Gospel, (John 20:11-18)
Gospel of Our Lord Jesus Christ according to Saint John
Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene
11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look[a] into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. 13 They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” 14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (Which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” 18 Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection
“Why are you crying”? “Who are you looking for?” The angels and Jesus ask Mary Magdalene. Upon hearing her name “Mary”, she recognizes the Lord, and adores him. Her heart is filled with joy, she runs to announce the divine news, and forever, through her mouth, this ‘Good News’ will continue to be heard: “I saw the risen Lord”. This is what the assembly of his disciples proclaims here today.
Jesus also asks us today, who are you looking for? We do not always know what we are looking for, but He does. He knows that I thirst for fulfilment, for freedom, for happiness and especially for God.
I seek Him! Such an encounter happens when I become aware of my identity and what I am to Him. The encounter is necessary and happens when I can see myself and become fully aware of what I am and, above all, of what I am to him. At that moment I stop shedding tears, my life becomes divine and I begin to be the ‘Good News’, for everyone. I begin to feel like a participant in a great mission: to bear witness of His Love to my brothers.
“The Lord” is the one I look for in the labyrinth of my life. Without knowing where to look and how to look, it suddenly appears as a Divine light that transforms everything, when, I hear my name pronounced by His divine voice. Then I know that everything was worth it and nothing was in vain. Without You Lord I am nothing, stay with me Lord, every moment of my life.
Today, I will feel the Lord’s presence and rejoice that because I belong to Him, I am part of His Church.
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, give us the grace to be able to exclaim like Mary Magdalene; “I saw the Lord!” and to be able to be missionaries of the Good News. Make us understand, more and more, the absolute necessity of You, for us to be credible witnesses of your Love. Amen.