Daily Gospel Reflection for April 22, 2014

Today's Gospel: John 20:11-18

“Mary stood outside the tomb crying…she did not realize that it was Jesus.”

I think of the sorrow of Mary Magdalene at this moment as she stands outside the empty tomb. How bereft and terrified she must have felt. Her beloved Jesus is gone, first to a tortuous, undeserved, death, now they have taken his precious body away. Jesus, her best friend, the one who believed in her, who protected her, who forgave her, was no more.

Theirs was such a gentle loving friendship. Oh to have such a relationship with our Jesus, one of love and light and kindness.

Imagine the emptiness she felt, everything she believed in and devoted her life to for the past three years has been ripped from her grasp. Her eyes do not deceive her, she looks into the empty cave and he is not there.

But then, when all hope is gone, no hope left, “Mary.” And she knows Him. We have all felt God calling us in our lives, sometimes when we have fallen to our knees in sorrow and desperation, perhaps then we have felt the gentle love of a God who loves us unconditionally. And then all sorrow is gone, every tear is wiped away and we are filled with the hope and the joy of a loving God, who is there.

We must look beyond what our earthly eyes tell us and see the glory of the resurrection. May we always believe and like Mary Magdalene, never give up searching for the Lord.

Ponder:

Have you lost some of your hope? Has life shown you the empty tomb lately? Can you look beyond the emptiness of a hopeless situation to see how God has been walking beside you all along?

Pray:

Lord, I ask you to remove the scales from my eyes this day, may I see your face and loving touch in all the circumstances of my life. May I continue to search for you all the days of my life until that day that we may be joined forever.

Copyright 2014 Maureen O'Shea