In today’s Gospel, Jesus rebukes the Eleven for their unbelief and their hardness of heart. Mary Magdalene tells them of her encounter with the Risen Christ and they do not believe her. Two others, unnamed, do the same, and still the Eleven refuse to believe. Their hardness of heart prevents them from seeing the truth.
Witness is one of the most important elements of our faith. It is in fact, what bonds us together; we are a community of witnesses. As such, we must learn to listen and be attentive to one another, especially to those we may esteem as smaller, or less advanced in the faith. Very often, it is they who will point us to the presence of the Risen Lord living among us. Then, together as one body, one community of witnesses, we will “go into the whole world and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”