Homily for Tuesday in the Octave of Easter

Yesterday, we listened to St. Matthew's account of Mary Magdalene's experience at the empty tomb on the first Easter morning. While St. Matthew briefly mentioned Mary's fear, he did not elaborate. In contrast, St. John's account provides more details, revealing that Mary was so distraught that she didn't even recognize Jesus when she first saw Him.

Reflecting on the Gospels, we might think that some of Jesus' followers were slow to understand the significance of His teachings and miracles. However, like us, they grew in faith gradually through moments of revelation and discovery.

Even though we are familiar with the story of Jesus' life, death, and Resurrection, we can still struggle to recognize His presence in our lives today. We might wonder if God is truly there in times of difficulty or loneliness.

Yet, our faith teaches us that God is always with us, just as He was with Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, even when 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 Jesus' voice and be filled with His love and presence.