Homily for Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Yesterday, we heard St. Matthew's account of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning. St. Matthew briefly mentioned Mary's fear, but didn't delve into it. St. John's account provides us with more details, revealing that Mary was so distraught that she didn't even recognize Jesus when she first saw Him.

As we listen to the Gospels, we may be tempted to think that some of Jesus' followers were slow to grasp the significance of His teachings and miracles. However, the truth is that they, like us, grew in faith gradually, through moments of revelation and discovery.

Even though we know the story of Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection, we can still struggle to recognize His presence in our lives today. When we face difficulties and feel alone, we may wonder if God is even there.

But our faith teaches us that God is always with us, just as He was with Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, even though she was initially unaware of His presence.

Let us pray that we remain aware of God's abiding presence in our hearts and lives, so that, like Mary Magdalene, we may hear the voice of Jesus and be filled with the awareness of His love and presence.