Today’s Reflection
Gospel: John 20:11–18
April 19, 2022 | Tuesday

Today’s Gospel

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb; and as she wept, she bent down to look inside. She saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.”

As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and take him away.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned, and said to him, “Rabboni!”—which means Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.”

So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.”

Today’s Reflection:

It was still dark when Mary of Magdala went to the tomb. It was still dark when she found out that Jesus’ body was no longer in the designated platform where it should have been laid. However, it was not only the darkness that impeded her to recognize the resurrected Jesus and the angels before her. Another obstacle that blocked her proper vision was her tears and sorrow. The darkness, her tears, and the loss she felt – all these things made her believe that someone had taken her Lord. She even suspected Jesus as the gardener who could have connived with whoever did the crime.

Indeed, there are times in our lives when we fail to see the marvelous works God has already accomplished for us because our attentions are more focused on the negativities, frustrations and losses that happened in our lives. Like in Mary, we can only get to understand and see better if we look at reality again with faith, when we truly are silent and when allow God to speak to us. /Vulnerasti, 2022