And he departed from our sight that we might return to our hearts and find him there. For he left us, and behold, he is here.
- St. Augustine
(Christ in your heart. Be open to his presence and guidance this day.)
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Acts 2:36-41; Psalm 33:4-5, 18-19, 20 and 22
Jn 20:11-18
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 on the Scriptures
I have a sense (and the support of a number of scripture scholars) that the successes of Peter that we find in the first reading were not just the end result of a very fruitful day. My naive feeling is that a sudden change of heart would not have been the reaction to Peter going out on Pentecost Day and telling the crowds who had yelled for
Jesus’ crucifixion that they were wrong. (If I imagine myself in the crowd, I see a man, Peter, who seems to take the religion of my early years and change its meaning. I see a man who seems to speak with confidence, but whose loyalty to Jesus of Nazareth might be deemed questionable based on his relatively recent actions.) On a practical level it seems to me that Peter’s path to success was challenged by his lack of authority in the Jewish community, a previous commitment on the part of those
in the crowd to the perceived danger of Jesus, and his offering of a spirituality that fundamentally differed from what was widely held. To me these factors make a history of Peter’s success so much more a tribute to his persistence, the truth in his message and the strength of the Spirit. My guess is Peter may have initially found a small following and through his grit and tenacity (as well as the grace of a God who works in subtle ways and the sometimes less subtle gifts of the Holy Spirit)
forged the remarkable growth of what would become the early Church.
When I read today’s Gospel, I find myself focused on Mary Magdalene’s inability to recognize the risen Jesus. I can try to imagine Mary’s thoughts. I can try to guess Mary’s expectations when she goes to the tomb. I know what I would rationally anticipate in this situation. From my own experience I know how preconceptions can affect what I initially see. Often it is only with insight (grace?) that I see what the
picture truly holds.
- by Mike Cherney
The Existence of God
by Francois Fenelon
SECTION XII. Of the Plants
All that the earth produces being corrupted, returns into her bosom, and becomes the source of a new production. Thus she resumes all she has given in order to give it again. Thus the corruption of plants, and the excrements of the animals she feeds, feed her, and improve her fertility. Thus, the more she gives the more she resumes; and
she is never exhausted, provided they who cultivate her restore to her what she has given. Everything comes from her bosom, everything returns to it, and nothing is lost in it. Nay, all seeds multiply there. If, for instance, you trust the earth with some grains of corn, as they corrupt they germinate and spring; and that teeming parent restores with usury more ears than she had received grains. Dig into her entrails, you will find in them stone and marble for the most
magnificent buildings. But who is it that has laid up so many treasures in her bosom, upon condition that they should continually produce themselves anew? Behold how many precious and useful metals; how many minerals designed for the conveniency of people!
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