The Homily For Octave of Easter Tuesday, 2nd April, 2024

Readings: Acts.2:36-41; Ps. 32; John 20: 11-18

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

SEARCH FOR THE LORD, WAIT FOR HIM WITH ALL YOUR HEART AND YOU WILL EXPERIENCE HIM PERSONALLY LIKE MARY

 

One of the most precious gifts God can offer to anyone is the privilege of having a personal experience and encounter with him, especially in this season which is a moment of encounter. Little wonder our reading this season gives us an account of how different people encountered the Lord Jesus. Today, our Gospel passage presents to us the story of a woman who seeks the Lord with all affection and tears. Mary Magdalene came back and remained by the tomb where Jesus was laid and was weeping. Her heart was in earnest to find Jesus. The angels asked her: why are you weeping? she was just busy trying to find the corpse of Jesus. But when she turned around and saw Jesus, her heart was filled with joy and peace.

 

This passage can be like to our relationship with Christ in the blessed sacrament. After the celebration of the holy Mass with a great crowd of people. Only a few will stay back to adore the Lord at the Blessed Sacrament. Among those few only one or two comes regularly to adore the Lord just like Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to send time with the body of Christ. imagine you are that one person who comes regularly to adore the Lord and one of the week you came first and second days and the Blessed Sacrament is there as usual but on the third day you came and the Monstrance was there in its usual way with the candles but the Eucharist is not in the Monstrance. What will you do?  What will be your reaction? This is the situation Mary Magdalene found herself that gave room for her personal encounter of the risen Lord.

 

So, we are likely to seek and find the Lord, when we seek him with all affection and tears. But often the clouds and darkness of our sins blind us from recognizing the Lord who is always very close to us. The truth is that our disposition this season matters a lot. If we have that true disposition and desire to encounter Jesus we will surely experience him in our lives. It’s just a few days after Easter, how close have we personally embraced the Lord? What difference has his presence made in our lives?

 

 Dear friends, search for the Lord, wait for him with all your heart and you will experience him like Mary. For the Lord Jesus is at the door knocking and waiting for us to open the door of our hearts so that we will experience him personally. For he, the good shepherd knows his sheep and he said his sheep would know him when he calls their names. Just like Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus when he called her name. But are we disposed enough to hear him when he speaks to us? In different ways and forms, Jesus speaks to us. The common way of making himself known to his people is by his words; his words appeal to our souls, speaking to us in a particular way that is unique to us. Therefore let us be well disposed to hear the Lord Jesus speaking to us in our heart and there we experience and encounter him personally.

 

 LET US PRAY: Lord God, our souls desire to encounter your Son our Lord Jesus personally once again, give us the grace and strength to always be ready to turn around, to look again, that we may see, experience, feel and recognize your presence in our lives personally and collectively. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a blessed day.