The Risen Lord knows us so very intimately, calling each of us by name. In our sinfulness, imperfection and unworthiness, we are not abandoned.
In the Easter story, a meaningful and very vulnerable exchange occurs between Mary Magdalene and the Risen Lord, as depicted in the Gospel of John (20:11-18).
In the quiet solitude of a garden, Mary Magdalene stands, tears staining her cheeks, grief echoing in her heart. The tomb of Jesus looms before her, a silent witness to the profound loss that seems insurmountable. It is in this very moment of despair that a subtle shift occurs… a knowing that transcends the physical realm.
As Mary weeps, a figure stands behind her, a presence she fails to recognize until a single word pierces the heavy air, one filled with familiarity and divine resonance: “Mary."
In that moment, the Risen Lord calls her by name, unraveling the shroud of sorrow that envelops her.
What did His voice sound like? Was it a gentle melody? A familiar cadence that only she could recognize? Or a resonant call to capture her attention? The knowing. In that sacred instant, Mary realizes the profound truth: the One standing before her is not a stranger, not a gardener, but the Resurrected Teacher, the embodiment of hope and eternal life. She turned to Him and cried out, “Rabboni!”
The intimacy of that exchange lingers— a Divine dialogue that transcends time and resonates within the depths of each of our souls.
This Easter, we are invited to reflect on this profound encounter. Mary’s tears in the garden transformed into joy, a revelation that the Risen Lord knows us so very intimately, calling each of us by name. It is a reminder that, in our sinfulness, imperfection, and unworthiness, we are not abandoned.
The Lord beckons us with a love that transcends our shortcomings, inviting us to immerse ourselves in the sacred cleansing of His blood, to be reborn anew.
No matter how many times we stumble, no matter how heavy the weight of our failures, His voice resounds, tenderly calling us to rise, to answer the call of redemption.
It is the knowing— a deep, personal knowing that echoes in our souls. In the midst of our struggles, the Lord calls us, not with condemnation, but with an unwavering love that seeks to mend, to heal, and to resurrect. Like Mary, we need only to answer, to turn towards the voice that knows us intimately and offers the promise of renewal.
This Easter, let Mary Magdalene's encounter be a reminder that even in the midst of our weeping, the Risen Lord calls us each by name. May we, like Mary, become messengers of this profound truth, proclaiming to the world, "I have seen the Lord." +
By Andrea DePaola