Reflection for April 22 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter: John 20:11-18

Gospel: John 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.

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Reflection:

Are you always aware of the movement and presence of the Lord Jesus Christ in your life?

For example, you’re leaning toward committing sin. Then, out of the blue, you are suddenly reminded of the evils and the punishment that could come after committing sin. 

You immediately become aware of this mistake, as if you were doused with cold water. You realize that the devil is leading you to destroy yourself. 

Who gave you this enlightenment? Who stopped the devil from destroying you? It’s none other than Jesus Himself!  

Jesus is omnipresent. He is always with us. He walks with us, He cries and commiserates with us. He comforts us. He gives us hope. He is an ever-present shoulder to cry and lean on. But we are not always aware of this fact.  

Mary Magdalene, in our Gospel reading, was not aware that Jesus was already beside her. She thought He was the gardener—until Jesus called her name. And right there, she became aware that she was already with Jesus (John 20:14–16). 

How can we always discern the presence of Jesus in our lives? 

We must have our regular prayer time—prayer time means time spent conversing with and listening to Jesus. We must always attend Holy Mass and receive Him during Holy Communion. We must read about Him in the Bible, and we must also lead a life worthy in the eyes of Jesus. 

Do you have an awareness of Jesus' presence in your life? – Marino J. Dasmarinas