Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.”

Gospel Reading: John 20:1-2,11-18

1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. 2 So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." 11 But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; 12 and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. 13 They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." 14 Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. 15 Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." 16 Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). 17 Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." 18 Mary Mag'dalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

“Woman, why are you weeping?” In today’s Gospel reading, Mary Magdalene is seeking out Jesus at his tomb. It says that she was weeping outside the tomb and when she looked inside the tomb she saw two angles sitting where the body of Jesus had lain. The angles wanted to know why she was weeping. She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” “Saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.” How many times are we seeking Jesus but do not see him standing there with us. Mary was looking for Jesus and He was right there with her. And finally, when Jesus calls her name, she recognizes him. Being filled with the joy of the encounter with Christ, she goes and tells the disciples, “I have seen the Lord.” It is not enough for us to know about the Lord, but we must encounter Christ in our lives. We must experience Him when He calls our name. We must be willing to go to others and say, “I have seen the Lord.” An encounter with Christ is the very foundation of the Christian faith. To be truly Christian is to have experienced Christ first hand. It is through our faith that we can see the power of the resurrection and eternal life. It is through the eyes of our faith that we encounter the Kingdom of God here on earth. Celebrate your encounter with Christ and shout out, “Alleluia, Alleluia, I have seen the Lord!”

A Simple Prayer

Lord Jesus, Father in heaven.

You are the risen Christ.

It is through you that my sins are forgiven.

It is through you that I find eternal life.

Give me the eyes of faith to see you.

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon