Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. 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.”When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. 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.”Jesus said to her, “Mary!”She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. 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.’ ”Mary went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.
REFLECTION
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. 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.”
All four of the Evangelists tell this story of the women going to the tomb on the first day of the week after Jesus' crucifixion.
Matthew reports that there was an earthquake as the women were on their way to the sepulcher. (Matthew 28: 2) Then Matthew says when they approached the tomb, an Angel says to them, "He is not here. For he has risen. just as he said."
In Mark, he tells, "And he said to them, 'Do not become frightened. You are seeking Jesus of Nazareth, the Crucified One. He has risen. He is not here. Behold the place where they laid him.'" (Mark 16:6)
"Then, since they were afraid and were turning their faces toward the ground, these two said to them: 'Why do you seek the living with the dead?' He is not here, for he has risen."(Luke 24: 5-6)
John's account is that Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb alone and notices that the stone is rolled from the opening. She runs to tell the disciples. Peter and John enter the tomb and see that Jesus' body is gone. They saw the burial cloths and they believed that Jesus was risen. Mary remained at the tomb. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. 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.” (John 20:1-12)
Why is John's story at the tomb different from the other three Evangelists?
John's message is that Jesus wants to have a personal relationship with us.
He shows this in his account of the Last Supper when Jesus washes the feet of the disciples. Then Jesus tells His disciples that he calls them friends and tells them, "No one has greater love than this: that he lay down his life for his friends." He continues to show Jesus' compassion to Peter at the Sea of Galilee when He asks Peter three times. "Do you love me?"
John, also, includes how Jesus shows His compassion and friendship to Mary Magdalene at the tomb. Mary was overwhelmed because of the loss of Jesus. After the two disciples left the tomb, she stayed behind, crying, and looked into the tomb and saw two angels. They asked why was she weeping. Then she asked the man behind her about the whereabouts of Jesus' body. He only had to call her name, "Mary."
Mary's tears turned into joy. She found her Jesus!
Jesus sends Mary to tell Peter and John that she has seen Him alive. She was the first witness who had seen the risen Lord.
How can we find Jesus? He is always waiting for us. We can find Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Jesus gives himself in the Holy Eucharist at Mass and we can talk to Him during Adoration and share company with Him.
Let us seek a closer relationship with Jesus in our local Catholic Church and Adoration Chapel. He is always waiting for us.
Here is a prayer to the Blessed Sacrament by St. Alphonsus.
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