Reading 1
Acts 2:36-41
On the day of Pentecost, Peter said to the Jewish people,
“Let the whole house of Israel know for certain
that God has made him both Lord and Christ,
this Jesus whom you crucified.”
Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart,
and they asked Peter and the other Apostles,
“What are we to do, my brothers?”
Peter said to them,
“Repent and be baptized, every one of you,
in the name of Jesus Christ, for the forgiveness of your sins;
and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
For the promise is made to you and to your children
and to all those far off,
whomever the Lord our God will call.”
He testified with many other arguments, and was exhorting them,
“Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.”
Those who accepted his message were baptized,
and about three thousand persons were added that day.
Gospel
Jn 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.
Meditation: John 20:11-18
Mary! (John 20:16)
It’s easy to empathize with Mary Magdalene. Jesus had changed her life dramatically by delivering her of seven demons (Luke 8:2). Mary was so moved by her deliverance, and by Jesus’ teachings, that she dared to hope that he was the Messiah. So the sight of Jesus on the cross—followed by the empty tomb—must have been devastating. Then, she saw an unknown man, whom she presumed had taken Jesus’ body away. Confused and crushed, all she could do was offer to help hide the body! It wasn’t until Jesus spoke her name that she could finally see that he had risen from the dead.
Jesus knew that Mary was using her limited understanding in a difficult situation. You can almost picture him with an amused, knowing smile, as a parent might smile at a child who is enthusiastically coloring a picture, ignoring the lines. Jesus knew that all she needed was to have her eyes opened, and then she would become the first messenger of the resurrection and a saint whom the church would never forget.
We all face situations that we cannot comprehend. We also know what it’s like to approach challenges using our best understanding and still end up off track. Sometimes we need guidance from the Lord. It might be as simple as a soul-searching prayer time where we lay all our confusion or frustration at his feet. We might speak with a trusted friend or spiritual advisor. Or perhaps we will spend time searching the Scriptures for words of guidance. Whatever we are doing, at the core we are asking the Lord to speak to us. And when Jesus looks into our souls, sees our open hearts, and speaks our name, things become clear to us; we know what our next step should be.
Jesus wants to do more, however, than just show us what to do next. He wants to give us a sense of hope and anticipation. He wants to convince us that he has a perfect plan for our lives and that he will never abandon us. So even if your path needs adjustments, remember how Jesus took Mary Magdalene from suspecting a conspiracy to faith in the resurrection. Walking with him, we can expect great things to happen!
“Lord Jesus, look into my eyes and call my name. I want to be lifted up to embrace your perfect plan!”
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