On 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 . . . Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,”and what he told her (Jn 20:1;18).
Can you imagine, in the early morning that followed the Sabbath, how Mary Magdalene was desperate to go to the tomb of her beloved Lord? Her tender heart was tormented by the death of Jesus. There at the tomb, he called her by name. He lives! He is risen! This glorious mystery, forever ours, marks the high point of our entire Catholic faith. Sin and death are not the end. We are forever the Easter people. Our pursuit to understand our suffering and our desire to find meaning has now been found in the glorified body of Jesus. What joy is ours when he calls us each by name! Our joy hinges upon our experiencing him, the lover of our souls, the risen Jesus.
We are called to unite our hearts to Christ in the giving and receiving of his sacrificial, triumphant love. Now our sufferings have a whole new meaning. The cross has been transformed into love, and now all is transfigured into a purposeful plan. This Resurrection—this living love—is what calls us from the dust of our flesh into the splendor of eternity. As mothers we are life-bearers by way of nature, and now life-bearers by way of grace found in the Resurrection.
Are you longing for a renewal of joy in your motherhood? Can you imagine finding Jesus and hearing him call you by name? Do you feel that your family tree is a story of tragic consequences? Do you desire an encounter with the hero of your heart, who came to conquer death and win heaven for you? Do you need to be reminded that God has the power to work all things for good (Romans 8:28)? Contemplate how Jesus longs to call you by name and give himself to you. Do you realize that Jesus saw the unique capacity of a woman and chose Mary Magdalene to receive him—the first to whom he revealed himself following the resurrection? In what area of your motherhood do you see only death? From out of what tomb is Jesus asking you to receive him and believe the far-reaching plans of salvation? Will you remain receptive to his promises?
Dear Jesus, unite me in intimacy to your very own heart. Call me by name, and lead me to life in your Resurrection. Transform my laboring, aching heart into radiant rejoicing. Help me to “see” you and “meet” you in the tombs of my life until glory and rejoicing flood my being. Transform my heart and conform it to yours, Lord. Show me how to witness resurrection power of Resurrection to my children, and in the whole of my domestic church. Amen.
*This reflection is an excerpt from A Mother’s Rosary. Available for purchase today!