Today’s Gospel is taken from the ‘longer ending’ of St Mark’s Gospel, and here is part of it: ‘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 out 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 this 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 sat at table; and he upbraided them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen’.

One of the baptismal promises that we renewed at the Easter Vigil was ‘I believe and trust in Him’. Perhaps we are like those disciples who heard, but did not believe? Let us pray that we will indeed believe, and put our whole trust in the Risen Lord, who appears to us in many ways throughout our day and in the course of our whole lives.

May God bless you in your life of faith, and be close to you this day.