April 19, 2022

Reflection: Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?

The tomb is empty...

But Mary 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.  John 20:11-14

Meditation

Place yourself at the tomb. Mary is weeping and so are you. Suddenly, Jesus is standing there in your midst. At first, you do not recognize him. Jesus said to you, "Why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Then He calls you by name and you know it is Jesus. He is truly risen! You embrace Him and He looks at you with great love and says, "Stop holding on to Me...Go to My brothers and tell them" Mary went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord." 

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 of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and what He told her. John 20:15-18

Can YOU see the Lord? Turn to the Holy Spirit in prayer and Eucharistic adoration and ask Him to give you the courage and the words to draw others close to Him. He will fill you with His love, peace and joy and send you out to go and tell others about Him and His great love. 

How often do you want to hold onto something that you know you need to let go? How do you let go? You let go by asking Jesus to help you. He wants you to let go of attachments to the world and to people. He wants you to go and tell others about Him and how much He loves them. Mary of Magdala ran to the disciples and proclaimed, "I have seen the Lord!"

Can YOU see the Lord? Open your heart and invite him in. Then bring others to Him. Who is it in your life who is far away from the Lord? Ask Jesus to help you reach out to that person. When we bring others to our Blessed Mother Mary, she will bring them to her Beloved Son.

The promise is made to you and to your children, and to all those far off, whomever the Lord our God will call. Acts 2:39

This promise is the gift of the Holy Spirit that Peter spoke of on the day of Pentecost. Jesus has risen from the dead!  Morning has broken.

Jesus has called YOU by name. He has given YOU a mission and commissioned YOU to go and tell others about Him. Are you seeking Him? Can YOU see Him?

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