The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to listen for our name as we consider our relationship to Christ.
In the reading from the Acts of the Apostles, Peter’s kerygma calls us to repent and be baptized.
* [2:38] Repent and be baptized: repentance is a positive concept, a change of mind and heart toward God reflected in the actual goodness of one’s life. It is in accord with the apostolic teaching derived from Jesus (Acts 2:42) and ultimately recorded in the four gospels. Luke presents baptism in Acts as the expected response to the apostolic preaching about Jesus and associates it with the conferring of the Spirit (Acts 1:5; 10:44–48; 11:16). (Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB, n.d.)
Psalm 33 praises special people and their faithful response.
* [Psalm 33] A hymn in which the just are invited (Ps 33:1–3) to praise God, who by a mere word (Ps 33:4–5) created the three-tiered universe of the heavens, the cosmic waters, and the earth (Ps 33:6–9). Human words, in contrast, effect nothing (Ps 33:10–11). The greatness of human beings consists in God’s choosing them as a special people and their faithful response (Ps 33:12–22). (Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB, n.d.)
The Gospel of John proclaims the Appearance to Mary of Magdala.
* [20:11–18] This appearance to Mary is found only in John, but cf. Mt 28:8–10 and Mk 16:9–11.
* [20:16] Rabbouni: Hebrew or Aramaic for “my master.”
* [20:17] Stop holding on to me: see Mt 28:9, where the women take hold of his feet. I have not yet ascended: for John and many of the New Testament writers, the ascension in the theological sense of going to the Father to be glorified took place with the resurrection as one action. This scene in John dramatizes such an understanding, for by Easter night Jesus is glorified and can give the Spirit. Therefore his ascension takes place immediately after he has talked to Mary. In such a view, the ascension after forty days described in Acts 1:1–11 would be simply a termination of earthly appearances or, perhaps better, an introduction to the conferral of the Spirit upon the early church, modeled on Elisha’s being able to have a (double) share in the spirit of Elijah if he saw him being taken up (same verb as ascending) into heaven (2 Kgs 2:9–12). To my Father and your Father, to my God and your God: this echoes Ru 1:16: “Your people shall be my people, and your God my God.” The Father of Jesus will now become the Father of the disciples because, once ascended, Jesus can give them the Spirit that comes from the Father and they can be reborn as God’s children (Jn 3:5). That is why he calls them my brothers. (John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB, n.d.)
Joan Blandin Howard reflects that Mary went to Jesus’ tomb. The tomb was empty. Jesus was gone. “Mary stood weeping…she turned and saw Jesus…but she did not know it was Jesus…(Mary) supposing him to be the gardener…Jesus said to her Mary!” Jesus called her by name “Mary” and she knew him.
Another garden of tender intimacy. Yet, this time a garden off fulfilled, overflowing love and tenderness. Jesus is intimately reunited with his mother and one of his faithful followers. Jesus will continue to reunite with his followers in intimate love and tenderness.
Jesus spoke her name. The Lover tenderly greeting his beloved, calling her by name. “Mary”.
Who calls your name intimately, tenderly? Whose name do you speak in love? I invite you to listen in the silence of your heart for Jesus calling your name. The Beloved speaking the name of the loved one, speaking your name. Listen. (Howard, 2025)
Don Schwager quotes “The Easter Alleluia,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.
"Because there are these two periods of time - the one that now is, beset with the trials and troubles of this life, and the other yet to come, a life of everlasting serenity and joy - we are given two liturgical seasons, one before Easter and the other after. The season before Easter signifies the troubles in which we live here and now, while the time after Easter which we are celebrating at present signifies the happiness that will be ours in the future. What we commemorate before Easter is what we experience in this life; what we celebrate after Easter points to something we do not yet possess. This is why we keep the first season with fasting and prayer; but now the fast is over and we devote the present season to praise. Such is the meaning of the Alleluia we sing." (excerpt from commentary on Psalm 148, 1-2) (Schwager, n.d.)
The Word Among Us Meditation on John 20:11-18 comments that at times like these, it can be helpful to go back to “Jerusalem,” to the rest of today’s story, and keep seeking the Lord. There we find that Mary stays at the tomb and waits. Suddenly she sees a man who asks her, “Whom are you looking for?” (John 20:15).
When we feel lost, when we feel we can’t find Jesus anymore, he wants us to remember that he is right there, next to us. He asks us to keep looking for him in daily prayer, to keep searching for him in the Scriptures. He wants us to find him in the Eucharist and in the people who surround us. And when we find him and recognize him as Mary did on that glorious morning, we can go and tell everyone the good news that Jesus is risen!
“Lord, help me to find you in everything I do and everyone I meet. Fill me with the joy of your resurrection!” (Meditation on John 20:11-18, n.d.)
Friar Jude Winkler comments on the kerygma preached by Peter in Acts calling the people to Baptism and forgiveness relating Christ, Adonai, to Yahweh. Mary Magdalene is outside the tomb, alone, the Church looking for her beloved. Friar Jude notes that this is one of three times that Jesus is initially not recognized after the Resurrection before Mary, “the Apostle to the Apostles” is called by name.
Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, introduces Rev. Dr. Jacqui Lewis who reminds us that we are each called by the resurrected Christ who knows us by name. Mary is the first preacher in the gospel … not because she recognizes Jesus, but because he knows her, and what she can do, and what she’s got to give.
You’re not preaching the first sermon. That’s happened already, but you’ve got sermons to preach. I have seen the Lord, because you have.…
I have seen the crucified Body of Christ in all those places: in Indigenous people, in the broken heart of Mama Earth, in the brown bodies on the border, in the Black bodies languishing in prisons, I have seen the Lord in the struggling transwoman coming out…. I have seen the Lord in the teen who doesn’t know how to tell his pastor he’s queer. I have seen the Lord in the woman wrestling with the decisions about her body. I’ve seen the Lord in divorcing couples. I’ve seen the Lord in the troubled ones all over my life. I’ve seen the Lord, and I’m going to tell you about it. My job is to speak the truth to power. That’s your calling and mine: To listen deeply to the hearts of those who are languishing, to listen for their hopes, dreams, passions, fears, to love the hell out of them and to speak the truth.
Christ is everywhere. Christ is in all things. We are all one. When you’re hungry, my stomach growls. When someone chops down a tree, I’m cut. When the oceans are being poisoned, I feel thirsty for something different. This is our calling, because we’ve been ordained, just like Mary, by the One who knows all about us. I’m inviting you to look in the mirror and see yourself. Recognize yourself as deputized by the Living God. Amen. (Rohr, n.d.)
We implore the Spirit to strengthen our commitment to listen as the Lord calls our name and invites us to share our kerygma through piety, study, and action in relationship with the people on our journey.
References
Acts of the Apostles, CHAPTER 2 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/acts/2?36
Howard, J. B. (2025, April 22). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/042225.html
John, CHAPTER 20 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/john/20?11
Meditation on John 20:11-18. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://wau.org/meditations/2025/04/22/1260151/
Psalms, PSALM 33 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/33?4
Rohr, R. (n.d.). Called by Name. Center for Action and Contemplation. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/called-by-name/
Schwager, D. (n.d.). I Have Seen the Lord! Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations – Daily Scripture Readings and Meditations. Retrieved April 22, 2025, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2025&date=apr22
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