Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Jn 20: 11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 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.’”
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.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
Jn 20: 11-18
But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; 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. 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.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). 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.’”
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.
New Revised Standard Version, copyright 1989, by the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. USCCB approved.
Share the Powerful Moments of Faith
“I have seen the Lord.”
Happy Easter. Again, and again, and again. The Easter season is a week of Sundays (7 Sundays). It is important to celebrate the Risen Christ each day for 50 days!!! Wholeheartedly! Our Gospel reading today from St. John offers us an example of Mary Magdalene being wholehearted. She is weeping because she doesn’t see Jesus. She is passionate in expressing her desire when she does see Jesus. Jesus cautions her not to hold on to him.
Have you ever experienced a moment of your faith that you wanted to hold on to, to cling to! You never want it to stop! Yet Jesus advises Mary not to cling, as Jesus has more to do with her, with us.
Share the powerful moments of faith with others, wholeheartedly, as we are invited to by Jesus. Grow in awareness of the new life offered to us all. Alleluia! Celebrate!
—Fr. Kevin Schneider, SJ, is a Jesuit of the Midwest Province and a spiritual director and priest in residence at The Cloisters on the Platte Retreat Center in Gretna, Nebraska.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, we ask you now to help us to remain with you always, to be close to you with all the ardor of our hearts, to take up, joyfully, the mission you entrust to us, and that is to continue your presence and spread the good news of your resurrection.
—Carlo Maria Martini, SJ