Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to John 20, 1-12.11-18
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
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.
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 Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.
Stop holding on to me
1. It was still dark. In life there are moments when we can’t see things so well. There are situations when not everything is evident, when you can’t see distinctly, but you know that something is going on. There are things that are not clear in your heart or in your head. In moments like that, it’s good to learn to wait and to observe, and to try to find clarity, even when walking through darkness. Mary Magdalene had a broken heart, but she kept walking towards the place where the Person who had changed her life had been laid. Today, I invite you to keep on walking, even if your heart and hope have been shattered. Don’t let sadness destroy you or pull you down. Look for Jesus, the One who changed you and changes your life. Go out to search for him. Don’t remain locked up in your fears and your pain.
2. Why are you weeping? What is it that makes you cry today and makes you lose your stability? Go back to talk to Jesus for comfort. Live spirituality. Don’t let tears make you lose the center of your heart. Even when you feel helpless or alone, remember that Jesus offers peace—keep your focus on Him to calm your heart.
3. Proclaim. Mary goes out and proclaims. She shows that Jesus is alive, and she shows us that every sinner can become a witness of love. Faith is the path that takes you from tears to joy. It’s what allows you to be a messenger of life and hope. Come on! May your faith not falter and may your tears not be a cause for a fall but for an encounter with the Risen One. Keep looking at the risen Christ, go out and proclaim.
