Be Filled with Joy!

Early on Easter morning all appeared lost. Mary Magdalene had gone to the tomb and saw that the stone in front of the tomb had been removed. She ran and went to find Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved.

Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over and looked into the empty tomb…..

Have you ever been in a situation where ALL seemed lost? Where that feeling of despair has swept over you and remained. You felt empty, beside yourself with grief. This was the end. Nothing made sense anymore.

You would understand how Mary felt. How all the disciples felt at the death of their Lord. The feelings escalated and expressed more in the book of John:

 “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.”

John 20:13 NRSV

Mary did not understand. Could not recognize the RISEN Jesus talking to her and asking her “Why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”  

It was not till Jesus spoke her name “Mary” that the scales fell from her heart, from her eyes, and she SAW the Lord, Her Saviour.

It happened in the Old Testament (1 Samuel 3:4):

“Samuel, Samuel!” and Samuel not knowing it was God, cried out, “Here I am!”

It happened to Saul, (the Apostle Paul) in the New Testament (Acts 9:4):

“Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”…

When Our God calls our name (either by God the Father, Jesus the Son or by the Holy Spirit) we are UNDONE. We see HIM for who He truly is.

It changes the course of our Lives.

Mary Magdalene had been touched by Jesus previously. Jesus had called her unto Himself when he rescued her but when she did not yet understand the Resurrection, his death did not make sense and the grief that was so overwhelming clouded her vision.

We have all been blessed to have been born in this day and age. Where we KNOW that Jesus has RISEN. ALL IS NOT LOST!

But do we remember this when looking at our lives, at different times, where all seems Dark, all seems hopeless.

We must remind ourselves that Jesus has won. He has the final victory. HE IS THE HOPE OF THE WORLD.

Do not abandon yourselves to despair…..  

Let us remember, whatever we are going through, the words of Saint Pope John Paul II:

We do not pretend that life is all beauty. We are aware of darkness and sin, of poverty and pain. But we know Jesus has conquered sin and passed through his own pain to the glory of the Resurrection. And we live in the light of his Paschal Mystery – the mystery of his Death and Resurrection. “We are an Easter People and Alleluia is our song!” We are not looking for a shallow joy but rather a joy that comes from faith, that grows through unselfish love, that respects the “fundamental duty of love of neighbour…

Angelus, 30 November 1986

So weep no longer, be filled with a JOY that comes from within, from the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Let us be grateful and filled with JOY with what Jesus’ Resurrection means for us. Complete restoration of a relationship with Him.

May these jottings from my journal inspire you to believe in and fall in love with Christ- the hope of the world, as stated in Jeremiah 17:7, ‘Blessed is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord and whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord!’

Love

Rosemary

Every week groups of ladies meet together to chat about the things I raise in my weekly blog post and to chat about life in general. We call these ‘Heart Connect’ groups. If you would like more information please click HERE.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

Are you filled with joy today?

Do you remember this Joy when looking at your life, at different times, where all seems Dark, all seems hopeless?