Eastertide Day 3 – Tuesday April 22 2025
John 20: 11-18 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”
“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.
15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”
Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”
16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”
She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).
17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.
In today’s Gospel, we witness the beautiful encounter between Mary Magdalene and the risen Christ. Mary’s sorrow transforms into joy when she hears Jesus call her by name. This tender moment reminds us that Christ knows each of us personally and calls us by name into a relationship with Him. Like Mary, we may often seek the Lord in our grief or confusion, not recognizing Him in the midst of our circumstances. Yet, He is always near, beckoning us to trust Him and share the good news of His resurrection with others.
As we continue the Easter celebration, let us reflect on how we can be attentive to hearing Christ’s voice in our lives and responding to His call with faith and love.
Prayer: Risen Lord, You called Mary Magdalene by name and revealed Yourself to her in her sorrow. Help us to recognize Your presence in our lives, especially in moments of confusion or despair. Open our ears to hear Your voice and our hearts to respond with joy and gratitude. May we, like Mary, proclaim the good news of Your resurrection to all we meet.
Amen.