Today’s image is by Laurence Callaghan
Prayer & Reflection by Jo Hossain
Mary finds the empty tomb and meets the risen Jesus (NIV John 20:11-17)
11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. 13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?” “They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus. 15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?” Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.” 16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”). 17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”
Reflection
Mary is grieving, does she realise she is talking to angels? Maybe her grief is what stops her recognising the one she grieves for is standing right in front of her! Imaginer her delight and shock when she realises she is talking to the risen Jesus.
Prayer
Lord Jesus, thank you that you revealed yourself to Mary Magdalene when you rose from the dead. Thank you for your presence here with me today. May I sense your gaze and presence in the joys and sorrows of life. Help me to gaze upon your face today, to not be distracted. Amen.
