EASTER MONDAY 1st APRIL 2024
JOHN 20: 11 – 18 “Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb ….”
In the name of Mary of Magdala we find a story of liberation, transformation, and of love. Her life was once overshadowed by darkness, tormented by inner demons that held her captive in fear and despair. But then Jesus came. He stood before her, brought her out of that darkness, and gave her a new life. Her name, Mary of Magdala (her hometown), reminds us that our past does not define us, but that God’s love and grace can liberate and renew us, and give us back our true identity. We become what we have to be, the experience I also have after my strokes. I repent of my sins and have fully surrendered to Him.
Just as Mary of Magdala met the living Jesus in her moment of grief and confusion, we may also know that He seeks us out in our darkest moments. His voice calls us by name and reminds us that we are loved, that we are not alone, and that there is hope amid our pain. He leads us out of the maze of our sorrow to the light of His presence, to a new beginning.
Let us therefore, just like Mary of Magdala, listen to the voice of our Lord, our Rabboni, and rejoice in the knowledge that He lives and that His love always surrounds us, even when we are deeply lost and broken.
PRAYER: Loving God, thank you for your grace that frees us from darkness and renews us with your love. As you called Mary of Magdala by her name, please call us by our name, and lead us out of the darkness of our sin, pain, and sorrow into the light of your presence. Give us the strength to listen to your voice and to rejoice in the knowledge of your resurrection. In Jesus’ name, we pray. AMEN.