Daily Gospel Reflection for April 7, 2026

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.”