Commentary on the Gospel of
Unbelief and Mission
In today’s gospel, the unbelief of the disciples is mentioned three times. Neither the first-person narratives of Mary of Magdala and the two disciples from Emmaus nor the direct encounters with the Risen Lord has kindled faith in some of the apostles. Jesus reproaches them, but surprisingly, still trusts them with the missionary mandate to bear witness. This could be consoling: There are times when we come across ministers of the sacraments who have less than ideal conviction about what they do; but that does not negate the validity of the sacraments. And, there are times we ourselves find it hard to believe some of the claims of the Creed. But that should not prevent us from practicing or preaching it. Doubt is not always an enemy of faith; Now we know through a glass darkly, then we will know face to face (cf. 1 Cor 13:12). Until then, we do as he has asked us to do.
