11 April, 2023 | Tuesday in the Easter Octave

Gospel: Jn 20: 11-18

 Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.

And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb

and saw two angels in white sitting there,

one at the head and one at the feet

where the Body of Jesus had been.

And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”

She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,

and I don’t know where they laid him.”

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,

but did not know it was Jesus.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?

Whom are you looking for?”

She thought it was the gardener and said to him,

“Sir, if you carried him away,

tell me where you laid him,

and I will take him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”

She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”

which means Teacher.

Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,

for I have not yet ascended to the Father.

But go to my brothers and tell them,

‘I am going to my Father and your Father,

to my God and your God.’”

Mary went and announced to the disciples,

“I have seen the Lord,”

and then reported what he had told her.

Reflection

Mary Magdalene sought the Lord with love and tears. The Lord rewarded these tears of affection and love by calling her “Mary.” When Jesus called Mary Magdalene, her eyes were opened, and she immediately recognised him and was able to call him Rabboni. The voice that called her name wiped away her tears and turned into smiles, her mourning into immense joy. Jesus may show himself to us in any situation, provided we seek him with all our heart, bringing all our brokenness, tragedy, calamity and problems in our family, office or community to him. Our tears may be unnoticed by others, but they are precious to the one who loves us the most, Jesus Christ. Like Mary Magdalene, we must be faithful and long for the Lord. 

Activity:

Allow your faithfulness to Him win a reward for yourself, so that you can say that you have seen and experienced the Risen Lord.