Tuesday, April 7, 2026

 

Tuesday of the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

Invoking the Christmas song “White Christmas” now may be the jarring necessary to appreciate Jesus’ resurrection.  “White Christmas” became a hit during World War II when G.I.’s longed to be back home with their loved ones.  A white Christmas also represented Christian social values of faith, family, and community.  Going home for Christmas resembled what Jesus refers to in today’s gospel as ascending to “’my Father and your Father … my God and your God.’”

In Sunday morning’s second reading, the Letter to the Colossians exhorts Christians to “seek what is above, where Christ is seated …” and not what is on earth.  “What is above” is, of course, “’My Father and your Father.’”  It might be also expressed as the virtues which God engenders.  The heavenly virtues can also explain why Jesus tells Mary, “’stop holding on to me,.”  Mary and all Christians are no longer to seek earthly goals but heavenly ones.  Rather than pleasure, power, and prestige, they are to strive for peace, joy, and evangelical love.

The campus of our striving is where we live, work, and meet one another.  We endeavor not just to get to heaven but to make a heaven of  these habitats.  Such effort in the end will bring us to the place that has prepared for us.

Tuesday, April 2, 2024

 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

Mary Magdalene’s name is not on St. Paul’s list of those to whom the risen Lord appeared.  But Paul says that Christ appeared to all of the apostles of whom Mary Magdalene should be included.  By command of the Lord himself in today’s gospel, she is to announce to the disciples that Jesus is about to ascend to the Father.

Saints like Catherine of Siena have received apparitions of the risen Lord.  We may not have seen him, but we should not discount the possibility of his speaking to us in our conscience.  Franz Jägerstätter, the Austrian farmer who refused to take a loyalty oath to Hitler, and Thomas More were two men whose consciences told to say only the truth.

Like Mary Magdalene, we are called to announce the resurrection to others.  Like Jägerstätter and More, we are also called to stand by the truth.  The Lord wants us to announce the resurrection by always telling the truth.

Tuesday, April 11, 2023

Tuesday of the First Week of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

One might think that with the passage of time, youth would have greater self-understanding and peace. Reports, however, are to the contrary.  Youth today live in anxiety.  Perhaps a cursory review of our world may reveal why.  The world today glorifies the individual but leaves behind the family.  Traditionally, it was the family that taught values; today, they are often conveyed in schools and broadcasted through the media.  What is more, these values are often mistaken.  Certainly the license to have sex before marriage is an aberration of virtue.  Even more troublesome, the view of institutions as essentially corrupt has left many wandering in a storm without shelter.  People feel like Mary Magdalene in today’s gospel.

Mary’s world has been turned upside down with the news the Jesus’ body is not where it was laid after his death.  She jumps to the conclusion that it was a conspiracy: “’…I do not know where they laid him.’” She is so distraught that she cannot identify Jesus when looking at him.  Then Jesus calls her by name.  Her world stops spinning as she focuses on her beloved.  She wants to hold him forever – not in a sexual way but in adoration.

We should hear the Lord calling each of us by name.  He comes to us in the sacraments and through meditation on the gospels.  He tells us not to worry for he, who has conquered sin and death, loves us.  Despite the challenges of contemporary times, we will be all right if we follow him.

Tuesday, April 19, 2022

 Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

In today’s gospel Mary Magdalene is looking for Jesus – at least Jesus’ body.  She is heartbroken that it is not in his tomb where it was left two days before.  Suddenly she turns and sees Jesus in disguise.  It turns out that Jesus has been looking for her.  Often it is the case.  We think we have difficulty finding God.  But God is the one who is chasing us.

A priest, Fr. John Bartunek, grew up unchurched.  As a young man, he was attracted to evangelical Protestantism and then, in the university, to Catholicism.  Upon graduation he felt called to the priesthood.  Fr. Bartunek’s own father was not pleased with the religious trajectory.  He did not attend Fr. John’s ordination.  However, with more years he accepted his son’s vocation.  At the end of his life, the old man admitted that he had been raised a Catholic.  He longed to receive the sacraments again which Fr. John was happy to provide.  Soon afterwards his father died in grace, another example of God finding someone.

We should not worry when we feel frustrated in our quest for God.  It is time for us to reconsider our lives.  We will probably find ourselves blessed many times over.  It is God who has been pursuing us all along, like Jesus coming to Mary Magdalene.  We must acknowledge his presence.  Like Mary also, we should announce that presence to others.

Tuesday, April 23, 2019

Tuesday of Easter Week

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

When I am with children whose names I do not know, I will call them “son” or “sweetheart.”  On a couple occasions boys have responded, “I’m not your son.  Why do you call me that?”  I am not sure whether they are confused, defiant, or just playing with me.  In any case Jesus in today’s gospel is ready to make his disciples sons of his Father. 

Jesus meets Mary at the tomb.  He may want to console her, but he definitely will give her a mission.  But first he tells her not to cling to him because he is about to ascend to heaven.  There his humanity will be glorified so that he might impart the Holy Spirit on whomever he pleases.  The Spirit makes those who receive it daughters and sons of the Father.  As Jesus indicates in the passage, his disciples then become his brothers and sisters. Mary is to let the other disciples know of this wondrous eventuality.

Do all humans have God as their “Father”?  Certainly John the Evangelist does not think so.  For him that distinction is reserved for those who have been “born from above” (John 3:3).  For this reason we should hold a special affection for other Christians, especially those who partake of the same Eucharist.  Nevertheless, we are to love everyone.  John also says that “God so loved the world…”  Because we are God’s daughters and sons, we must love the world’s inhabitants as well.

Tuesday, April 18, 2017

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

In listening to the gospel today, two questions come to mind.  First, why does Mary Magdalene have difficulty recognizing the risen Lord?  Second, why does Jesus tell Mary not to cling to him?  Answering these questions gives a better understanding of the resurrection.

Mary does not recognize Jesus because the resurrection has transformed him. He does not have the same kind of body as before he died.  It has been eternalized.  It is more than cleansed and more even than restored with blood.  It is recreated so that it beams life.  As a meager comparison, we might think of the difficulty of recognizing a formerly shiftless youth who just undergone basic Marine training.  His body now vibrates energy.

The resurrected body is not to be clung to because it does not belong to this world.  Its eternal nature belongs with the Father in heaven.  When Jesus has ascended, he will send his Spirit which has a place among us.  That Spirit guiding, inspiring, and informing us will be Jesus’ abiding presence to us. It will lead us to eventual full union with Jesus.

Tuesday, April 7, 2015

Tuesday of the Octave of Easter

Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

Most Catholics come to know God gradually.  As children they learn that God is a “Supreme Being who knows all things.”  Reading Scripture when older, they conclude that God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of creation.  Some, perhaps at the end of their lives, come to realize that God really can’t be known.  He is an unfathomable mystery – Being itself who is revealed in Jesus Christ as caring individually for each human person with the tenderness of a loving father.  In today’s gospel we see Mary Magdalene going through a similar development in coming to know the resurrected Jesus.

Mary has returned to the tomb where she earlier discovered Jesus missing.  Remembering his goodness and perhaps saddened because she cannot see his dead body, she weeps.  Then she turns to see a man whom she believes is a gardener.  It is not a foolish guess.  Not only is it likely that a caretaker of the area around the tombs would be present, but – more poetically -- Jesus described himself to be a gardener of sorts when he told his disciples that he has pruned them with his word (John 15.3).  Mary then recognizes Jesus for his earthly role as teacher (“Rabbouni”) that Jesus demonstrated through the course of the gospel.  Finally, in relating her experience to Jesus’ disciples, Mary comes to the insight that Jesus is “Lord,” not just their earthly master but he who reigns over all creation.

Jesus’ resurrection like his Incarnation and his participation in the threefold Godhead comprises an unfathomable mystery.  But we can come to greater appreciation of its meaning if we contemplate what is expressed in the gospel accounts.  There is wonder which is most vividly seen in children on the hunt for Easter eggs.  There is challenge for adults in accepting manifold graces in a world still ordered to power and pleasure.  Finally, there is hope for the aged that life is not receding but indeed coming to full flower.

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Tuesday within the Octave of Easter Week

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

In coming to know God, most people go through a gradual process. They learn as children that God is a “Supreme Being who knows all things.” As they read Scripture, they conclude that God is the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer of the universe. Some, perhaps at the end of their lives, come to the realization that God is an unfathomable mystery – Being itself that has been revealed in Jesus Christ as caring individually for each human person like a loving father. In today’s gospel we see Mary Magdalene going through a similar development in coming to know the resurrected Jesus.

Mary has returned to the tomb where she earlier discovered Jesus missing. Remembering his goodness and perhaps saddened because she cannot see his dead body, she weeps. Then she turns to see a man whom she believes is a gardener. Jesus has shown himself to be just that when he told his disciples that he has pruned them with his word (John 15.3). Mary then recognizes Jesus for his earthly role as teacher or “Rabbouni” as Jesus demonstrated through the course of the gospel. Finally, in relating her experience to Jesus’ disciples, Mary comes to the insight that Jesus is “Lord,” not just their earthly master but he who reigns over all creation.

Jesus’ resurrection like his Incarnation and his participation in the threefold God is a mystery that humans will never plumb. But we can come to greater appreciation of its meaning if we humbly give ourselves to adoration every year. Easter for children is the wonder of a hunt for eggs. For the middle-aged it is the challenge of living the faith in a cynical world. For the elderly it is the hope that life is not receding but indeed coming to full flower.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

A teacher was worried about her job. Economic realities had forced her school district to announce cuts of a considerable number of teaching positions. The woman was competent enough to have received a number of teaching awards. Still she was unsure that she would survive a brutal competition of credentials. The woman prayed and started thinking about how she might cut back her lifestyle if necessary. It turned out, however, that she not only retained her job but was given a raise in salary.

Mary Magdalene’s search for the dead Jesus in the gospel today likewise results in more than she imagined possible. Her devotion to the Lord takes her to his tomb. Evidently she only wants to be near his remains for in this gospel she does not carry oil for anointing. Her faithfulness, however, brings more consolation than she could have dreamed. Joy floods her heart as she recognizes her risen Lord.

Life is full of uncertainty and setbacks. As much as we try to avoid them, they are inevitable for every one of us. But when we remain faithful to our Lord in trials with prayer and effort to follow his commands, then we too are likely to be surprised by more benefit than we ever imagined.

Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

These days Mary Magdalene is commonly portrayed as involved with Jesus in, for Christians, a scandalous way. However, there is no historical warrant to consider her as Jesus’ wife or concubine. Her relationship to Jesus is like his other associates’ -- one of discipleship.

In today’s gospel passage Mary Magdalene is seen for a second time in John’s resurrection narratives. She previously went to the tomb -- probably with other women although this is not expressly stated -- before dawn and found the stone rolled back which led her to conclude that Jesus’ body had been stolen. After reporting her experience to the other disciples, she returns to the tomb to encounter the risen Lord. Quite typically, Jesus asks a question probing her discipleship: “Whom are you looking for?” Will her response be one of acute interest like the Baptist’s disciples’ at the beginning of the gospel or of hostile suspicion like that of the Roman troops in the garden of the Mount of Olives? When Jesus mentions her name, Mary gives a favorable answer, “Rabbouni,” teacher.

Although Mary has no sexual relationship with Jesus, her discipleship is very much based on love. In the Good Shepherd discourse Jesus said that he knows each of his sheep by name and was ready to lay down his life for them. Now Mary hears Jesus, who has already laid down his life for all his followers, call her by name and can respond with affection. When she returns to the others to report her encounter with the Lord, she becomes the first disciple to proclaim the good news of his resurrection.

Homilette for Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)

A teacher was worried about her job. Economic realities had forced her school district to announce pending cuts of a considerable number of teaching positions. The woman knew that she was competent; indeed, she had received a number of teaching awards. But she was unsure whether her fifteen years of service were enough seniority to survive a brute competition of credentials. The woman prayed and started thinking about how she might cut back her lifestyle in case she was let go. It turned out, however, that she not only retained her job but was given a sizeable raise in salary.

Mary Magdalene’s search for the dead Jesus in the gospel today likewise results in more than she imagined possible. Her devotion to the Lord takes her to his tomb. Evidently she hopes only to be near his remains for in John’s gospel no mention is made of Mary Magdalene’s coming to anoint Jesus nor does it say that she expects the covering stone to be removed. Her faithfulness, however, brings more consolation than she could have ever hoped for. Joy fills her heart as she recognizes her risen Lord.

Life is full of uncertainty and setbacks. As much as we would like to avoid them, we simply cannot. However, we can be faithful to our Lord in these trials with prayer and our best daily efforts. Then, like the teacher in today’s world and Mary Magdalene in the gospel, we too are likely to be surprised by more benefit than we ever thought possible.

Homilette for March 25, 2008

Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

(John 20:11-18)

In its beginning the Gospel according to John states that Jesus empowered all who accept him to become God’s children. Now at the end of the gospel we can see his words come to fulfillment. Jesus tells Mary Magdalene to inform his “brothers” and say that he is going “to my Father and your Father...”

The disciples have believed in Jesus since his turning water into wine at Cana. Now, however, they are being brought to a deeper dimension of faith. They will see Jesus not only with power over death but also with the facility to use death to accomplish his end of drawing others to himself. It is like the Greek rhetorician Demosthenes who, it is said, not only corrected a speech impediment by practicing to speak with stones in his mouth but also used this achievement to secure a place in Athenian politics and world history. Because Jesus’ accomplishment is much more magnificent, St. Paul writes that he never wants to boast of anything except the cross of Jesus Christ.

Death remains fearful in so far as we lack perfect faith. But we are not failures if we fear it. We are only displaying the frailty of our human nature. Just as seven weeks ago we were wondering how we would do without chardonnay or chocolate during Lent, we hesitate to contemplate our death now. But when it is time to enter death as the door to eternal life, we will likely see that it is not the beast that we once dreaded. On the contrary, it will give us passage to a greater happiness than we have ever dreamed.