St. Mary Magdalene, disciple of the Lord

＊＊＊1st Reading＊＊＊   Exodus 14: 5-18*

(……)Yahweh had hardened the mind of Pharaoh, king of Egypt, who set out in pursuit of the Israelites as they marched forth triumphantly.

The Egyptians － all the chariots and horses of Pharaoh, his horsemen and his army － gave chase and caught up with them when they had encamped by the sea near Pihahiroth, facing Baalzephon.

The Israelites saw the Egyptians marching after them: Pharaoh was drawing near. They were terrified and cried out to Yahweh. Then they said to Moses, “Were there no tombs in Egypt? Why have you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done by bringing us out of Egypt? Isn’t this what we said when we were in Egypt: Let us work for the Egyptians. Far better serve Egypt than to die in the desert.”

Moses said to the people, “Have no fear! Stay where you are and see the work Yahweh will do to save you today. The Egyptians whom you see today, you will never see again! Yahweh will fight for you and all you have to do is to keep still.”

Yahweh said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. You will raise your staff and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it to let the Israelites go dryfoot through the sea. I will so harden the minds of the Egyptians that they will follow you. and I will have glory at the expense of Pharaoh, his army, his chariots and horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am Yahweh when I gain glory for myself at the cost of Pharaoh and his army!

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＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

 Jn 20:1-2, 11-18

 Now, on the first day after the Sabbath,  Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark and she saw that the stone blocking the tomb had been moved away. She ran to Peter and the other disciple whom Jesus loved. And she said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we don’t know where they have laid him.”

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she bent down to look inside; she saw two angels in white     sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.”

As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned and said to him, “Rabboni” – which means, Master. Jesus said to her, “Do not touch me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them:  I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father, to my God, who is your God.” So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.”

 

Reflection gospel：

“I HAVE SEEN THE LORD.”

Like the disciples and the people whose lives have been touched by Jesus’ redeeming love, Mary grieves the loss of Jesus after his death on the cross. Now she is also losing the body of her Lord (which makes her grieving even stronger); the tomb is empty. But not for long that her intense sorrow and sense of loss is turned into overwhelming joy at the sight of Jesus. Seeing Jesus answers why the tomb is empty: Jesus is resurrected.

The resurrection of Jesus shows that death does not have the final say; it is God’s love. The pure and unrestricted love of God brought Jesus back to life. It brings back that which death has taken away – life. If death terminates life, God’s love restores it. Jesus’ resurrection pronounces the ultimate defeat of death; it renders death powerless. It serves as an assurance of our hope for new life with God. And it also provides us a foretaste of the promise of new creation in the book of revelation.