Daily Readings - Mon Jul 22 2019

First Reading - Song of Solomon 3.1-4a or 2 Corinthians 5.14-17

¹All night long on my bed I looked for the one my heart loves; I looked for him but did not find him.²I will get up now and go about the city, through its streets and squares; I will search for the one my heart loves. So I looked for him but did not find him.³The watchmen found me as they made their rounds in the city. "Have you seen the one my heart loves?"⁴Scarcely had I passed them when I found the one my heart loves. I held him and would not let him go till I had brought him to my mother's house, to the room of the one who conceived me.

2 Corinthians

Chapter 5

¹⁴For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.¹⁵And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.¹⁶So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.¹⁷Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!

John

Chapter 20

¹Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance.¹¹but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb¹²and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.¹³They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"¹⁴"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.¹⁵"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?" Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."¹⁶Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).¹⁷Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"¹⁸Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter two profound narratives that invite us to reflect on the nature of love, faith, and encounter. The first reading from the Song of Solomon presents a passionate dialogue between two lovers, often interpreted as an allegory for the soul's longing for God. The bride's relentless search for her beloved, despite the darkness and uncertainty, mirrors our own spiritual journey. Her determination to seek and find her love, even in the face of obstacles, underscores the depth of her devotion and the transformative power of true connection. The Gospel reading from John 20 shifts our focus to Mary Magdalene's encounter with the risen Jesus. Her journey to the tomb, driven by grief and love, leads to a moment of profound recognition and renewal. The exchange between Mary and Jesus highlights the theme of seeking and finding, as Mary's tears of sorrow turn to tears of joy upon recognizing the Lord. This passage reminds us that our faith journey is not one of passive waiting but of active seeking, and that even in moments of doubt, God reveals Himself to those who seek Him with an open heart. These readings, though from different contexts, share a common thread—the transformative encounter with the divine. The Song of Solomon invites us to embrace the persistence and passion of the seeker, while the Gospel story calls us to recognize the presence of God in our lives, even in unexpected ways. As we navigate our own spiritual journeys, may we embody the bride's relentless pursuit of love and Mary's unwavering faith. Let us seek God with courage and openness, trusting that our encounters with Him will bring us joy, renewal, and a deeper sense of purpose. In doing so, we are called to share this transformative love with others, just as Mary Magdalene shared the Good News with the disciples. May our hearts, like hers, be filled with the joy of recognizing the Lord, and may we carry this joy into the world, touching the lives of all we meet.