July 22
St. Mary Magdalene
Gospel: John 20:1-2, 11-18
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Today’s Gospel
is Mary Magdalene weeping at the empty tomb, mistaking the Risen Christ for the
gardener, until He says her name, just her name, and everything becomes clear
at once. She doesn’t recognize Him immediately; she only recognizes Him the
moment He speaks to her personally.
We often
expect God to prove Himself to us through grand, undeniable signs, when so often,
He’s simply standing nearby, waiting to be recognized through something far
more personal, our own name, spoken in a way only He can speak it. Mary had
been staring directly at Him, thinking he would help her find her Lord, yet without
seeing Him, until the encounter became personal, rather than general. Then her
eyes were open.
Listen for
your name today instead of searching for proof. God rarely announces Himself
with fireworks; He tends to meet us exactly where Mary was standing, in grief,
in confusion, in a moment we’ve already decided is over. Let the encounter be
personal. Stop scanning the horizon for evidence and let Him simply call you by
name, the way He called hers.
Today, the Church celebrates St.
Mary Magdalene, the first witness of the Resurrection! Jesus Himself sent her
to tell the others. She was the "apostle to the apostles." Our Lady
stood near that same tomb in spirit, the mother who never stopped believing,
even before the stone was rolled away. Jesus often sends people into our lives
who help us walk closer to Him. You'll know them when they're there. Stay close
to them spiritually. Where have you been looking past Jesus, mistaking Him for
someone ordinary, because grief or confusion clouded the moment?
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
