THE PREDICAMENT OF THE WOMEN

THE PREDICAMENT OF THE WOMEN

(Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, April 30)
On this Sunday of the Myrrhbearers, I’m thinking about the predicament of the women on that Sunday two millennia ago, when they wondered: “Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?” (Mk 16:3) They had certain *good* intentions, pious intentions, to do what was proper for the Body of Christ, but there was a huge obstacle in their way, a huge stone. As it turned out, Christ Himself stood in the way of their *good* intention, because He rose and took His Body elsewhere. He was not there, where and how they expected to find Him and to serve Him. He had something else in mind for the women, something unexpected and much better for them.
We might find ourselves in a similar predicament, when we intend to serve our Church, the Body of Christ, in ways that are well-intentioned but are not working out. I’m thinking this morning that in these cases we re-focus on our Cornerstone, our Lord Jesus Christ, Who just may be doing the unexpected in our midst. Let us take heart and be open to encountering Him in unexpected ways and places. Christ is risen!