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Gospel Reading for July 22, 2024 – John 20: 1-2, 11-18
HOLD ON TO
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.
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Mary Magdalene, whose feast we celebrate today, went to the tomb to apply nard on Jesus’ body and wept when she thought that someone took away his body. She then sees the resurrected Jesus, and although it is not said in the Bible, she must have been so happy when she reported this to the disciples.
When someone dear to us dies, we tend to always want to visit the cemetery (not that this is wrong). We tend to HOLD ON TO whatever remains of our beloved dead, but we have to remember the resurrection of Jesus and how we and our loved ones too, if true followers of Jesus, also resurrect and gain entry into eternal life. We do not lose them. We even gain saints who will pray for us when they enter heaven.
All Saints in heaven, pray for us who strive to follow Jesus on earth!
