John 20:17
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.’”
For the full readings, click here:
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/041123.cfm
Blessed Easter Tuesday! In today’s gospel reading, we read the appearance of Jesus Christ, in His glorified body, to St. Mary Magdalene. St. Mary Magdalene was weeping because she thought that someone stole the body of Christ. When our Lord first appeared to her, St. Mary Magdalene still did not recognize her. When Jesus called her by name, that was the time when St. Mary Magdalene recognized Him. Then, Jesus told her that she should not hold on to Him because He did not yet ascend to the Father. Why did Jesus speak to her about this? One reason might be that St. Mary Magdalene had an attachment on her past experiences with the Lord, not with Jesus Himself. As we know, St. Mary Magdalene was a sinner who was delivered from seven demons through the exorcism performed by Christ. St. Mary Magdalene always followed Christ, and because of her love for God, she wanted to be present with Him physically. As such, when she could not see Jesus physically, she wept, and she was unable to see our resurrected Lord. The ascension of Jesus to the Father also signifies the ascension of Jesus to heaven. The words of Christ also symbolize that we should not hold onto our experiences or our previous ideas about God. Instead, we should be attached to God Himself who dwells in the heaven of our souls because God is present within us.
What do we usually think of God? Sometimes, we remember the financial blessings we receive, the friendship we have, and the good experiences we encounter which we associate with God. After all, it’s true that the blessings we receive come from Him. However, it’s important for us to remember that God is different from the blessings from God, the gifts from God and the experiences we have from God. When we become attached with these other things, we will also be disturbed and lack peace when the time comes that we no longer see these things which make us happy at first. What if we experience financial setbacks? What if some of our friends will lie to us and betray us? What if we face many problems in our personal life and in our own families? During these times, it’s natural for us to dwell on sadness. And yet, God wants us to find peace, and this true peace comes from God. We can only find peace amidst such problems when we hold onto God. This doesn’t mean that we should not rejoice for other things. But, it means that when things are not going according to our plans, we will remain hopeful because we know that God is within our souls. And, God is infinitely worth more than all the other good things we see in this world. What do we do when we face many problems in life? When this happens, let’s remember to immediately turn to God, to share to Him our feelings, even our sorrows, and recognize that our worth is found in God’s love for us. May we choose to hold onto Jesus because our souls are full of God’s goodness and mercy.
Amen +
Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +
May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +
Reflection by: Dominic
Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:
https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/
Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls
Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:
https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth
HOLDING ONTO JESUS WHO DWELLS IN THE HEAVEN OF OUR SOULS – 04/10/23 (Monday in the Octave of Easter)
Sancte Michael Catholic Defense 