Encountering the Risen Christ and Sent to Announce His Rising

In today's Gospel, John 20: 11-18, Mary Magdalene is standing outside the tomb weeping.  She is looking for Jesus but does not find Him.  When she looks into the empty tomb, two angels are sitting, one at the head and the other at the feet where Jesus had been put wrapped in burial cloths. The angels say to Mary: "Woman, why are you weeping?"  Mary replies:  "They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they have laid him."  She turns away from the tomb and sees a man standing behind her. She thinks that he is the gardener.  He asks her: "Woman, why are you weeping?" She says to the man:  "Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him." The risen Christ says to her: "Mary"! And  immediately she recognizes the "gardener" as Jesus.   He commissions her to go announce the good news of His resurrection to the apostles and to tell them that  He is "going to  my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." Mary follows Christ's instructions and tells the disciples: "I have seen the Lord."

Would you or I have gone to the tomb looking for Jesus? Or would we have remained in hiding afraid of the Jews?  Nothing stops Mary Magdalene. She is going to find the body of Jesus, her Lord, Master and intimate friend, and give him a proper burial.  She certainly is going to save him from being further disrespected by anyone!  She gets to the tomb.  It is open and empty. She panics!  Where is the body? What has happened to him? Where has he been taken?  Who took him? As she looks more closely, she sees two angels sitting where the body of Jesus had been lain. And they engage her, wanting to know why she is weeping!  Did she forget that Jesus had said that after three days He would rise again? In her anxiety, she turns away from the empty tomb and behind her is the Risen Christ, whom she does not recognize until He speaks her name. She then knows!

God knows each one of us by name, as well! God knows when we are searching for Him.  He also knows how often we do not recognize Him in our midst. It is only when we have allowed Jesus to become our best friends and He calls us by name that our eyes are opened to His Presence!  May we take time each day to deepen our relationship with the Lord. Let us also look for Christ each day in the people we encounter!

"Come and see"

In today's Gospel, John 1: 43-51, we are told that Jesus decided to go to Galilee, where he found Philip and says to him: "Follow me." Philip, in turn, finds Nathaniel and says to him:  "We have found the one about whom Moses wrote in the law, and also the prophets, Jesus, son of Joseph, from Nazareth."  "From Nazareth?" Philip responds. "'Can anything good come from Nazareth?'...'Come and see.'"  Jesus sees Nathaniel coming toward him and says of him: "Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him....'How do you know me?'...'Before Philip called you, I saw you under the fig tree.'"

Jesus comes to our countries, villages, cities, reservations, homes in search of us, as well. He finds us under "our fig trees," or does He? Are we too busy about many thing to stop and think, stop and reflect, stop and ponder, stop and be quiet?  If we pause, become silent, take time to seek Jesus, we open our heart to hear His voice. He says to us, as He said to Philip:  "Follow Me. Come to know me! Come, develop a personal relationship with Me. Good does come from growing close to Me. And good does come from the place where you were born. Other may not think so, but I do!"

Like Nathaniel, may our eyes be open to Jesus, the Son of God, in our midst, dwelling, in fact, in the very core of our being. We won't realize that, however, if we shun alone time, if we don't take time to sit under "our fig trees," if we do not seek the Lord regularly, consistently in personal quiet prayer  time! We might use that quiet time simply uttering the name of Jesus or gazing upon the face of the Lord, on contemplating a phrase from the psalms or a favorite Scripture passage.

Jesus Comes to Your "House" Today

In today's Gospel, Luke 19: 1-10, Zacchaeus, a chief tax collector, who gained his wealth by cheating people, learns that Jesus is passing by his house.  He is a short man so he climbs a sycamore tree to get a glimpse of Him.  Jesus looks up and says: "Zacchaeus, come down quickly, for today I must stay at your house."  Quickly, Zacchaeus comes down and joyfully receives Jesus into his house, and vows to make restitution to those he has cheated: "'Behold, half of my possessions [and he is a wealthy man], Lord, I shall give to the poor, and if I have extorted anything from anyone I shall repay it four times over.'  And Jesus said to  him, 'Today salvation has come to this house because this man too is a descendant of Abraham. For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save what was lost."

Jesus sees and knows who is seeking Him even when the person him/herself does not realize that one's frantic engagement in this and that, running here and there, switching jobs and relationships feverishly is actually a search for the Divine, for the Reconciler, for the One who really brings salvation to one's "house."  And as urgent as a person's search for that which he/she believes is the answer to his/her problems, just as urgent is Jesus' invitation:  "Come down quickly," Jesus says to Zacchaeus.  He says the same to us: "Come quickly; salvation has come to your house today"!  Jesus does not want us to delay our coming to Him or letting Him come to us with the gift of salvation!

Am I, are you, willing to step off the speeding "train"of distractions and spend time with Jesus? will you, will I , accept Jesus' invitation today? He truly wants to bring salvation to our "houses."

Why Am I Looking for Jesus

In today's Gospel, John 6: 22-29, the 5000+ people who had been fed by Jesus go looking for him.  His disciples had left to go across the sea to Capernaum but Jesus had not gone with them.  When these people find Jesus, He reads their hearts, knowing that they simply  want more to eat. "Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not look for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him, the Father, God, has set his seal."  The people then inquire of him what they can do "accomplish the work of God".  Jesus replies: "This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent."

I suggest that we ask ourselves the question: For whom/what am I looking? Am I truly looking for the things of heaven, for the strength I need to be God's co-worker here on earth in building a Kingdom of love, mercy and peace?  Am I looking for the wisdom to make a difference in the world and to bring forth new life out of that which depletes life, out of the stirred-up chaos, the "muddy messiness" of our lives so that new life emerges?  Or do I go running to Jesus simply to relieve my physical hunger  and not to be empowered as co-creator,  as peacemaker, as one who makes the new happen and who turns weapons "into plowshares"(cf Joel 3:10).

"Woman, why are you weeping?"

Happy Easter! Imagine this day! The disciples are in deep mourning over the crucifixion and death of their Lord and Master. Its a bla, bleak, dark, empty day. At this point, the disciples still do not believe what Jesus told them that, in three days, he would rise again. Death would have no power over Him.  

He In today’s Gospel, John 20: 1-9,  Mary of Magdala goes to the tomb and finds it empty. Jesus is not there. Frightened that someone stole the body, she runs to Simon Peter and John and reports the empty tomb. Peter and John dash to the tomb, John arriving first but, out of respect, waits for Peter to arrive and enter the tomb. Peter finds it empty as well, the burial cloths in which the body of Jesus was wrapped neatly folded.  From Peter’s perspective, the body of Jesus is gone.

John enters the empty tomb. “He saw and believed.”

Would you be Peter or John? Would you only see an empty tomb? Are you unbelieving, going about your business today, living your life by celebrating holidays, not holy days? Is Easter only about bunnies and Easter eggs and champagne and Easter lambs to be eaten, enjoyed and then life goes on in a secular, detached, unbelieving way? Is your faith dead or dying, in a weakened state, to say the least?

Jesus, our Lord and Incarnate God, crucified, put to death, has risen. He does so quietly, so to speak, breaking the chains of death, destroying Satan’s power and opening the gates to eternal life for each  one of us.   No crowds of people witness the resurrection, as John reports it. Jesus is risen. While Peter and John went into the tomb,  Mary of Magdala stood outside the tomb weeping.  “As she wept, she stooped to look inside [after Peter and John had left], and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, ‘Woman why are you weeping?’  ‘They have taken my Lord away,’ she replied, ‘and I don’t know where they have put him.’ As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realize that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?’  Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, ‘Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.’ Jesus said, ‘Mary!’ She turned around then and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbuni!’…” (John 20: 11-16).

For whom or what are you weeping? For whom are you looking? Do you recognize Jesus in your midst? Do you hear Jesus whispering your name? Or is Jesus not someone with whom you have a first-name relationship, a friendship that does not allow you to leave the "empty tombs" of your life until you find Him?

Looking for Jesus

Today we celebrate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the first person to witness to, believe and to proclaim the resurrection of Jesus from the dead.  Very early in the morning,  while it was still dark, Mary went to the tomb, the Gospel, John 20: 1-2, 11-18, tells us. She finds the stone rolled away from the entrance. She enters the tomb looking for Jesus’ body and it is missing. Frantically and in tears, she leaves the tomb and rushes back to the apostles, proclaiming: “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” She rushes back to the burial place. Weeping, she looks into  the tomb and sees “two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been….’Woman, why are you weeping?’ …’They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him’” (John 20: 13). She turns around and sees Jesus looking at her but she does not recognize him until he says her name “Mary.”

Imagine having lost your very, very best friend, your spouse, your son/daughter. He/she dies and you go to the gravesite to put flowers on the grave. The burial place has been dug up and the coffin is gone. Imagine, too, your reaction and that you frantically rush to the parish office to announce your findings.  “The grave of my loved one has been desecrated; the body is gone.” Then you return to the cemetery, peer back into the empty grave and at the bottom of the grave site stand two angels, one where the head of the coffin would have been and one where the foot of the coffin would have been. The angels in unison say to you: “Why are you weeping? Why are you looking for the deceased among the dead.  She/he is risen, living a resurrected life.”   You turn around. Behind you stands your loved one. You do not recognize the person until he/she says your name.  

That is the relationship Mary had with Jesus! She never really lost Him. There He is.  In her excitement and joy, she falls on her knees and clasped His legs, hanging on to Him, not ever wanting to let go! He says to her: Mary, “[s]top holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.  But go to my brothers [and sisters] and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God”  (John 20:  17-18).  And we know the rest of the story:” I will return to take you to myself.”

Work for That Which Endures

In today’s Gospel, John 6: 22-29, following the multiplication of the loaves, Jesus’ disciples had gotten into a boat and sailed across the sea to Capernaum but Jesus did not go with them. He stayed behind and, out on the sea, the disciples see “him walking on the sea.”   The crowd that witnessed the multiplication of the loaves set out to find him and when they do, say to Him:  “Rabbi, when did you get here?” Jesus answers: “Amen, amen, I say to you, you are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate loaves and were filled.” Then Jesus makes a statement that, again, reveals who He is. He says: “Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life, which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” The crowd does not recognize Jesus as the one upon whom God has set his seal. They do not recognize Him as the Messiah, the One sent by God to sit forever on the throne of David as King of a Kingdom that is not of this world. Hence Jesus says to them: "You are looking for me not because you saw signs but because you ate loaves and were filled.”

For what reason am I a disciple of Christ? For what reason am I a member of the Church founded on the apostles with Jesus as its head? What am I seeking in my church life?  For what or whom am I looking? A Messiah who frees me from my sinfulness? A Messiah who teaches me how to love and forgive? A Messiah who is preparing me to be part of a Kingdom that is not of this world?  Or, like the crowd, am I only seeking to be filled of things that do not transcend this world? Am I only looking to "feel full emotionally--a feel-good religion," not a relationship with God that demands that I empty myself for others as Jesus did, excluding no one.

Loving, Hearing, Seeing, Touching: Vehicles of Faith

The Gospel of today’s liturgy, John 20: 11-18, recounts the experience of Mary Magdalene, who after Peter and John had left the tomb, having witnessed to the fact that the tomb was empty, stayed behind and stood outside the tomb weeping. “Where was Jesus?”  “Who had taken his body?”  John, when seeing the empty tomb and the burial cloths rolled up and neatly placed where Jesus’ body had been laid to rest,  believed that Jesus has risen. His love for His Savior had no room to doubt the resurrection of Jesus.   

Mary peers into the empty tomb, John tells us,  and sees “two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been.”  They say to her: “Woman, why are you weeping?”  If "an angel of the Lord" asked me that question, what would be my response? Mary says:  “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” She turns around and sees the risen Lord but does not recognize Him until He calls her name: “Mary!” Immediately she knows Him—“My sheep know my voice,” Jesus tells us in the Gospels. Would I, do I, recognize the voice of Jesus when He, too, calls my name or am I tuned in to too many other voices and simply do not hear Jesus at all! For whose voice am I listening, in fact?

John, peering at an empty tomb,  believed out of love. He needed no proof! Mary first believed and recognized the Risen Lord when she heard His voice. Peter first believed when he saw Jesus later in the upper room, doors locked out of fear of the authorities who had Jesus killed and could easily be looking for His followers. Thomas first believed when he first touched the wounds in Jesus’ feet, hands, and side. 

What prompts my belief or yours?

Mistaken Identity

In today's Gospel, Jn 20: 11-18, Mary Magdalen goes to the tomb. Two angels, one sitting at the head and the other at the feet where Jesus had been laid, ask Mary: "Woman, why are you weeping? They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him."  Mary turned around and there was Jesus, though she did not recognize Him, thinking He was the Gardener until He called her by name.

Many times messengers "from heaven" ask us why we are troubled, frustrated, angry, sad, weepy? What is our response?  Have we, too,  lost Jesus? Are we, too, wondering who took Him? Or is it another loss that is significant to us that we are grieving?

Mary found the One Thing necessary, the Love of her life, the One who saved her from demons that had been controlling her and alienating her from herself and others.

Have I found the Love of my life?  Have I found Jesus? Do I hear Him calling my name? Am I, in fact, even looking for Him in my life?

"Who are you looking for?"

In today’s Gospel, John 1: 35-42,  John  points out Jesus to his disciples. Two of them left John and began to follow Jesus. He noticed that they were following and turned and asked them for what they were looking. In reply they asked Jesus where He stayed and Jesus said to them: “Come and see.”  So they went with Jesus and saw where He was staying and remained with Him the rest of the day.   Andrew, who was one of those disciples went to find his brother Simon Peter and told him that they had found the Messiah and brought Simon Peter to meet Christ.  Jesus looked at him and said: “You are Simon the son of John; you will be called Cephas…” 

As I reflect upon this Gospel, I ask myself: when another points out Jesus to me, am I willing to follow Him?  Or am I too busy, too distracted, uninterested?  Obviously, as Christians we are followers of Jesus and He asks us the same question He asked John’s disciples who were following Him from a distance: What are you looking for? That is a very important question.  Would our answer be: Jesus, where are you staying? Am I interested in getting closer to Jesus or do I want to remain distant from Him?

Another significant piece of this Gospel is that Andrew, realizing that he found the Messiah, his Savior and the Savior of the world, goes to his brother and shares the Good News.  When I have encountered the Lord in the Scriptures, in the circumstances of my life, when I realize that my Savior has touched my life, with  whom do I share the good news or is there anyone I invite to meet the Lord?