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Gospel Reading for April 22, 2025 – John 20: 11-18
THE BRIDGE
Mary Magdalene 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 went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.
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All throughout his ministry, Jesus did his best to make the Father known to us not just as Creator but more intimately, as a Father to us. When he taught the disciples to pray, he did not tell them to address him as the Father, but as OUR FATHER. Now, after resurrection, he tells Mary Magdalene, “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” How truly blessed are we to be able to claim God as our Father!
Jesus is truly THE BRIDGE between us and the Father. Through him, the estranged relationship between God and man was restored. Through him, our chance to live in eternity with God was restored. By the wealth of his teachings, and by sending us the Holy Spirit, we can still enjoy living in peace and happiness despite challenges in life.
Thank you, Jesus, our Lord and Saviour!
