Mary Magdalene finds the tomb empty-

THE CITY of Magdala lay on the shore of Lake Gennesaret. Jesus spent pleasant moments there and performed many miracles. Mary came from there, one of the women who followed the Lord, and was freed from seven demons. Her faithfulness brought her to Calvary, where she was close to the Virgin Mary on Passion Friday. The following Sunday, she got up early, before dawn, left the city, and went to the tomb where Jesus’ body was laid. Her love overcame fear because she had the strength of a person who loves and wants to love more and more.

We can imagine her walking briskly, with some fear of being discovered at the city gate. She carries a bag of fragrant herbs and bandages to complete the embalming of the Lord. She goes there to anoint his motionless body. On the way, she passes by Mount Calvary, forcing her to relive Friday’s pain. However, when he arrives at the grave, he is surprised that no soldiers guard the place. In addition, the stone that previously covered the entrance was moved a few meters away. Then, in tears, she sees that the tomb is empty. “Woman, why are you crying?” (Jn 20:13); unknown people – angels – ask her when they see her depressed. Magdalena’s answer is touching: “They took my Lord away and I don’t know where they put him”.

She missed Jesus. He cannot bear to lose sight of him. Mary’s tears are an example of courage and tenderness. The one she loved most in the world had died a cruel death, and now his body was gone. She did not even have the comfort of anointing his body. During Saturday, her thoughts flew to the grave again and again, and she longed to show him her affection at first light on Sunday! Magdalene’s tears teach us that the natural fear of God is the fear of losing him, of not being aware of his closeness, of overlooking his pleas and graces. As St. Josemaría often emphasized, “we are not well without Jesus “[1]. He is everything.

The resurrected Jesus calls her by name …

“EMPTY TOMB! Mary Magdalene is crying, a sea of ​​tears. He needs a Master. She went there to console herself a little by being close to him, to keep him company, because without our Lord she has no value,” St. Josemaría once reflected. “Maria persistently continues to pray, looks for him everywhere, and thinks only of him. My children, in the face of such faithfulness, God cannot resist” 

“Woman, why are you crying, who are you looking for?” (Jn 20:15) Christ himself asked her when he met her later. At first, Maria mistook him for the man in charge of the garden where the grave was located. Amid confusion and tears, paying enough attention to the surroundings was not easy. So he replies: “If you took it away, tell me where it is, and I’ll pick it up.” In reality, Mary Magdalene probably would not have been able to carry such a heavy body, but again, difficulties are no obstacle to her love. “Poor Magdalena, exhausted by the fatigue of Good Friday, exhausted by the anxiety of White Saturday. Her powers are weakened to the extreme, and she still thought of carrying him!” 

Only when Jesus pronounces her name – “Mary!” (Jn 20, 16) – with his exceptional intonation does he realize that he has Christ in his glorified body before him. “How beautiful it is to think that the first appearance of the Risen One took place in such a personal way! That there is someone who knows us, sees our suffering and disappointment, is moved by us, and calls us by name “[4]. The reward for Magdalena’s faithful love is now the contemplation of the beauty of the Risen One. She risked her life for Jesus and passionately sought him, and the Lord repaid her with full commitment. Emotions took over her; she threw herself at his feet and clung to him. It was an eloquent gesture: she no longer wanted to lose Christ. She suffered too much contemplating the Master’s humiliation and thought she had lost him forever. “The tenderness with which Jesus treats this woman, who was used by many and condemned by all, is impressive. She finally found in Jesus’ clear eyes a heart capable of loving without exploding. She accepted the revelation of God’s love in Jesus’ gaze and his heart” 

The joy of the first announcement …

THE PATH that Mary Magdalene will travel before she meets the glorious Christ is, in a sense, similar to the path of all Christians: to rise humbly from falls; to seek the Lord without stopping in moments of discouragement; to care for others; to accompany Jesus when the cross unexpectedly appears; not to lose hope, even when everything seems dark because Jesus is alive.

Just as it happened to her: the voice of Jesus, speaking our name with a very personal accent, awakens us and pulls us out of discouragement. Living attentively to his voice, attentive to what Christ wants to tell us at every moment, transforms everyday life into a constant opportunity for love. “Humanity needs such women and men: able to tirelessly turn to God’s mercy, faithful at the foot of the cross, attentive to hear – in the ordinary tasks of every day – the very name from the mouth of the Risen One” [6]. Mary was the first among the disciples to see the resurrected Jesus. Her tears of sadness turned to tears of emotion within seconds. Jesus entrusts this faithful woman with the first announcement of the great news: “Do not hold me… Go to my brothers and tell them: I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God” (Jn 20, 18). The sorrow of her heart turned into a feast that cannot be described.

Before our eyes, the figure of this woman running to Jerusalem becomes excellent. On his lips, he carries a message of hope for Christ’s disciples and the whole world: The Lord lives; he has risen from the dead! In her heart now reigns the living joy of Easter, which springs from the empty tomb and floods the entire world. Next to the mother of Jesus, Magdalena is the happiest woman on earth at that moment.