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Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 603
The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves–
I sought him but I did not find him.
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.
The watchmen came upon me,
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?
I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
R. (2) My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
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. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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.
Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Via USCCB
Today’s readings vibrate with an intense, almost desperate longing. Whether it’s the bride in the Song of Songs searching the city streets or Mary Magdalene weeping outside the empty tomb, valid spiritual life often begins with a deep ache. God is showing us today that He honors our persistence in the dark. Mary didn’t leave when the tomb was empty; she stayed in her grief, and it was in that place of "not finding" that she was finally found. Jesus shows us that He is never far from our tears, often standing right beside us while we are still looking for Him.
Let’s look closer at Mary’s character in that garden. She mistakes the Risen Lord for a gardener. It’s a profound irony-Jesus *is* the Gardener of the new creation-but for Mary, her grief blinded her to the reality right in front of her face. How often do we do this? We have a specific picture in our heads of how God should solve our problems. When He shows up differently-perhaps in a difficult conversation, an interruption at work, or a change of plans-we don't recognize Him. We treat the Divine Presence like a stranger because He didn’t arrive in the package we expected.
Stay Five Minutes Longer: When you pray today and feel "dry" or empty, resist the urge to get up immediately. Set a timer for five extra minutes to simply "stay at the tomb" in silence, offering your presence to God even if you don't feel His.
The "Gardener" Check: The next time you are interrupted or annoyed by someone today, pause for a split second and ask yourself: "If this were Jesus in disguise, how would I respond to Him?"
Mary stayed when it was dark and hopeless; where in my life am I tempted to walk away from prayer or the Church because I don't see results yet?
Jesus asks Mary, "Whom are you looking for?" If He stood before you and asked that right now, what deep desire would you admit to Him?
Mary didn't recognize Jesus by sight, but by the sound of her name. What does God's voice sound like in my life-is it in Scripture, the advice of a friend, or internal peace?
"Stop holding on to me," Jesus says. Is there a past spiritual experience or a rigid expectation I am clinging to that prevents me from embracing the "new thing" God wants to do?
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