It's Sunday morning. The village is quiet. Most people are still asleep. But in a little house, there is a beautiful lady sitting quietly by the window. A single tear is running down her cheek. Her name is Mary and two days ago, her son, Jesus of Nazareth, was crucified. She will be moving to another town soon. John, one of the disciples, is taking her to his house. But she wanted to spend the last few days in her home, by herself, remembering her dear boy.
Oh so many memories are crowding her mind and filling her heart. That day so long ago in Bethlehem when she brought him into the world in a little stable surrounded by cows, sheep and a donkey. The presentation in the temple and Simeon's prophetic words to her. The exile to Egypt when Herod ordered the killing of all first born boys. The day she lost him when he was twelve years old and he stayed behind doing his father's work. All those days in the shop working side by side with his earthly father, her dear Joseph. Oh how she longs to have Joseph by her side to ease her pain.
All of a sudden she hears a noise. She looks up and there He is. Her dear boy Jesus is standing in front of her, flesh and blood. She closes her eyes. She must be dreaming. How could this be? He is dead. She held His dead body in her arms. She hears His voice: "Mother." There is no doubt now. It is Him. She runs to Him and embraces Him. In that single moment the veil is lifted from her eyes and she understands everything. In that single embrace her mourning was transformed into happiness.
The Bible does not mention this encounter with His mother Mary after the resurrection. However, I truly believe it had to happen. They had such a close relationship and He loved her so much, it would be fitting that the first person He visited was His mother. And probably the reason why the tomb was empty when Mary Magdalene went to anoint His body.
St. John Paul II mentioned this potential encounter on his general audience homily delivered on May 21, 1997: “From this silence [i.e. from the fact that the Gospels do not relate an apparition to the Blessed Virgin], one must not deduce that Christ, after his Resurrection, did not appear to Mary. […] On the contrary, it is legitimate to think that the Mother may really have been the first person to whom the risen Jesus appeared.”
There are certain moments that will forever remain in the hearts of a mother, not to be shared with the rest of the world. Only Mary and Jesus know what truly happened. For us, we can use our imaginations and imagine whatever we like. But the fact remains that JESUS CHRIST IS RISEN!!! "He has been raised from the dead." And that is enough reason to rejoice.
http://youtu.be/EwoCbcSXlSM
Happy Easter to all. Thank you for being part of this Lenten Journey.
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