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Gospel Reading for July 22, 2026 – John 20: 1-2, 11-18
GREAT GIFT
On the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going 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 then reported what he told her.
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Mary was overwhelmed with grief when she found the tomb of Jesus empty. She had already mourned his suffering and death, and now she grieved even more because she could not find his body, concluding that someone had taken it away. Her sorrow was so deep that she did not even recognize Jesus, who was standing right beside her.
The same can happen to us. When we become consumed by our worries, fears, and problems, we often fail to recognize the presence of Jesus in our lives. Yet if Jesus is with us in our moments of joy, he is just as surely with us in our moments of sorrow and pain.
Our part is to do our best and then entrust everything to him. We need only ask him to take over, for he will surely do the rest according to his perfect will.
Let us remember the words of Matthew 1:22–23: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel” (which means, “God with us”).
Faith in God is a GREAT GIFT that we receive through his grace, and in a special sacramental way through our Baptism. It is this gift of faith that assures us that God is always with us, no matter what we are going through.
Lord Jesus, help our faith in you continue to grow, so that our lives may always be filled with your love and peace, even in the midst of difficulties and suffering. Amen.
