The Lord said to the disciples in preparation for His passion, “Amen, amen, I say to you, you will weep and mourn, while the world rejoices; you will grieve, but your grief will become joy” (Jn 16:20).
We see this realized in Mary Magdalene’s encounter with Jesus at the tomb on Easter morning. She is blinded by her grief for our Lord and by the reality of His absence. She is fixed on the empty tomb and where His body should have been and her thoughts about where his body might be. Remarkably, she is unfazed by the presence of the angels, and in fact, doesn’t seem to recognize that their very presence heralds the most amazing news (20:13). She cannot see through her tears and when Our Lord speaks, she’s mistaken him for the gardener (v. 15). All this until Jesus speaks her name: “Mary.” Mary’s grief is turned into joy. Jesus entrusts her with a message of bewildering joy “Go to my brothers and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (v. 17).
Having faith in the Risen Christ is knowing that there’s One who calls us by name to a future that is unobscured by shadows or darkness, where tears of grief become tears of joy. May we never lose sight of the dignity we have received in Jesus, and be vigilant in living this union with God.
On behalf of St. Augustine Parish, may you experience the joy of the Risen Lord in a new way this Easter.
