Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelPosted on 07/22/2002 8:49:41 AM PDT by Salvation
Reading I Responsorial Psalm GospelReading I
Mic 6:1-4, 6-8
Hear what the Lord says:
Arise, present your plea before the mountains,
and let the hills hear your voice!
Hear, O mountains, the plea of the Lord,
pay attention, O foundations of the earth!
For the Lord has a plea against his people,
and he enters into trial with Israel.
O my people, what have I done to you,
or how have I wearied you? Answer me!
For I brought you up from the land of Egypt,
from the place of slavery I released you;
and I sent before you Moses,
Aaron, and Miriam.
With what shall I come before the Lord,
and bow before God most high?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings,
with calves a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams,
with myriad streams of oil?
Shall I give my first-born for my crime,
the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 50:5-6, 8-9, 16bc-17, 21 and 23
R. (23b) To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Gather my faithful ones before me,
those who have made a covenant with me by sacrifice."
And the heavens proclaim his justice;
for God himself is the judge.
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Not for your sacrifices do I rebuke you,
for your burnt offerings are before me always.
I take from your house no bullock,
no goats out of your fold."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"Why do you recite my statutes,
and profess my covenant with your mouth,
Though you hate discipline
and cast my words behind you?"
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
"When you do these things, shall I be deaf to it?
Or do you think that I am like yourself?
I will correct you by drawing them up before your eyes.
He that offers praise as a sacrifice glorifies me;
and to him that goes the right way I will show the salvation of God."
R. To the upright I will show the saving power of God.
Gospel
Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
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."
Mary 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 Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
"I have seen the Lord,"
and then reported what he told her.
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I have always thought this story a little humorous, but reading it today -- and placing myself in the role of Mary Magdalene -- I believe I would have reacted in a similar way. What belief she had!
Good advice for any age.
| Monday, July 22, 2002 Meditation John 20:1-2,11-18 St. Mary Magdalene
Many times we have heard the story of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the “gardener,” and yet it still stirs us deeply. “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18). Our hearts thrill at Mary’s announcement, perhaps because it reveals something of her love for Jesus—a love we all long to have.
There is much that we do not know about Mary Magdalene. No doubt she had led a hard life. Remember, Jesus delivered her from seven demons (Mark 16:9). We do know that when she encountered grace and mercy, Mary was changed. In Jesus, she found the answer to her hopes and longings for unconditional love and forgiveness. Consequently, she wanted nothing more than to be with him—to drink in his words, learn from his life, to soak her entire being in his presence. To do this, she often traveled with him and the disciples, donating money to help support their needs (Luke 8:2-3). Even after Jesus’ death, Mary’s love drew her to his tomb. She simply could not bear to be separated from her beloved Rabbi.
Mary Magdalene invites us to shed any narrow ways of thinking about Jesus we may have. Even if we spent our whole lives pondering his life, death, and resurrection, we would still only have scratched the surface of his love and the impact it can have on our lives. Jesus is truly our brother. He wants us to know him personally and intimately, more than we know our closest family member. He wants to bring us to his Father—our Father—so that we can know the privilege of being coheirs with him of the kingdom.
These are some beautiful promises. Let’s follow the example of Mary Magdalene and stay close to Jesus. That’s the only way we’ll know the blessings she knew. Then, with Mary, we can all proclaim, “I have seen the Lord!”
“Jesus, you made Mary Magdalene the first witness to your resurrection. May I love you as she did! May you always hold first place in my life, my Master and my Friend.” |
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You have been told, O man, what is good,
and what the Lord requires of you:
Only to do the right and to love goodness,
and to walk humbly with your God.
Uplifting. Amen.
AMEN!
This picture shows Mary Magdalen in a dark room at the dramatic moment of her conversion, her features lit by a candle flame that imparts a hauntingly spiritual quality to the work. The elaborate silver mirror, the pearls on the table, and the jewels on the floor symbolize luxury, which she has cast aside. In their place she clasps a skull, a common symbol of mortality.
Thanks for posting.
Witness to the Resurrection bump!
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