--- title: Daily Gospel Reflection for April 7, 2026 description: Reflect on the Gospel of John 20:11-18, exploring themes of grief, recognizing Christ in sorrow, and finding hope in His resurrection. image: https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/April%207.png --- [![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/daily-gospel/dgr-04072026#) [DAILY GOSPEL REFLECTIONS](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/tag/daily-gospel-reflections) # Daily Gospel Reflection for April 7, 2026 Apr 7, 2026 12:15:00 AM  |  by [Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/shelly) Receive Daily Gospel Reflections in your inbox ![featured image](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/April%207.png) *Reflect on the Gospel of John 20:11-18, exploring themes of grief, recognizing Christ in sorrow, and finding hope in His resurrection.* --- ***Today's Gospel: [John 20:11-18](https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/040726.cfm)*** Woman, why are you weeping? Today that may sound more like, “Mommy, why are you crying?” We cry for many reasons. Exhaustion. Disappointment. Fear. Anger. All of these are present in profound grief, as heavy on our soul as the stone at Jesus’s tomb. Like the stone, grief is not easily moved. It weighs down on us, paralyzing us in place.   Today’s Gospel begins with Mary Magdalene weeping outside the open tomb. In the verses just before, Peter and John had been there, entered the empty tomb, and left. She alone remains behind, weeping. As she bends over into the tomb, she sees two angels at the head and the foot. They ask her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” After she answers, Jesus is behind her repeating the same heavenly message. But she doesn’t know it’s Him until He calls her by name.   Families are not immune from loss, big or small – the death of a pet or a family member, or changing homes and leaving friends. During our grief, we may experience sorrow, fear, and anger and weep together. In that heaviness, we may forget to recognize Christ with us in the moment. These times are when it’s important to listen for Him to call us by name and roll away the heavy stone for us. His life, death, and resurrection offers us hope in God’s promise of salvation. We learn to surrender our will to His, trusting that our suffering will be used for His good so that when it’s made known to us, we can join Mary Magdalene announcing to others, “I have seen the Lord.”   ## Ponder: What grief are you holding onto today?   ## Pray: God, when we’re struggling with sorrow and grief, help us recognize You when You call us by name.   ## Pray Together: Talk about what prayers bring you closer to Jesus when you’re sad.   ![April 7](https://www.catholicmom.com/hs-fs/hubfs/April%207.png?width=1920&height=1080&name=April%207.png) --- Copyright 2026 Shelly Henley Kelly   ### 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%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-04072026%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%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-04072026%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-04072026%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Dtwitter&source=tweetbutton&text=Daily%20Gospel%20Reflection%20for%20April%207%2C%202026) [![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%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-04072026%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail%20&body=Check%20out%20https%3A%2F%2Fwww.catholicmom.com%2Fdaily-gospel%2Fdgr-04072026%3Futm_medium%3Dsocial%26utm_source%3Demail) ** #### About the Author ![Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/hubfs/Shelly%20Kelly.jpg) ### [Shelly Henley Kelly](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/author/shelly) Shelly Henley Kelly is a wife, mother of three, and native Texan who writes and records a podcast with her sister on [Of Sound Mind and Spirit](http://www.soundmindandspirit.com/). When not writing or recording, Shelly can be found keeping the scorebook at her son’s baseball games, diving deep into historical research, or hiding with a good book in between games. [**](https://www.facebook.com/SoundMindandSpirit/) [**](https://www.twitter.com/shellyhkelly) ## Related Blog Articles [ Daily Gospel Reflection for February 2, 2026: Feast of the Presentation of the Lord Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/dgr-02022026) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for July 12, 2020 - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-july-12-2020-15th-sunday-in-ordinary-time) [ Daily Gospel Reflection for August 9, 2020 - 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time Read ](https://www.catholicmom.com/daily-gospel/daily-gospel-reflection-for-august-9-2020-19th-sunday-in-ordinary-time) ## 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.