Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint John 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

We continue celebrating because He has risen

1) Cry. Tears reflect uncertainty, feeling overwhelmed by the situation and that is what happens to you so many times when deep down inside yourself you feel like you’re playing off-side, you feel helpless because you don’t know how things are going to develop. How many times have you cried because someone has stolen your hope and your certainty? Don’t let yourself be robbed; you have a lot to give.

2) Listen. Mary Magdalene takes the attitude of listening, of paying attention to the voice of the person speaking to her. You have to recognize Jesus, listen, learn to listen. When you recognize Jesus’s voice in your life you will feel safe and full of peace. It is when you acknowledge Jesus that you can realize that your hope is alive, you realize that you are more alive than ever.

3) Go. It is what Jesus asks of her, to go and tell others what she has seen. He tells her to get out, and let everyone know He has risen, He asks her to proclaim his resurrection. When a Christian meets Jesus, he or she doesn’t remain still, simply thinking about how and where it happened. No! He puts on some comfortable shoes and goes out to tell others that Christ is more alive than ever.

Cry, because it does you good, but learn to listen and then to go out and proclaim.

May God bless you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Never forget that Heaven is our goal.