Both Lord and Christ: Reflection for Tuesday, April 22, 2025

As was the case yesterday, Mary Magdalene and Peter are both featured in today’s readings. Their emotions are a lot to process. But Peter is changed. Not only does he claim to know Jesus, but he says Jesus is both Lord and Christ. Readings for today.

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Both Lord and Christ

In many ways, this week is a series of persons. Peter. John. Mary Magdalene. The disciples on the road to Emmaus. And others. So many types of persons are featured. The beauty is that we see so many different reactions to Jesus. And it helps us to consider our own reaction to Jesus.

Today we get the experience of Mary Magdalene before the encounters of the Risen Christ. The gospels provide a description of Mary Magdalene that seems to suggest, that in her life she does everything wholeheartedly. Nothing is done halfway.

So consider her devastation. Jesus was the one that freed her from demons, from an awful way of life, and turned everything right side up for her. She was lost but was found by Jesus. And now, this Jesus in whom she believed so deeply, is dead. Hopes are dashed. How will she go on?

And yet she does go on. She peers into the tomb. Maybe she looked to make sure that Jesus was really gone. It seems like a situation where a person would not really believe that a body had been stolen. First Jesus is dead, and now his body is stolen. How could things get any worse?

But like everything else this week, there is a surprise. When she looks into the tomb this time, she sees two angels. Angels. She simply asks for the body of Jesus. Where have they taken him?

Behind her is the risen Jesus. He must have looked different, for she does not recognize him right away. But of course. She knew Jesus had died. She witnessed his crucifixion. There is no way that she could expect to see Jesus. After all, she was not crazy.

And yet, there is Jesus. How does Mary Magdalene come to recognize him? The same way we all come to recognize Jesus. Mary knows him when Jesus calls her by name. And this is an important part of the encounters with the resurrected Jesus. Encounter.

Because these stories are not just about a resuscitated Jesus. Nor are they seen as some type of scientific freak occurrence. These stories are about an encounter. How the encounter with Jesus changes the lives of those who see him.

And that is what Jesus wants for us too. It is not just that Jesus wants us to know about him. Jesus wants us to know him. All of him. Jesus wants us to see the encounters that are possible because of faith.

We can come to know Jesus in his life. He wants us to see ourselves as like those in the gospels that see the events, hear the teachings, experience him. He wants us to see ourselves in the encounter of the passion. And he wants us to experience the depths of his love for us.

And in the resurrection, Jesus longs for us to see how he can bring new life to us. How it is that Jesus can change us. How it is that when we encounter him, we can see what we could be. And when Jesus give us the grace to see what we could be, we see it is pretty wonderful indeed.

Both Lord and Christ: Reflection for Tuesday, April 22, 2025 4

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