Tuesday, April 14, 2020 - Tuesday in the Easter Octave - Gospel of Jesus Christ according to St. John 20, 11-18 - This is the day that the Lord has made, may it be a day of feast and joy for us!

"Mary Magdalene stood by the tomb, outside, weeping". Such emotions are familiar to us. Petrified on the spot, drowned in sorrow, unable to move forward or backward because we are separated from a loved one, because we have to face difficulties... This is what happened to Mary: separated from the Lord. This is what happened to Mary: separated from the Lord. In spite of her apparent absence, the Lord is always there, reaching out to us, inquiring and worrying about us and what is happening to us... But we are unable to recognize Him because His face is hidden from us by our turpitudes. So we have to lift this veil.

Mary, though affected, did not let herself sink into despair. She armed herself with courage and set out in search of the Lord. Are we, too, eager to seek the Lord? Are we ready to overcome the obstacles that might arise in this quest? Or are we ready to give up at the slightest difficulty?

As they say, "among well-bred people, we understand each other by half a word". Here, Mary first confuses Jesus with the gardener, but once He has pronounced His name, she recognizes it. By a little sign, a little word, a little gesture, intimate people manage to recognize each other, to understand each other. How will we qualify our relationship with Christ? He has made us, through our baptism, his friends, his co-heirs. He made us, through the Church, members of his Body. He is risen: we, as friends, co-heirs... Are we resurrected with Him? We celebrate his resurrection, as Mary proclaims, loud and clear that we have seen the Lord.