings us to the close of this extraordinary week. For eight days the Church has celebrated one continuous feast, immersing us in the Resurrection from every angle. Today the evangelist Mark gives us the conclusion of his Gospel: the Risen Jesus appears first to Mary Magdalene, then to two disciples walking in the country, and finally to the Eleven at table, where he commissions them to "go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature." In Acts, Peter and John continue to stand before the Sanhedrin, and the authorities are astonished by their confidence, recognizing that "they had been with Jesus."
The Word
In Acts, the members of the Sanhedrin observe the boldness of Peter and John and note they are "men without letters or learning." They recognize these men had been with Jesus. Faced with the healed man standing before them, they cannot deny the miracle. They order the apostles not to speak in Jesus's name, but Peter and John reply, "We cannot help but speak about what we have seen and heard." In Mark's Gospel, the Risen Jesus appears to Mary Magdalene, but when she tells the others, they do not believe. He appears to two disciples on the road, but again the others do not believe. Finally, he appears to the Eleven at table and rebukes their unbelief. Then he gives the Great Commission: "Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to every creature."
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Reflect
As the Easter Octave draws to a close, the readings present us with a pattern that the early Church found both humbling and empowering: the first response to the Resurrection was almost always disbelief.
Mark's Gospel is honest about this. Mary Magdalene tells the disciples, and they do not believe. Two others come with their own testimony, and still the community resists. Jesus has to appear personally at the table and rebuke their hardness of heart before they will accept what has happened. This is not a failure of the witnesses; it is a recognition of how shattering the Resurrection is. It overturns every assumption about what is possible.
And yet, Jesus does not withdraw his commission because of their weakness. He rebukes their unbelief and then, in the very next breath, sends them into all the world. The mission is not given to perfect believers but to imperfect ones who have been confronted by reality too great for their hearts to contain. This should give us enormous hope. God does not wait until we have all the answers before sending us out.
The scene in Acts confirms this. The Sanhedrin is puzzled by Peter and John's confidence. These are uneducated fishermen, and yet they speak with authority. The explanation is simple: "they had been with Jesus." This is the only credential that matters. You do not need advanced degrees or polished speeches. You need an encounter with the Risen Christ, and the willingness to say, "We cannot help but speak about what we have seen and heard."
Tomorrow, the Octave ends and the Easter season continues. But the commission remains: go into all the world.
Living It
As the Easter Octave closes, ask yourself: What have I seen and heard this week? If the Resurrection is real, and the Church has spent eight days insisting that it is, then something should be different about the way you live starting now. Identify one person who needs to hear the Easter message, and share it with them, not as a theological argument, but as a personal witness. "This is what I have seen. This is what I believe." If you feel unqualified, remember that Peter and John were uneducated fishermen. The Sanhedrin's only explanation for their boldness was that they had been with Jesus. Let that be enough for you too.
Prayer
Risen Lord, you sent your first witnesses into all the world, even though they struggled to believe. You did not wait for perfect faith before giving them a mission. Send us now, with all our doubts and limitations. We cannot help but speak about what we have seen and heard. Give us the boldness of Peter, who stood before the powerful and would not be silenced. May everyone we meet recognize that we have been with Jesus. Alleluia. Amen.
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