Misunderstanding and Mission

 The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, Saturday in the Octave of Easter, resonate with the experience we may have had when the intent of our actions have been misunderstood and we have had to proceed in spite of our being misunderstood.

Continue to Care

In the Reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter and John are questioned before the Sanhedrin.

* [4:1] The priests, the captain of the temple guard, and the Sadducees: the priests performed the temple liturgy; the temple guard was composed of Levites, whose captain ranked next after the high priest. The Sadducees, a party within Judaism at this time, rejected those doctrines, including bodily resurrection, which they believed alien to the ancient Mosaic religion. The Sadducees were drawn from priestly families and from the lay aristocracy.

* [4:11] Early Christianity applied this citation from Ps 118:22 to Jesus; cf. Mk 12:10; 1 Pt 2:7. (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 118 recounts God’s rescue.

The people confidently implored God’s help (Ps 118:5–9) when hostile peoples threatened its life (Ps 118:10–14); vividly God’s rescue is recounted (Ps 118:15–18). Then follows a possible dialogue at the Temple gates between the priests and the psalmist as the latter enters to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice (Ps 118:19–25). Finally, the priests impart their blessing (Ps 118:26–27), and the psalmist sings in gratitude (Ps 118:28–29). (Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Mark presents a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus.

* [16:9–20] This passage, termed the Longer Ending to the Marcan gospel by comparison with a much briefer conclusion found in some less important manuscripts, has traditionally been accepted as a canonical part of the gospel and was defined as such by the Council of Trent. Early citations of it by the Fathers indicate that it was composed by the second century, although vocabulary and style indicate that it was written by someone other than Mark. It is a general resume of the material concerning the appearances of the risen Jesus, reflecting, in particular, traditions found in Lk 24 and Jn 20. (Mark, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB, n.d.)

Michele Bogard shares that faith defies logic. It is a conversation she has many times nowadays when people ask “How I can still be Catholic in today’s day and age.” And despite all the madness across the lands, she shares that faith defies logic.

Mary Magdalene’s faith defied logic. Jesus appeared to a woman first post-resurrection. …

Her faith defied logic and the law. Her faith and story of repentance cast her into a role that made her the perfect “apostle to the apostles,” as some say. Humility trumps position, wealth, and power. 

Today I celebrate the Resurrection story. I also celebrate Mary Magdalene’s faith and courage to proclaim what she saw and witnessed. I celebrate that God dignified women in this pivotal moment in our collective faith story. (Bogard, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “The Great Commission,” by Augustine of Hippo, 430-543 A.D.

"The command to the apostles to be witnesses to him in Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and even to the uttermost parts of the earth was not addressed exclusively to those to whom it was immediately spoken. They alone would not be the only ones who would carry such an enormous task to completion. Similarly he seems to be speaking to the apostles very personally when he says: "Behold I am with you even to the end of the world," yet who does not know that he made this promise to the universal church which will last from now even to the consummation of the world by successive births and deaths?" (excerpt from Letter 199, To Hesychius 49) (Schwager, n.d.)

The Word Among Us Meditation on Mark 16:9-15 comments that even though they doubted and didn’t believe those Easter eyewitnesses, Jesus still didn’t give up on the Eleven who were very close to Jesus during his three years of ministry.

Jesus hasn’t given up on you, either. Maybe you serve in a ministry in your church. Maybe you’ve been a faithful Catholic all your life. Maybe you’ve participated in numerous Bible studies. But you still might let doubt or unbelief get the better of you at times. Even then, Jesus still tells you, Go, proclaim the gospel.

If you’ve found yourself less excited about sharing the good news than you once were, remember the Eleven. You are not disqualified by your lack of confidence or zeal. Keep sharing the gospel, keep sharing your testimony of what God has done in your life, and keep shining the light of Christ through your joy, your kindness, and your good deeds.

“Jesus, thank you for calling me to share your good news. Help me to shine for you today.” (Meditation on Mark 16:9-15, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler comments that in Acts, the Sanhedrin have called in Peter and John after the kerygma and first healing. They are very cheeky and challenge the judges to determine if they should obey God or the authorities. The Longer Ending to the Gospel of Mark, after verse 8, needed some additions to improve the ending. Friar Jude notes that a scribe likely has added material from other Gospels: from John for the encounter with Mary Magdalene, the Emmaus from Luke and commissioning of the Apostles from Matthew. 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces peace activist Father John Dear who finds encouragement for living a nonviolent life in Jesus’s words to his disciples after his resurrection.

When he rose from the dead and appeared to his awe-struck disciples on that Easter Sunday night, [Jesus] told them repeatedly, “Peace be with you.” He showed them his wounds, and repeated his greeting, “Peace be with you.” In that resurrection moment, he offered a peace that is not of this world. It is the peace that comes about through total surrender, nonviolence, non-retaliation, and unconditional, universal love. If, like the nonviolent Jesus, we choose not to respond to violence with further violence, if we dare respond with love, surrender ourselves to God, and practice creative nonviolence, then, come what may, we will know a new kind of peace.

…

If we dare surrender to the God of Universal Love and Peace right now, then we can go forth into the world of violence and war, without fear, worry, anxiety, or anger, and be transforming agents of loving nonviolence like Gandhi and Dr. King, and know, with the medieval mystic Julian of Norwich, that “all will be well, all will be well, all manner of things will be well.” (Rohr, n.d.)

We seek reassurance from the Spirit that “all will be well” as we act in response to our Baptismal Anointing as priest, prophet, and leader in our environment.

References

Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/4?13 

Bogard, M. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-april-11-2026 

Mark, CHAPTER 16 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/mark/16?9 

Meditation on Mark 16:9-15. (n.d.). Word Among Us. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://wau.org/meditations/2026/04/11/1541283/ 

Psalms, PSALM 118 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/118?1 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). The Easter Story: Weekly Summary. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/the-easter-story-weekly-summary/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Go and Preach the Gospel to the Whole Creation. Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 11, 2026, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/ 

Mission and Martyrs

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary, today, in Canada, are those from the Feast of the Martyrs St. Jean DeBrebeuf and St. Isaac Jogues, among eight Jesuit martyrs of North America in the 17th Century. The reflections from the USCCB Readings for today connect fairly well with the CCCB readings for the feast, by encouraging our reflection and recommission to our vocation as brothers and sisters of Jesus.

Culture Conflict and Christ

The CCCB reading from the Book of Revelation declares the Triumph of the Elect.

* [7:1–17] An interlude of two visions precedes the breaking of the seventh seal, just as two more will separate the sixth and seventh trumpets (Rev 10). In the first vision (Rev 7:1–8), the elect receive the seal of the living God as protection against the coming cataclysm; cf. Rev 14:1; Ez 9:4–6; 2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:13; 4:30. The second vision (Rev 7:9–17) portrays the faithful Christians before God’s throne to encourage those on earth to persevere to the end, even to death. (Revelation, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB, n.d.)

The CCCB Reading from the Second Letter of Paul to the Corinthians proclaims the Paradox of the Ministry.

* [4:7–5:10] Paul now confronts the difficulty that his present existence does not appear glorious at all; it is marked instead by suffering and death. He deals with this by developing the topic already announced in 2 Cor 3:3, 6, asserting his faith in the presence and ultimate triumph of life, in his own and every Christian existence, despite the experience of death. (2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB, n.d.)

The CCCB offers the Gospel of Luke to reveal the Conditions of Discipleship

* [9:23] Daily: this is a Lucan addition to a saying of Jesus, removing the saying from a context that envisioned the imminent suffering and death of the disciple of Jesus (as does the saying in Mk 8:34–35) to one that focuses on the demands of daily Christian existence. (Luke, CHAPTER 9, n.d.)

The Gospel of John explores the Coming of Jesus’ Hour in the CCCB reading today.

* [12:24] This verse implies that through his death Jesus will be accessible to all. It remains just a grain of wheat: this saying is found in the synoptic triple and double traditions (Mk 8:35; Mt 16:25; Lk 9:24; Mt 10:39; Lk 17:33). John adds the phrases (Jn 12:25) in this world and for eternal life.

* [12:25] His life: the Greek word psychē refers to a person’s natural life. It does not mean “soul,” for Hebrew anthropology did not postulate body/soul dualism in the way that is familiar to us. (John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB, n.d.)

Greg Dyche ponders not so much which path he is choosing but how he chooses to travel on any path.

Maybe like Jesus says in Mark 10:45 “to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many”? While my journey doesn’t lead to the cross, it does lead to helping others, to serve. How I serve matters. I don’t want to focus on fixing people. I want to focus on adoring people, seeing them as God sees them. “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”

I don’t really understand yet, but I like Mother Teresa’s idea of seeing “Jesus in His most distressing disguise.” She’s a saint, and I am not, so I do get discouraged. I recall the advice from Haggai, “have courage, work, and fear not.” (Dyche, n.d.)

Don Schwager quotes “Peter confesses that Jesus is God's Anointed Son and Savior of all,” by Cyril of Alexandria (376-444 AD).

"You see the skillfulness of the question. He [Jesus] did not at once say, 'Who do you say that I am?' He refers to the rumor of those that were outside their company. Then, having rejected it and shown it unsound, he might bring them back to the true opinion. It happened that way. When the disciples had said, 'Some, John the Baptist, and others, Elijah, and others, that some prophet of those in old time has risen up,' he said to them, 'But you, who do you say that I am?' Oh! how full of meaning is that word you! He separates them from all others, that they may also avoid the opinions of others. In this way, they will not conceive an unworthy idea about him or entertain confused and wavering thoughts. Then they will not also imagine that John had risen again, or one of the prophets. 'You,' he says, 'who have been chosen,' who by my decree have been called to the apostleship, who are the witnesses of my miracles. Who do you say that I am?'"(excerpt from COMMENTARY ON LUKE, HOMILY 49) (Schwager, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes the role of the ruling Jew in Israel on the work on the Temple This effort is not in vain but it is not the Temple of David that was destroyed but they are making room for the glory of God on the Earth. In Luke, Jesus asks “Who do the people say I am” “The Christ of God” . Jesus as “The Son of Man” predicts His mission using a title from Daniel and vocabulary from Second Isaiah, about the Suffering Servant, who is killed, buried and raised on the third day. Friar Jude reminds us how Jesus defines His ministry in these references.

Fr. Mike Schmitz encourages us not to be discouraged about the small things happening in our lives, because just as we see through Zechariah's visions, God takes small things and turns them into great triumphs. He also touches on the dedication of Israel to rebuild the temple, and the connection between the crowning of Joshua and the crowning of Christ the King. Today's readings are Ezra 5-6, Zechariah 4-6, and Proverbs 20:8-11.

Father Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces longtime nonviolent activist Father John Dear who describes his own awakening to the connection between violence in the world and violence against the earth.

One day, while sitting in my house studying the Sermon on the Mount, I saw it right there in front of me. “Blessed are the meek,” Jesus says in the Beatitudes. Thomas Merton wrote that “meekness” is the biblical word for nonviolence. “Blessed are the nonviolent,” Jesus is saying, as if he were an ancient Gandhi, an ancient Dorothy Day, an ancient Martin Luther King Jr. “They will inherit the earth.” There it is. Blessed are the meek, the gentle, the nonviolent—they will inherit the earth. A life of nonviolence leads to oneness with creation and her creatures.  

A life of violence, of course, leads to an abrupt discord with creation. In a time of permanent warfare, nuclear weapons, and catastrophic climate change, the message couldn’t be clearer. The God of peace, the nonviolent Jesus, and his Holy Spirit call us to practice nonviolence. In that way, we’ll renounce and stop our environmental destruction, tend our Garden of Eden together, and restore creation to its rightful peace…. (Rohr, n.d.)

The role of the disciples of Christ to act on their Baptismal anointing as priest, prophet, and leader may be rejected or misunderstood, challenging us to seek consolation and support from the Prince of Peace through our mystical connection with the Holy Spirit.

References

Dyche, G. (n.d.). Daily Reflection. Creighton Online Ministries: Home. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/daily-reflections/daily-reflection-september-26-2025 

John, CHAPTER 12 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/12 

Luke, CHAPTER 9. (n.d.). USCCB. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/9 

Revelation, CHAPTER 7 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/revelation/7 

Rohr, R. (n.d.). Making Peace with the Earth. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/making-peace-with-the-earth/ 

Schwager, D. (n.d.). Who Do You Say That Jesus Is? Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=sep26 

2 Corinthians, CHAPTER 4 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 26, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/2corinthians/4