July 22, Friday, Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Daily readings: Song of Songs 3:1-4b; Gospel: John 20:1-2; 11-18
Jesus’ resurrection pronounces the ultimate defeat of death; it renders death powerless.
Like the disciples and the people whose lives have been touched by Jesus’ redeeming love, Mary grieves the loss of Jesus after his death on the cross. Now she is also losing the body of her Lord (which makes her grieving even stronger); the tomb is empty.
But not for long until her intense sorrow and sense of loss are turned into overwhelming joy at the sight of Jesus. Seeing Jesus answers why the tomb is empty: Jesus is resurrected.
The resurrection of Jesus shows that death does not have the final say; instead, it is God’s love. The pure and unconditional love of God brought Jesus back to life. It brings back that which death has taken away—life.
If death terminates life, God’s love restores it. It serves as a reminder of our optimism for the future life with God. It also gives us a taste of what the Book of Revelation says about a new beginning.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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