Tuesday within the Octave of Easter
(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)
The man underwent a horrific experience. He was exercising on his bicycle when he was
hit by a small truck. He was left for
dead but fortunately his head was not injured.
He was treated for weeks in the hospital and then spent months in
rehabilitation. He is still recuperating
his strength but does not feel bitter about what had happened. He says that throughout the painful
experience, he felt a closeness to Christ never before known. The surprise of being so near to the living
Christ is similar to what Mary Magdalene experiences in today’s gospel.
Mary was one of Jesus’ closest friends. She remained with him throughout his
crucifixion on Friday. She also
discovered his empty tomb on Sunday morning.
Now she returns to the burial area hoping to find the dead body of her
beloved Lord. She hears someone calling
her by name. She turns to sees him
standing there. There is no dead body to
weep over but a live one to adore.
We too will meet the risen Christ when we assume Mary’s
faithfulness. We will find him as our
strength in our darkest moments. We may
even hear his voice calling us by name. “Carmelo,”
he may say, “do not worry so much. I
will help you.”
