2 April, 2024 | Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

 Reading : Acts 2:36-41

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.

Reflections: 

The encounter between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Lord is beautifully described in today's Gospel.  It is the Gospel of John that highlights Mary's role on Easter Sunday. Mary seems to have been alone weeping outside the tomb, but in fact she was not alone. The one for whom she was weeping was present to her, even if she did not recognize him. The Risen Lord is always present to us in our moments of sadness and grief, in our times of struggle and need. Like Mary Magdalene, we do not always recognize the presence of the Lord because we are often overwhelmed by grief and fear. We can become so absorbed in our grief or distress that we struggle to see beyond it. At such times we often need to find a quiet moment to be in the presence of the Risen Lord and to hear him call our name as he called Mary's name to her. 

Action: 

In the silence of my heart I'll listen to the Lord call my name and my answer: "Master".