“But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary!’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rabbouni!’ (which means Teacher).” (Jn 20: 11-16)
Mary Magdalene does not recognize our Lord, nor does she stop weeping, until He says her name: “Mary!” Because He said it like nobody else. In His divine love and omniscience, the Lord really “knew” her name; He knew, and understood, her entire identity, – what and who she was, and what and who she wasn’t. So, she takes great consolation in hearing Him call her name.
Today I take great consolation in being “known,” understood, and called, as all of us are, by our one-and-only Creator and Teacher. He does not torment me by “not understanding” me. So I can be myself, and let go of any masks I may wear for other, simply-human beings, as I approach Him today, in simple and heartfelt prayer.“
Woman, why are you weeping?” He asks me today, and “Whom are you looking for?” I can stop weeping, and stop looking, because my Teacher is alive and well today, for my sake. Christ is risen from the dead, dear zillions, “and cannot die again” (Rom 6: 9). So let me respond to Him, Who loves and knows me, as I am. Christ is risen, dear friends! Please tune in to our daily, weekday “Morning Coffee” audio-podcasts, for some daily inspiration on our journey through this Coronavirus epidemic! Join our ca. 500 faith-inspired subscribers at: patreon.com/sistervassa. Love from Vienna, and please wash your hands & take heart, Sister Vassa
