Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“I have seen the Lord.”

 

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

 

On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, "They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don't know where they put him."  Mary 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 Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her.

 

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, “They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him.” What Mary did not realize was Jesus was with her.  It says she turned around and did not recognize him until He called out her name.  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 and 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