Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to 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.
Don’t hold on to me
1. Weeping. We see Mary “weeping outside the tomb”. She weeps because she looks at what has been lost, but she can’t see the Risen Christ because she doesn’t raise her eyes. There are times when you have your eyes on what causes death and anguish, you might even become obsessed with things that cause pain, and you are one step away from being a masochist. Even having the opportunity of getting out of the situation, you keep focusing on it. You keep looking at the “corpse” of your failures or at what you’ve lost, but not at the opportunity that appears. You cry over what you’ve suffered, but you don’t see the joy that something new can bring to you. Stop crying about something that has already ended and start enjoying the opportunity that is presented to you. Drive away whatever doesn’t give you peace and only causes pain! Wipe away your tears that don’t let you see clearly. Look up!
2. She didn’t recognize Him. Many times, we look at things without really seeing or understanding them. And this may cause suffering. It’s faith that opens your eyes and allows you to see life in a different way. At first, Mary did not recognize Jesus because her anxiety didn’t allow her to do so. When you are focused on your pain, it’s like you can’t look beyond it. Often, your pain and distress don’t allow you to see the wonderful things that are given to you in life. That’s why you need to calm down and listen. You must learn to listen, in order to recognize Jesus. When you recognize Jesus’s voice in your life you’ll feel safe and full of peace. Don’t let the tears and pains of your life make you myopic in life.
3. Proclaim. Jesus asks Mary Magdalene to go and tell others what she has seen and heard. He asks her to let everyone know He has risen. From being a sinner, Mary becomes a missionary; from feeling anguish and grief, she becomes a woman of hope. Stop crying at the tomb of the things that are already dead in your life and let go of whatever makes you cry. Stop bringing to your mind dead things that only cause tears and pain. Give yourself the opportunity to meet Life, to look at the life that you’re given and set out to live and help others. Proclaim that death is not the last word. Proclaim that it is possible to get out of even the worse situations. Proclaim that as long as there is a mission and a beating heart many things can be accomplished. May this Easter allow you to resurrect and discover that everything can be different if you’re willing to wipe your tears and see life from God’s view. Happy Easter! Christ and you are alive!
Remember that something good is on the way!
May God bless you and be with you in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
