Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Jn 20: 1-2. 11-18
July 22, 2023 | Saturday

Today’s Gospel

Now, on the first day after the Sabbath, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning while it was still dark, and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter, and the another disciple whom Jesus loved, and she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid him.”  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:

Today’s gospel began with tearful mourning at Jesus’ tomb, still in the darkness of unfaith. It closes as Mary of Magdala moves again, away from the tomb.
Responding to the command of Jesus who told her to ‘go and say’. This renewed movement indicates that Mary has reached another stage in her journey of faith; Her journey of faith has come full circle. From the darkness of losing faith, she has passed through the conditioned faith that led her to recognize Jesus as her Rabbi. She
then announces that she has seen the risen Lord. Mary proceeds to inform the disciples of the words that Jesus had spoken to her concerning his return to the Father
and the establishment of the oneness between Jesus’ Father and God the Father. In today’s reading, Mary of Magdala experienced losing her faith to gaining back the very same faith in the face of our Messiah, to eventually becoming the bringer of good news to the disciples. As we reflect on these events, let us reflect and ask ourselves,
what is the content of your announcement to others? What kind of good news do we share with others?    /Vulnerasti, 2023