But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb. (John 20:11)
The gospel reading from today’s Mass teaches us an important lesson. Sometimes, as in Mary Magdalene’s case, we get so wrapped up in the problems and worries of our lives that we fail to recognize the Lord’s presence. Mary flat out “missed the point” when she wept at the tomb. Jesus had risen from the dead, but Mary didn’t get it. Bodily resurrection was not something that occurred to her. Instead, she assumed that someone stole the body of Jesus. But what happened then is really important…first the angels and then Jesus appeared to her. The Lord’s appearance finally snapped her out of her sorrow and made her realize that all was well.
Every day, we encounter situations which could cause us to hang our heads and weep. If we give in to the desire to lose hope, we’ll miss the presence of Jesus and the peace that He can provide. By clinging to our own preconceived ideas of what is “good” for our lives, we often fail to see God’s providence in action. Sometimes, “bad” things are actually “good” for us and can help us to reach Heaven. Instead of weeping at “the empty tomb”, we should instead seek out the Lord – in Scripture, in prayer and, most of all, in the Eucharist. Then, and only then, will we feel His peace in our heart!
