Mary Magdalene and the
other Mary went away quickly from the tomb, fearful yet overjoyed, and ran to
announce this to his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them on their way and
greeted them. They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage. Then Jesus
said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and
there they will see me.” While they were going, some of the guards went into
the city and told the chief priests all that had happened. They assembled with
the elders and took counsel; then they gave a large sum of money to the
soldiers, telling them, "You are to say, ´His disciples came by night and
stole him while we were asleep.´ And if this gets to the ears of the governor,
we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble." The soldiers took the
money and did as they were instructed. And this story has circulated among the
Jews to the present day. (Matthew 28:8-15)
Introductory Prayer: Lord, you are the
source of all life because you are life itself. Your resurrection from the dead
gives me the hope of being raised from the dead to rejoice with you forever in
heaven. I need to dwell more often on the good you have done for us and on your
promises to those who put their trust in you. Thank you, Jesus, for taking up
your life again and leading the way home to heaven. I love you, and I want to
follow after you with all my heart. I want to cooperate more fully with you in
bringing many others there with me.
Petition: Lord, as a fruit of my
experiencing your love, grant me the grace of witnessing to you.
1. Coming into the
Light of the Resurrection: Contemplate the women at the tomb. Feel their distress
upon entering an open and empty tomb. Experience their fears for where the body
might be. Share in their joy because their faith, and ours, awakens to the
reality of Our Lord’s resurrection. Indeed, it is true! He has truly risen!
Alleluia! Approach him and bow down, then adore and embrace the loving feet of
Our Lord. He wants to be our strength, our light and our love. He wants to be
our Lord.
2. From Contemplatives
to Missionaries: From our contemplation we must become missionaries. This is the
instruction Our Lord gives these privileged women: “Go tell my brothers to go
to Galilee, and there they will see me.”From their adoration, Our Lord calls
them to be witnesses to the world, beginning first with the apostles.
These women,
insignificant in the eyes of the world, have become irreplaceable heralds of
the Gospel. Why? It is not because of any social class or role they had had.
Rather, it is because of the faith and love with which they would live and
accomplish the mission entrusted to them. They were faithful to Our Lord in
spreading the Good News of the Resurrection to the apostles and the world.
3. Obedience of Faith
Allows Us to See: Our Lord asks the apostles to obey his command: “Go to Galilee …
there they will see me.” Christ requires our obedience in order for us to see
him in faith and experience his resurrection. Without obedience, we might not
recognize him. The guards at the tomb were obedient to the orders of the chief
priests. Yet the guards lacked faith, so they did not believe what they saw and
thus did not adore. We all obey someone. However, it is obedience to Christ
that leads to faith which leads to life: “He who believes in the Son has
eternal life” (John 3:36).
Conversation with
Christ: Lord
Jesus, thank you for this time I have spent with you in prayer and
contemplation of your resurrection. Help me always to grow and mature in my
faith. Without it I am lost. Without it I am unable to see you, and if I cannot
see you, how will I be able to follow you? I place my trust in you and your
promise of eternal life.
Resolution: I will make a special
effort to speak well of others today, especially those with whom I may
disagree.
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