Daily Readings - Thu Jul 22 2021

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

The first reading from the Song of Solomon paints a vivid picture of longing and love. The bride searches for her beloved throughout the night, driven by a deep yearning that cannot be satisfied until she finds him. This poetic passage is often interpreted as a metaphor for the soul’s search for God—a reminder that our spiritual journey is marked by moments of seeking, questioning, and ultimately finding divine love. The bride’s persistence and determination reflect the kind of faith and devotion we are called to embody in our own relationship with God. In the Gospel, Mary Magdalene’s story mirrors this theme of seeking and finding. She arrives at the tomb early in the morning, her heart heavy with grief, only to discover that Jesus’ body is gone. Her weeping and confusion are met by the presence of angels and, finally, the risen Jesus himself. Mary’s encounter with Jesus is a powerful reminder that even in our darkest moments, God is present. Just as the bride in the Song of Solomon finds her beloved, Mary finds the Lord, and her sorrow turns to joy. This passage invites us to reflect on our own experiences of loss and searching, and to trust that God’s presence can transform even the most painful moments. These readings call us to embrace a life of faith and perseverance. Like the bride and Mary Magdalene, we are all seekers on a spiritual journey. There will be times when we feel lost or uncertain, but it is precisely in those moments that we must hold onto hope and trust in God’s plan. Let us allow the example of Mary Magdalene to inspire us to seek the Lord with courage and openness, knowing that He will reveal Himself to us in ways we least expect. May we, too, experience the joy of finding Him and share that joy with others, just as Mary shared the news of the resurrection with the disciples.