Daily Reflections - April 2,2013

THE DANGER OF MISSING

THE PRESENCE OF CHRIST

 

It is so easy to miss the Lord because we often focus on ourselves and our own problems instead of on Christ. A good example is Mary Magdalene, whose encounter with the Risen Lord is narrated in today’s Gospel. She focused on the empty tomb and on her own grief, and so did not recognize the Lord who stood in front of her. But it took only one word to make her focus on what is essential in life: the Risen Lord.

According to John’s Gospel, the first word spoken by the Risen Lord was “Mary,” the name of a woman who loved Him with her whole heart. She was one of the few who had followed Him and served Him and His disciples on their journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. She also stood by Him near the cross and witnessed His death. She openly associated herself with Jesus when He was deserted by all except for a few. And yet, at first she did not recognize Him.

There are always moments in life when our faith is shaken, when problems weigh us down and we forget that the solution is so close — in Christ who is always close to us.

A second point is important: Once she had recognized the Lord, she is sent to bring the news of the resurrection to the Apostles. That’s why Mary Magdalene was sometimes called “the Apostle to the Apostles,” the Apostle of the resurrection. It was to her that the Lord chose to announce the Good News first of all, and to sow seeds of hope in the hearts of the Apostles. “I  have seen the Lord” is the very essence of our Christian faith. To announce that Jesus is alive is the very mission of every baptized Christian. To fulfill this mission, it is not enough to know about the Lord, but that we know Him personally. It is not enough to argue about Him, but to meet Him. And we do that every time we open the New Testament and especially when we receive the Lord in Holy Communion. Fr. Rudy Horst, SVD

 

REFLECTION QUESTIONS: Do you focus enough on the constant presence of Christ in your life? Do you share Him with your family, friends and neighbors?

 

Lord, may I never fail to recognize Your voice or lose sight of Your presence in Your Word proclaimed daily in the Gospel.