The first person the Risen Christ appeared too on Easter Sunday was a repentant sinner – Mary Magdalene – NEVER FORGET THAT!

"When we are able to tell the Lord, 'Lord these are my sins, not the sins of that one or the other, these are mine. They are mine. You take them and that way I will be saved' -- when we are able to do this we will be that beautiful people…..” - Pope Francis

Gospel Text: (JN 20:1-2, 11-18)

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.

In today’s gospel from Mass Mary Magdalene found herself lost because her Lord had been taken away. She receives reassurance from the comforting words and presence of Jesus himself.

As we journey through life, we pray to have hearts that always long for God in all things and that, when we find ourselves lost, confused and discouraged, we find his loving presence.