Called By Name

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to listen for our name as we consider our relationship to Christ.

Our Name Our Mission

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 

Rich Support

The texts from the Roman Catholic Lectionary today invite us to examine the way in which the Spirit may be prompting us to use our resources to build up the Body of Christ.

Building with our resources

The reading from the First Letter of Timothy contrasts false teaching with true riches in the good fight of faith.

* [6:2b–10] Timothy is exhorted to maintain steadfastly the position outlined in this letter, not allowing himself to be pressured into any other course. He must realize that false teachers can be discerned by their pride, envy, quarrelsomeness, and greed for material gain. 1 Tm 6:6 is rather obscure and is interpreted, and therefore translated, variously. The suggestion seems to be that the important gain that religion brings is spiritual, but that there is material gain, too, up to the point of what is needed for physical sustenance (cf. 1 Tm 6:17–19).

* [6:6] Contentment: the word autarkeia is a technical Greek philosophical term for the virtue of independence from material goods (Aristotle, Cynics, Stoics). (1 Timothy, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB, n.d.)

Psalm 49 addresses the folly of trust in riches.

* [Psalm 49] The Psalm affirms confidence in God (cf. Ps 23; 27:1–6; 62) in the face of the apparent good fortune of the unjust rich, cf. Ps 37; 73. Reliance on wealth is misplaced (Ps 49:8–10) for it is of no avail in the face of death (Ps 49:18–20). After inviting all to listen to this axiom of faith (Ps 49:2–5), the psalmist depicts the self-delusion of the ungodly (Ps 49:6–13), whose destiny is to die like ignorant beasts (Ps 49:13, 18; cf. Prv 7:21–23). Their wealth should occasion no alarm, for they will come to nought, whereas God will save the just (Ps 49:14–20). (Psalms, PSALM 49 | USCCB, n.d.)

The Gospel of Luke identifies some women who accompany Jesus.

* [8:1–3] Luke presents Jesus as an itinerant preacher traveling in the company of the Twelve and of the Galilean women who are sustaining them out of their means. These Galilean women will later accompany Jesus on his journey to Jerusalem and become witnesses to his death (Lk 23:49) and resurrection (Lk 24:9–11, where Mary Magdalene and Joanna are specifically mentioned; cf. also Acts 1:14). The association of women with the ministry of Jesus is most unusual in the light of the attitude of first-century Palestinian Judaism toward women. The more common attitude is expressed in Jn 4:27, and early rabbinic documents caution against speaking with women in public. (Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB, n.d.)

Jay Carney comments that as our gospel antiphon tells us, to be a Christian leader is to be a “little one” — open, curious, humble, and teachable. May we seek to be poor in spirit this day.

Pope Francis did not make up his oft-repeated line that “the love of money is the root of all evils,” as St. Paul reminds us today. Thankfully, our faith journeys are also shaped by the leaders who exemplify the Pauline virtues of the “man of God”—righteousness, devotion, faith, love, patience, and gentleness. Such Christians truly exemplify the “noble confession” to which each of us is called in baptism….

In first-century Palestine, it would have been unusual and even scandalous for women to participate in a Jewish rabbi’s public ministry. And yet here is Susanna, stepping forward as a patroness to provide for Jesus and the Twelve out of her own means. Herod was a capricious and licentious king, and yet here is Joanna, the wealthy wife of his chief steward, walking with the Twelve as Jesus inaugurates the Kingdom of God. When her life was racked by possession and pain, Mary of Magdala was far from the leading candidate to become the “Apostle to the Apostles.” And yet it was Magdalene who stayed with Jesus at the Cross, only to be surprised by joy in the garden of resurrection. (Carney, 2023)

Don Schwager quotes “Everyone has something to give,” by Augustine of Hippo, 354-430 A.D.

"Frankly, even the poor have something they can share with others. Let one lend feet to the lame, another become the eyes of the blind, another visit the sick, and another bury the dead. These are the things that everyone can do. Lastly, bear one another's burdens, and so you shall fulfill the law of Christ." (excerpt from Sermon 41,9) (Schwager, 2022)

The Word Among Us Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:2-12 that today’s Gospel gives us an example of what a healthy relationship to money can look like. The women who supported Jesus were wealthy; they clearly had abundant “resources” (Luke 8:3). But their generosity with the gifts God had given them shows that they were not driven by the desire to attain more just for the sake of having more (8:3). They used money as a tool by freely sharing it to support Jesus and his ministry.

How does God want you to think about money? Remember that you can’t take it with you. So be content with what you have, and be as generous as you are able.

“Lord, I want to think about money the way you do.” (Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:2-12, n.d.)

Friar Jude Winkler notes how the teaching in 1 Timothy resonates with the call of Paul in 1 Corinthians to hold on to the noble confession. Evangelization is supported by the community in harmony. Friar Jude notes how  Luke stresses the role women played in the early Christian community.

 

Fr. Richard Rohr, OFM, comments that a compassionate presence is one of the fruits of contemplation. Fr. Richard writes about the great compassion St. Francis of Assisi (1182–1226) had for others, which is inspired by the great compassion of Jesus.

We see this movement toward a shared compassion in all true saints. For example, St. Francis was able to rightly distinguish between institutional evil and the individual who is victimized by it. He still felt compassion for the individual soldiers fighting in the crusades, although he objected to the war itself. He realized the folly and yet the sincerity of their patriotism, which led them, however, to be un-patriotic to the much larger kingdom of God, where he placed his first and final loyalty. What Jesus calls “the Reign of God'' we could call the Great Compassion. [2] (Rohr, 2022)

Catholic author Judy Cannato (1949–2011), who worked to integrate the gospels with the new cosmology, believed this Great Compassion was Jesus’ primary objective. She writes: 

The realm of God that Jesus preached and died for was one that was known for its kindness and generosity, its compassion and healing. There was no one deemed outside the love of the Holy One whom Jesus called “Father.” No one was excluded from fellowship, not the rich or poor, male or female, slave or free. Jesus went beyond superficial divisions and called for a culture of compassion. (Rohr, 2022)

We may tend to categorize the goodness or suitability of people to be disciples of Christ by standards and categories of our material culture rather than by the gifts of the Spirit which are operating in their lives.

References

Carney, J. (2023, September 14). Creighton U. Daily Reflection. Online Ministries. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/092223.html 

Luke, CHAPTER 8 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/8?1 

Meditation on 1 Timothy 6:2-12. (n.d.). The Word Among Us: Homepage. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://wau.org/meditations/2023/09/22/789602/ 

1 Timothy, CHAPTER 6 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/1timothy/6? 

Psalms, PSALM 49 | USCCB. (n.d.). Daily Readings. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://bible.usccb.org/bible/psalms/49?6 

Rohr, R. (2022, October 2). With Compassion We Change Sides. CAC Daily Meditations 2023. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://cac.org/daily-meditations/with-compassion-we-change-sides-2023-09-22/ 

Schwager, D. (2022, October 2). The Women Provided for Jesus. Daily Scripture net. Retrieved September 22, 2023, from https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2023&date=sep22