Gospel: John
20:1-2, 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.
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Reflection:
How would
feel if a very close friend or relative dies? Surely it would be very
devastating as if your world has momentarily ended. This was the feeling of
Mary Magdalene she was so devastated by the death of her beloved friend Jesus.
Mary
Magdalene was so consumed by the death of Jesus that she failed to recognize
the resurrected Jesus who asked her why she was weeping (John 20:14-15). Then afterwards
Jesus revealed Himself to her and Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus (John 20:16).
Death is
a certainty of life, it visits anyone of us at a time that it chooses. A time
that often times we don’t like but death comes to us and nobody can prevent it
for it’s the cycle of our lives. But after death comes life, life that is very much
different from the life that we have in this world. Perhaps this was the reason why Mary Magdalene
did not recognize the resurrected Jesus when He appeared to her. Mary Magdalene
could not distinguish the image of the resurrected Jesus as opposed to Jesus
before His death.
The
resurrected Jesus also personally manifests Himself to you yet you don’t pay
attention to Him. He comes to you
through the poor that you often see begging for whatever that you could give
them. Jesus also manifests Himself to you through a sick relative or friend who
is longing for your visit. Jesus also manifests Himself to you through a
relative or a friend who is badly in need of your help yet you choose to give
the things that you don’t need anymore.
And there
are many more times that Jesus had manifested Himself to you but you choose
to ignore Him. – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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