TUESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER - Jn 20:11-18 - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Jesus said: 'Stop holding on to me, for I hvae not yet ascended to my Father' (Jn 20:17)

READING OF THE DAY

A reading from the Acts of the Apostles

Acts 2:36-41

On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,

“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain

that God has made him both Lord and Christ,

this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,

and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,

“What are we to do, my brothers?”

Peter said to them,

“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,

in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;

and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

For the promise is made to you and to your children

and to all those far off,

whomever the Lord our God will call.”

He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,

“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”

Those who accepted his message were baptized,

and about three thousand persons were added that day.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to John

Jn 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.

TUESDAY IN THE OCTAVE OF EASTER - Jn 20:11-18

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

Today's Word of God reveals: that Mary Magdalene was someone who loved God above all things. Her heart and soul were always devoted to God, her teacher. That love was clearly shown when she went to visit her Master's body: when she did not see her Master's body, she weep bitterly. She saw her teacher standing there, thinking He was the gardener, He asked: “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” How happy for Mary Magdalena, because it was her Teacher, the One she was looking for, who asked her that question directly. God rewarded her love when He showed her the One she was longing to find when He called her name: "Mary!" This was the name that she had heard Him call her every day, so she realized that it was Jesus who was calling her.

How happy are those who are enlightened by God and open their hearts to realize that God's love is coming to them. Only with sincere love and fear for the One she loves, can she meet that One. Human’s greatest desire is to see God, be close to Him, and feel His love. Because of Mary's passionate love for Jesus, God came to her very soul. And how happy she was to be the first person to see the resurrected Lord and also the first person used by God to announce to His disciples: "'I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Through Jesus' death and resurrection, He has connected people with God. People are happy to be His children and to be with Jesus Christ, the One who originates life and gives perfect love and happiness to people.

Today, God calls His children:

- to seek God and stay with Him, to be met by Him, for God to let us feel how happy it is to have God’s love with us.

- To Listen to His teachings by reaching out and preaching God's Word to those around us, so that they too can also enjoy God's happiness, like the image of Mary Magdalene who listened to the Master's words and went to announce to her brothers the words that the Teacher taught.

- Only God's love comes to humans and only by human's response to His love can we meet Him.

Now, He also wants His children to be obedient like Mary Magdalene, to go and proclaim a Christ who died and was resurrected to save humanity.

Thanks be to God. Amen.