THE WORD
Sg 3,1-4 or 2 Cor 5,14-17 / Jn 20,1-2.11-18
On the rst day of the week, Mary of Magdala 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.” But 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 of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her
IN OTHER WORDS
“I do not want to see you cry again and cause you anymore pain.” Filled with remorse, this was what I said to myself while watching my mother shed tears abundantly. That was thirty-six years ago.
Mary Magdala thought that someone dear to her would no longer be present and visible. She thought that Jesus was taken away from her. Separation could easily put anybody to tears. My mother wept because my wrongdoings could take me away from becoming a good person that she had wanted me to be.
It was the experience of the resurrected Jesus that made Mary Magdala announce the good news to the disciples. The renewed communion with the Lord must have filled her heart with joy.
It was when I saw the presence of Jesus in the goodness and the sacrifices made by my mother, despite the absence of my deceased father, that changed my heart. Communion with Jesus has brought joy to me, to my mother and my family. It has led me to announce the Good News.
- Fr. Redz Domino, SVD | Madrid, Spain
The Word in other words 2016
An annual project of Logos Publications, The WORD in Other Words Bible Diary contains daily scripture readings and reflections written by priest, brothers, and sisters of the three congregations founded by St. Arnold Janssen (the SVD, SSpS, and SSpSAP). It hopes to serve as a daily companion to readers who continually seek the correlation of the Word of God and human experience.
