When you are Down, Look Up!

Listening to the Spirit

Under the trees at the Sacred House of Jesuits, we sat and mourned. We were speechless. We couldn’t imagine that on that day would be the last day of our beloved Martin Mbende with us. The way he said “goodbye” was also so strange and unexpected. He was drowned in a swimming pool and died suddenly. He even didn’t give any sign to each one of us. And there under the trees and in the moment of silence, we ask why? Why Lord? But we never understand why?

Carlo Carreto describes our feeling beautifully, “when you are suffering, in flesh or in spirit, the natural response is to weep. And what a lot of weeping there is! If we could gather it all in one place it would fill a sea, a great ocean. And when our eyes are dry for an instant, we ask why? The answer does not come easily. And again we begin to weep and our thoughts become all tangled and even more sorrowful, and we stumble about like wounded birds. Then we start again asking: why? Why?”

Listening to the Word

John 20:1-9

Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Then Peter and the other disciple set out and went toward the tomb. The two were running together, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He bent down to look in and saw the linen wrappings lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb. He saw the linen wrappings lying there, and the cloth that had been on Jesus’ head, not lying with the linen wrappings but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not understand the scripture, that he must rise from the dead.

But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”, and she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflection

Why Lord? Perhaps this was also the question of Mary Magdalene in facing the tragic death of Jesus whom she loved. She didn’t understand why her master suffered and died unjustly. But, in her grieves, she still had the courage to stand up and walk and go to the tomb of her master. There, at the tomb, perhaps she cried aloud knowing that the body of Jesus has taken away from the tomb. She couldn’t bear this sorrow and thus she stood weeping outside the tomb.

In her moment of confusion, Jesus came and said, “woman why are you weeping?” But Mary couldn’t recognize Jesus. “Mary’s inability to recognize Jesus may stem from her deep grief and confusion. Or maybe she is just stunned by a dead man suddenly alive.” Then to her surprised in that moment of confusion, Jesus said “Mariam” and Mary turned and said “Rabbouni”.

It is interesting to ponder that Mary Magdalene came to recognized Jesus after Jesus called her by name, “Mary”. Mary recognized that familiar voice. The voice of Someone who loves everybody as persons. The voice of Someone who forgives the sinners, the prostitute, the tax collectors, the sick and the poor. The voice of her teacher who liberated her from demons. Not only that, this is the voice of Someone who redeems all humankind by his body.

To put it in another way, Fr. James Marthin, SJ, describes Mary Magdalene’ experience beautifully, “at first, Mary couldn’t recognize Jesus, but she knew that distinctive voice with the Nazarean accent—the voice that called her into wholeness when it expelled whatever demons trouble her, the voice that welcomed her into his circle friends, the voice that told her she was valued in the eyes of God, the voice that answered her questions, the voiced that laughed over meal, the voice that consoled her near the end of his earthly life, the voice that cried out in pain from the cross. Mary knew that voice because it was a voice that spoke to her in love. There she recognized who it was- Because sometimes seeing is not believing. Loving is.”

Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus, not only because of Jesus’ voice but also because she saw Jesus with his body. She wants to touch Jesus’ body but Jesus forbade her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Perhaps, what is more important for Mary is to proclaim what she has seen that JESUS CHRIST IS RAISED FROM THE DEAD. Jesus asked Mary to go to Jesus’ disciples and to reaffirm what Jesus had said: “My death is good for you because my death will bear many fruits beyond my death.” Jesus even consoles his disciples before his death, saying, “Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid. You heard me say to you, ‘I go away, and I will come to you.”

Easter is the feast of welcoming Jesus who enters into the tomb in order to raise us up to the Father. Easter is the feast of letting Jesus to take away our sorrows and to let him raise us up to God’s glory. The resurrection of Jesus reminds us that our sorrows, sufferings, sadness cannot separate us from God’s love. This is the love that enables us to go and to proclaim the Good News to all humankind. Mary Magdalene is a model for us to embrace our crosses and to have the courage to look up for HE IS COMING IN GLORY. When you are down, look up. ALLELUIA. HAPPY EASTER.