Daily Gospel Reflection for March 31, 2018

Today's Gospel: Mark 16:1-7 - The Resurrection of the Lord - At the Easter Vigil “He is risen!” We can be quick to focus on the wonder and amazement when Mary Magdalene, Salome and Mary, the mother of James, find that the tomb is occupied by an angel instead of the broken body of Jesus - and that IS worthy of our focus and our rejoicing! However, we do not want to miss all that Mark found worth recording. Three women in the midst of mourning prepared to tend to the body of their friend and teacher. They recognized the importance of honoring Jesus’ body by anointing it with spices for burial, and they prepared as soon as possible. The three rose early in the morning to attend to this most intimate task. Imagine, they expected to go to the tomb and find Jesus there. They went with a plan and the question of how they would get into the tomb - who will roll away the stone? As they approach, there is no obstacle and they find that Jesus is no longer in the tomb. The women were the first to hear that their beloved friend had risen from the dead and we can guess from the words of the angel, “Do not be amazed,” that the women were more than surprised at God’s power. What I noticed for the first time is that these women were together, preparing the night before, then rising early. They had a mission to tend to Jesus, desiring to be close to him, even in grief, even in suffering. It didn’t go as they expected, but their fidelity was rewarded with discovering the miracle of the Resurrection of their Lord!

Ponder:

What can I do to prepare at night to begin my day in the presence of the Lord? Do I approach Him expecting to see His power?

Pray:

Dear Lord, I praise You for your Divine Providence! Thank You for choosing to die and rise that I, too, could rise to new life in you. Help me to devote time to You today and every day, that I would know Your powerful love for me and to share it with others in humble service.

Copyright 2018 Holly Novotny Holly Novotny is a wife and mother of two teenage daughters. The Lord’s mercy and grace radically changed her life as a young adult and she threw herself into service of the Church. She is a Lifetime Marian Servant of Divine Providence and as a graduate of the Cenacle School of Spirituality offers spiritual direction in the Archdiocese of Baltimore. Receive CatholicMom.com newsletters in your inbox, including the Daily Gospel Reflection each morning! * indicates required