Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 23, 2019
Mary Magdalene 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 went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.
Like most people our age, my husband and I have lost a lot of beloved family members and friends over the past few years. The grieving process is overwhelming and real; many times we, too, have wept.
While weeping outside of Jesus’ tomb, I’m sure that Mary Magdalene thought life as she knew it had ended. Her Lord and Savior had been crucified and died. Overwhelmed by her grief, she looked into the tomb and saw two angels. When she turned around and saw Jesus she did not recognize him. More importantly she did not fully comprehend the meaning of Jesus’ rising from the dead to bring everlasting life to all.
It is easy to say we put our faith in God’s plan for eternal life but hard to adhere to that conviction when situations in our lives are tremendously difficult. Jesus is calling out to us just as he did to Mary Magdalene. He asks us to trust in him, hope in him and to love him by first recognizing his presence with us, even when all hope seems lost.
God’s ultimate plan was to send his only Son to die and rise again for the glory of God the Father and for the sake of all humanity. Even in times of grief, let us open our eyes to recognize God’s plan through Jesus. Thank you, God, for the gift of your Son! He has risen! Alleluia, alleluia!
Prayer
Lord Jesus, by appearing to her as risen and uttering her name, you transformed Mary Magdalene’s grief and sent her to proclaim the news that you were alive. Help us to hear you tenderly speak our names, so that we may know your living presence, and also know ourselves made new by the resurrection. You live and reign with the Father and Spirit, God forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
St. George is one of the most decorated and venerated saints in the Catholic tradition, yet all we really know of him is that he was a soldier and a martyr. He was a Roman soldier in Palestine who stood up to the emperor where Christian persecutions began around the year 300. For this, he was beheaded.
His story seems to have been told among English armies visiting the Holy Land during the Crusades. Convinced of the power of his intercession, soldiers returned to England with a devotion to this saint. From there, many stories were told to fill the curiosity of the faithful, including a tale of George slaying a dragon.
The story tells of a dragon terrorizing a kingdom. The people of the area kept the dragon satiated with gifts of sheep, but when livestock ran out, human sacrifice was required. Victims were chosen by lot, and one day the king’s own daughter was chosen. George rode into the city on his noble steed while this was taking place, and slayed the dragon with one blow. He then gave a stirring speech that converted thousands to be baptized. He was given a great reward, but gave it all to the poor and rode off into the sunset.
Fairytale or not, devotion to George was real, and he is patron of many cities, as well as England and Canada. His feast day used to be one of the biggest holidays of the year in Europe, rivaling Christmas, and a holy day of obligation for Catholics in England until 1778. He is also patron of soldiers, as well as those who work with sheep and horses. His courage and honor also make him patron of the Boy Scouts.
The relics of the martyr, St. George, rest in the reliquary chapel in the Basilica. The image above is a depiction of St. George slaying the dragon by the Renaissance master, Raphael.
St. George, brave soldier and martyr, patron saint of England and of Boy Scouts—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. George is in the public domain. Last accessed February 21, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
