Daily Readings - Sat Jul 22 2023
First Reading - Song of Solomon 3.1-4a or 2 Corinthians 5.14-17
Song of Solomon
1On my bed by night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but found him not.2I will rise now and go about the city, in the streets and in the squares; I will seek him whom my soul loves. I sought him, but found him not.3The watchmen found me as they went about in the city. "Have you seen him whom my soul loves?"4Scarcely had I passed them when I found him whom my soul loves. I held him, and would not let him go until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her who conceived me.
2 Corinthians
14For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died;15and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.16From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.17Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
John
1Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb.11But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb.12And she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet.13They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him."14Having said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.15Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."16Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).17Jesus said to her, "Do not cling to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brothers and say to them, 'I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"18Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"--and that he had said these things to her.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on the themes of seeking, finding, and the profound love that drives us to pursue what is most precious. In the first reading from the Song of Solomon, we hear the voice of the bride, who, with deep longing and determination, searches for her beloved throughout the city. Her persistence ultimately leads her to find him, and she clings to him, refusing to let him go. This poetic passage is often seen as an allegory for the soul’s quest for God, highlighting the intensity of love and the joy of union.
In the Gospel, we encounter Mary Magdalene, who also seeks the one she loves—Jesus. Her journey takes her to the tomb early in the morning, where she discovers that the stone has been rolled away. Overcome with grief and confusion, she encounters the risen Lord, though she does not immediately recognize him. Jesus reveals himself to her, calling her by name, and commissions her to share the news of his resurrection with the disciples. Mary’s story reminds us that our search for God is not in vain; even in moments of darkness and uncertainty, God reveals himself to those who seek him with an open and faithful heart.
Both readings remind us that the Christian life is one of seeking and finding. Like the bride in the Song of Solomon, we are called to pursue God with passion and perseverance. Like Mary Magdalene, we must be willing to look beyond our initial expectations and trust that God will reveal himself to us in ways we may not anticipate. As we go about our daily lives, let us remember that our ultimate fulfillment lies in our relationship with God. May we seek him with courage and faith, trusting that he will meet us in unexpected ways, and may we cling to him as Mary did, holding fast to the gift of his presence in our lives.