First reading Song of Songs 3:1-4
I found him whom my heart loves
The bride says this:
On my bed, at night, I sought him
whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
So I will rise and go through the City;
in the streets and in the squares
I will seek him whom my heart loves.
I sought but did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me
on their rounds in the City:
‘Have you seen him whom my heart loves?’
Scarcely had I passed them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
Responsorial Psalm 62(63):2-6,8-9
For you my soul is thirsting, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God, for you I long;
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life,
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life,
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet,
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
For you have been my help;
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you;
your right hand holds me fast.
Gospel John 20:1-2,11-18
‘Mary, go and find the brothers and tell them’
It was very early on the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb and came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved. ‘They have taken the Lord out of the tomb’ she said ‘and we don’t know where they have put him.’
Meanwhile Mary stayed outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, still weeping, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ ‘They have taken my Lord away’ she replied ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not recognise him. Jesus said, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She knew him then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’ – which means Master. Jesus said to her, ‘Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.
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Jesus is with us, and thus, we are never alone
Mary Magdalene stood outside the empty tomb, weeping because she thought someone had taken Jesus’ body away. “…she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus”. Completely absorbed in her sadness, she could not recognize Jesus standing there with her and thought He was the gardener instead. Imagine the joy when she heard Jesus’ voice calling her “Mary” and recognizing His presence with her.
Today’s feast of Mary Magdalene invites us to recognize Jesus’ living presence with us in our moments of grief and in our times of suffering. We are never alone. Often overwhelmed with sadness and fear, we are not aware of His presence in our lives. Today, the risen Jesus continues to be present with us and never stops calling us by our names anddrawing close to us, especially when we face challenging times of loss and struggle. May the story of Mary Magdalene inspire us to keep on seeking to encounter the loving presence of Jesus in our daily lives.
Question for reflection:
What is Jesus’ invitation for me today?
What is Jesus’ invitation for me today?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year C” by Sr Sandra Seow FMVD.
