“I have seen the Lord!” In today’s Gospel Mary Magdalene proclaims this Easter message. There is good reason to believe that Mary Magdalene was the first to see the risen Lord, before any of the apostles. In John’s Gospel she is also the first to proclaim the Easter message: “I have seen the Lord!”
Mary’s journey of faith started as we heard in the Easter Gospel when she saw the stone removed from Jesus’ tomb. She ran and reported to the disciples that someone had removed the Lord from the tomb. She returned to the tomb and remained outside weeping and then saw two angels sitting in the tomb. When she turned, there was Jesus! Filled with faith and love she held on to the Lord. Jesus then commissioned her to proclaim to the community these words of Jesus: “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
With joy let us listen today as Mary Magdalene proclaims to us the Easter Message: “Jesus is risen.” Our journey of faith, like Mary Magdalene, may begin with weeping, questioning, or even doubt. When we turn the Lord is there! The risen Lord tells us that God is our Father as he speaks to each of us: “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” God is our Father and we are his daughters and sons. Filled with joy we too can proclaim: “We have seen the Lord!” “Jesus is risen!”