Whenever I hear people say, “God spoke to me,” I always ask them how. Did He write it in big, bold letters? Did the Holy Spirit whisper in your ear? Did He talk to you in your sleep?

Because when I pray for direction, I always have to insert, “God, make it obvious because I’m an idiot,” just so it’s clear between Him and me that I can’t pick up a call if I didn’t hear ringing. 

But I thought: is physical proof of God’s work the path to a deeper faith? 

We can be Mary Magdalene, weeping over an empty tomb when Jesus is standing right in front of us. He’s under our noses, waiting to be heard, but we’re too caught up in our own image of God. 

I’m sorry to say this, but He’s not tied to a neon-blinking sign that says, “I’m here!” I’ve come to know that God speaks through those closest to me, and all I have to do is look up. Gemma Casimsiman (gemmacasimsiman@gmail.com)

Reflect:

Look around you, at your circumstances, and your relationships. What is God telling you through them? 

Father, thank You for reaching out to me despite my stubbornness to listen. Open my heart to see You when my own eyes cannot. Amen. 

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

First Reading |Song of Songs 3:1-4 (or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17)

The Song of Songs is a wonderful canticle to the nature of love. God created love, so it must be good to pursue it. In our pursuit of love, let us pray for the grace to remember the true nature of love as self-giving and avoid becoming selfish and self-absorbed. 

¹ The Bride says: On my bed at night I sought him whom my heart loves—I sought him but I did not find him. ² I will rise then and go about the city; in the streets and crossings I will seek him whom my heart loves. I sought him but I did not find him. ³ The watchmen came upon me as they made their rounds of the city. Have you seen him whom my heart loves? ⁴ I had hardly left them when I found him whom my heart loves.

Responsorial Psalm | Psalm 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9

R: My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.

² O God, you are my God whom I seek; for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water. (R) ³ Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary to see your power and your glory, ⁴ for your kindness is a greater good than life; my lips shall glorify you. (R) ⁵ Thus will I bless you while I live; lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name. ⁶ As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied, and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you. (R) ⁸ You are my help, and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy. ⁹ My soul clings fast to you; your right hand upholds me. (R)

Gospel | John 20:1-2, 11-18

In John’s Gospel, Mary Magdalene is the first human being to witness the resurrection. What a tremendous privilege for her! Jesus sends her to tell the disciples that He has risen and that He will meet them in Galilee. This shows that the Gospel is meant to be shared with others. Mary’s proclamation of the Gospel—the resurrection of Jesus—is the beginning of a new era in the history of the world.

Gospel Acclamation

Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way? I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.

¹ On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. ² So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” ¹¹ Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb ¹² and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. ¹³ And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” ¹⁴ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. ¹⁵ Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” ¹⁶ Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. ¹⁷ Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” ¹⁸ Mary of Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he told her. 

Read the Bible in one year! Read PSALMS 76 - 80 today.

Love Was the Best She Had

The four Gospels identify Mary as the bearer of the story about the empty tomb of Jesus. She came to the tomb very early on that Easter Sunday morning and, finding the tomb open, she ran to tell the disturbing news to Peter and the rest of the disciples. Both the Western Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox churches honor Mary Magdalene with the unique title: “Apostle to the Apostles.” She was the one sent to those who have been commissioned as proclaimers of faith in Jesus.

Why Mary Magdalene? She had such an extraordinary love for Jesus as her Lord. Let us take note how the Gospel of her feast enumerates demonstrations of her love for Jesus.

She came to the tomb early. Mary knew Jesus had died. She saw Him expire on the cross, and she came to the tomb to make a vigil near the remains of the Beloved. She came early Sunday morning, at the first instance that Jewish tradition allowed her, right after the Sabbath. Some biblicists say she had come to complete the anointing of the remains of Jesus, since this was not possible to do at the burial that was hurriedly done before the onset of the Sabbath.

She called Jesus “Rabbouni.” On many occasions in the Gospels, disciples and critics called Jesus “Rabbi.” This means “Teacher.” Mary called Jesus “Rabbouni.” This is an endearing reference—“my Teacher.”

She held on to Jesus. In the biblical language, “to cling” signifies both deep trust and faith (“Cling to the Lord”), and love (the man leaves father and mother, and clings to the wife).

Love is better than faith. The very nature of God is love: Jesus Himself insisted that the one commandment He leaves for authentic followers is “Love one another.” The great Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13:13: “And now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.” Fr. Domie Guzman, SSP

Reflection Questions:

Are you a loving person? How do you demonstrate your love to those around you? Love is repaid by love.

You are love made flesh, dearest Jesus. May my love for You translate into my love for others. Amen.

Today, I pray for: _________________________________