Mark 16:9-20

New Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition (NRSVCE)

The Longer Ending of Mark

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

⁹ [[Now after he rose early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he had cast out seven demons. ¹⁰ She went out and told those who had been with him, while they were mourning and weeping. ¹¹ But when they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they would not believe it.

Jesus Appears to Two Disciples

¹² After this he appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. ¹³ And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.

Jesus Commissions the Disciples

¹⁴ Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table; and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen.^{[a] 15} And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news^[b] to the whole creation. ¹⁶ The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; but the one who does not believe will be condemned. ¹⁷ And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; ¹⁸ they will pick up snakes in their hands,^[c] and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”

The Ascension of Jesus

¹⁹ So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. ²⁰ And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.^[d]]]

Prayer:  Come, Holy Spirit, living in Mary… remove all doubt from my heart and increase my faith in Jesus my Lord and my God

Meditation Questions:

• Why the Apostles of Jesus were very slow to believe the resurrection of Jesus?
• Do you, like the Apostles find it difficult to believe in the truth of the resurrection until you have a personal and direct proof from Jesus? Does their doubt strengthen your faith?
• What does it mean to have faith?  Where does faith come from?
• Are faith and Baptism necessary for salvation? Are they sufficient for salvation? Can only Christians be saved?
• The Apostles became the eye witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus, does their faith gives you the courage to carry out the mission that our Lord entrusted to them?
• Did Jesus ascend to heaven by His own power or by other power?
• What does it mean by saying that Jesus “sat at the right hand of God”?