Daily Meditation for April 2, 2024

Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb of Jesus, wanting to pay homage. Then a strange episode occurs. She finds an empty tomb and encounters a man unknown to her—or so it seems. Why doesn’t Mary recognize Jesus? She has seen His face many times in past years, yet she believes this man to be a gardener. Only when Jesus calls her by name does Mary know it is her beloved Lord. Perhaps the resurrected Christ is so transformed that He is unrecognizable or perhaps Mary is so tied to a specific image that she cannot make the necessary transition. It more likely is the latter—since preconceived views can blind us. But Christ may reveal himself to us in a myriad of ways, with myriad faces: an immigrant, a homeless person, a hospital patient, a crying child, a needy neighbor. Will we recognize Him then?

By Carol Berg, OSB