Song 3:1-4, Jn 20:1-2.11-18. Today we celebrate the Feast of Mary Magdalene and her quest to seek a deeper relationship with God. She was from Magdala, a small town near Tiberias on the western shore of lake Galilee. We know nothing about her family background, but if she was among the women who travelled with Jesus and supported him financially (Lk. 8:2), she must have had some disposable income. Today's first reading presents us with how the bride longs for her lover and, going out seeking him and asking people if they have seen him. While today's Gospel portrays her as a woman whose love and devotion to Jesus brought her to the tomb early Easter morning. Her heartfelt longing for Jesus also left her outside the tomb weeping tears of loss when she discovered the body of Jesus was not there. She sought the Lord but could not find Him.

However, the Lord came seeking her and found her when He called her by her name, “Mary.” Like Mary Magdalene, we seek the Lord, and, like her, we are also the object of the Lord’s search. Indeed, the Lord’s search for us is prior to our search of Him. Even if we struggle to make our way to the Lord, like Mary, the Lord always makes His way to us and calls us by our name. He is the Good Shepherd who, having laid down His life for us, now calls us by name. In calling us to Himself by name, the Lord also sends us out, as He sent out Mary Magdalene, to bring the Good News of His Easter presence to those we meet. The Lord who calls us by name also asks us to be His messengers to others. If we are not longing for, and pro-actively searching for, a closer relationship with Jesus, there is something missing from our lives. We are challenged to deepen our relationship with Jesus by spending time developing the closeness we want with Jesus. It may take spending quiet time, sitting at the feet of Jesus, as Mary Magdalene did. We might have to be present to others as they suffer, as Mary did at the foot of the Cross. Obviously, we should be willing to long for the deeper relationship with the Lord Jesus, even to the point of going wherever we need to go in order to find Him.

May the Lord bless those men and women who devote their lives to preaching the Gospel and may He help those in pain to know that the Father cares for them! Amen!! Good morning, and have a wonderful day!!!