Jn 20:1-2, 11-18
1On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. 2So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
11But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb 12and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. 13And 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.” 14When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. 15Jesus 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.” 16Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. 17Jesus 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.’ ” 18Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
Reflection:
Stop holding on. The Father has to let go of his Son as he hangs on the cross so he can carry out mankind’s salvation. Jesus must let go of his disciples when he returns to the Father to set them free for the task he has entrusted to them. Mary Magdalene is asked to stop holding on to Jesus and go instead to spread the good news.
A man is watching his son play basketball in the park. Bigger boys come and take the ball and play basketball by themselves. The father wants to get the ball back for his son, but he decides to wait. His son stands by the side watching. One of the big boys soon passes the ball to the son, and the son enjoys playing with the big boys. The father watches his kid now looking very much like a big boy.
Mary Magdalene and Jesus show us what matters in the end: how deeply we have loved, how fully we have lived, and how freely we have learned to let go.