Mk 16:9-15
Appearances of the Risen Jesus: In the midst of the general rejoicing that accompanies the second day of the paschal festival then being celebrated, Jesus’ disciples remain sorrowful. They do not dare believe what they consider as idle tales of Mary Magdalene and the other holy women about Jesus having risen. Cleopas and his companion, on their way home to their native village disappointedly, meet the risen Jesus. It is only in sharing the Eucharist that they recognize Jesus, who then vanishes. The two disciples, carried away by joy, spread the Good News as quickly as they could. At Jerusalem, they find the eleven Apostles reunited with a few companions, all under strong emotion.
Whereas Peter and John have returned from the tomb, Mary Magdalene would not go away. She was the last to leave both the cross and the sepulchre; she is the first to come back to the tomb. She finds it empty. Now she could not tear herself away from it, but stays outside and cries. For her, there is no one else. She has no fear, because one fears only when one loves, and her love is gone.
But then, the risen Lord appears and sends Mary to tell the apostles that he is risen. Early on, Mary comes to be known as “the apostle to the apostles.”