--- title: No Woman, No Cry description: Cathy Maziarz reflects on a connection between a Bob Marley song and a passage from the Gospel According to John. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230501%20CMaziarz%201.jpg --- [![catholic-mom-logo-v2](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/images/catholic-mom-logo-v2.svg "catholic-mom-logo-v2")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) [![search-icon](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/search-icon.svg)](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/no-woman-no-cry#) [FAITH](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/tag/faith) # No Woman, No Cry May 1, 2023 11:30:00 AM  |  by [Cathy Maziarz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/cathy-maziarz) ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/20230501%20CMaziarz%201.jpg) *Cathy Maziarz reflects on a connection between a Bob Marley song and a passage from the Gospel According to John.*  --- Bob Marley is undeniably one of the best reggae artists in the world, if not *the* best. He is a legend. Unfortunately, his music is often associated with drug use and a lifestyle we do not want to promote to our children. I have always been drawn to his music, not just for the carefree, sunshine-soaked, beach-vibe melodies … but because of his many references to the Bible. Many may be familiar with Marley's Rastafarian roots, but it comes as a surprise to many that he was baptized Orthodox Christian a year before he died. On his deathbed, he was heard saying, “Take me, Jesus.”  Throughout the course of Marley's work, more than137 distinct references to Scripture have been found. They can be found in his titles, such as “Judge Not” (Matthew 7:1) and “One Love” (John 4:7), and in his lyrics. In "Redemption Song," he refers to Matthew 23:37: “How long shall they kill our prophets while we stand aside and look? / Some say it’s just a part of it, we’ve got to fulfill the book.” When you unravel Marley’s songs, it becomes clear what inspired his music and the message he was trying to bring.    Why am I talking about Bob Marley? [The Gospel reading on April 11, Tuesday of the Easter Octave](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041123.cfm), was from John 20:11-18. The story opens with Mary Magdalene weeping outside Jesus’ tomb. A pair of angels, and then Jesus Himself, ask her “Woman, why are you weeping?” We know how the story ends, but it was this phrase that touched my heart that day. The phrase made me think of my favorite Bob Marley song, “No Woman, No Cry”: a song that has brought me comfort during the darkest times in my life.   Both phrases echo the same message. We will suffer, and we will weep. Jesus is saying to us, "I am here. If you have faith in Me, you will see that you do not need to cry … for this will all pass. You will be with Me in eternity, where there is no weeping … where there is no crying!"    > [Click to tweet: > Jesus is saying to us, "I am here. If you have faith in Me, you will see that you do not need to cry … for this will all pass." #CatholicMom](https://ctt.ac/06fmG)   I had never made a connection between that Scripture passage and Marley’s song, until that moment in church the other day. Later that week, I did some research on Bob Marley and his songs, and during my digging, I found out that the name of Bob Marley’s group (Bob Marley and the Wailers) was derived from the “weeping and wailing” found in the Bible.   Marley too has been beside Jesus’ tomb, as we all have, weeping for our personal losses, struggles, and dark times … and Jesus is reaching out and saying, "No Woman, No Cry."    ![null](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/20230501%20CMaziarz%202.jpg?width=1080&height=1080&name=20230501%20CMaziarz%202.jpg) --- Copyright 2023 Cathy Maziarz Images: (top) copyright 2023 Cathy Maziars; [Philippe Alès](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Notre-Dame_de_Paris,_relief_of_holy_women.jpg), [CC BY-SA 3.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons ### Share this article [![Share on Facebook](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/facebook-24x24.png)](http://www.facebook.com/share.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fno-woman-no-cry%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dfacebook) [![Share on Twitter](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/twitter-24x24.png)](https://twitter.com/intent/tweet?original_referer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fno-woman-no-cry%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fno-woman-no-cry%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=No%20Woman%2C%20No%20Cry) [![Share on Email](https://static.hubspot.com/final/img/common/icons/social/email-24x24.png)](mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fno-woman-no-cry%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Farticles%2Fno-woman-no-cry%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Cathy Maziarz](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Cathy%20Maziarz%202023.jpg) ### [Cathy Maziarz](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/author/cathy-maziarz) From the Navajo Indian Reservation to the US Navy to Mount Everest … Cathy’s adventures have now made their way to paper where she hopes to inspire and educate youth. She is a teacher and writer with a mission to point others toward Jesus, our True North. She lives on a farm in Virginia with her husband, Greg, and her furbaby, Chessie. Follow at [TrueNorthAdventure.net](http://www.truenorthadventure.net). ## Related Blog Articles [ I've Never Seen a Roof Rack on a Hearse Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/ive-never-seen-a-roof-rack-on-a-hearse) [ Bracing for Impact Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/bracing-for-impact) [ The Meekness and Boldness of Mary Magdalene Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/articles/the-meekness-and-boldness-of-mary-magdalene) ## Comments ## Donate now [![Support Catholic Mom](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/275132/10016573-1c5c-4aa5-baba-c2ac91fe7545) [![CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png?width=1806&height=731&name=CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c%20(002).png "CatholicMom_hcfm_logo1_pos_871c_2728c (002)")](https://www.catholicmom.com/) ##### Subscribe to Catholic Momcast on iTunes or Spotify [![itunes-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/itunes-logo-black.svg)](https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/catholic-momcast/id1362352357)[![spotify-logo-black](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/logos/spotify-logo-black.svg)](https://open.spotify.com/show/15CoipHL7z61IDcYErV0b8?si=hqaQJSxDQgq7S1hxCwsoxQ) ##### CatholicMom on Social Networks [![facebook](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-facebook.svg)](http://www.facebook.com/CatholicMomCommunity) [![twitter](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-twitter.svg)](http://twitter.com/CatholicMomCom) [![instagram](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-instagram.svg)](http://instagram.com/catholicmomcommunity) [![youtube](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/_catholicmom/icons/social-icon-youtube.svg)](https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCAuUqHCVPDzyMgSMaMZxxug?view_as=subscriber) ##### About Catholic Mom [Who We Are](https://www.catholicmom.com/about-us) [Contact Us](https://www.catholicmom.com/contact) [Support CatholicMom.com](https://www.catholicmom.com/support-us)   ##### Associated Links [Holy Cross Family Ministries](https://www.hcfm.org/) [Family Rosary](https://www.familyrosary.org/) [Family Theater Productions](https://www.familytheater.org/) [Congregation of the Holy Cross](https://www.holycrossusa.org/) [Father Patrick Peyton, C.S.C.](https://www.fatherpeyton.org/) [The Peyton Institute for Domestic Church Life](https://www.peytonfamilyinstitute.org/) ### **Stay connected!** Don’t miss a thing! Sign up to receive our free daily digest email. Copyright © 2026 CatholicMom.com. All Rights Reserved.