Saturday in the Octave of Easter

 Lectionary: 266

When he had risen, early on the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had driven seven demons. She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping. When they heard that he was alive and had been seen by her, they did not believe.

The Church regards the last twelve verses of Saint Mark's Gospel as canonical even as scripture scholars tell us that Saint Mark closed the book with 16:8 

Then [the women] went out and fled from the tomb, seized with trembling and bewilderment. They said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.

The universal questions are, "And...? And then what happened? Did they finally tell the disciples? Did the disciples go to Galilee? What did he look like? What did he say? Tell us more!" 

Some have said, the Evangelist dropped dead and couldn't finish it. Other suppose the last pages were mysteriously lost. Neither of those explain anything and both stretch plausibility. 

I am inclined to another explanation. Mark might have replied, "If you don't get it, go back and read it again." 

In his Gospel, Jesus has told us several times of what happens next, 

• 8:31 -- He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer greatly and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed, and rise after three days.
  
  
• 9:31 -- He was teaching his disciples and telling them, “The Son of Man is to be handed over to men and they will kill him, and three days after his death he will rise.”
  
  
• 10:33-34 -- “Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be handed over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles who will mock him, spit upon him, scourge him, and put him to death, but after three days he will rise.”
  
  
• 14: 28 -- [During his Last Supper] "But after I have been raised up, I shall go before you to Galilee.”
  
  
• 14:61-62 -- [And finally, before the entire Sanhedrin] ...the high priest asked him and said to him, “Are you the Messiah, the son of the Blessed One?”
• Then Jesus answered, “I am;
• and ‘you will see the Son of Man
• seated at the right hand of the Power
• and coming with the clouds of heaven.’”

The Gospel ends with a promise and the faithful believe it. Of course we have questions but, more importantly, we have a mission, 

3:14-15 -- He appointed twelve [whom he also named apostles] that they might be with him and he might send them forth to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.

Mark has told us we are fishers of men, sowers of seed, lamplighters, and tenants in his vineyard. Our word will calm storms, drive out demons, and raise the dead. We will stay together with Peter and his successors, for he is our spokesman and we are united in his word. 

Does anyone expect this to be easy? We'll enjoy success, prosperity, fame, and ease? Where in the Gospel does it say that? 

Rather, "You will be hated by all because of my name. But the one who perseveres to the end will be saved." Mark 13:13