The Language of the Heart, An Easter Reflection
/Can you imagine watching someone you care about deeply die a slow excruciating painful death? Then imagine that several days later you go to visit their grave, grieving your loved one’s loss! You would be distraught, distracted, and caught up in your own sorrow. This was the scene as Mary Magdalene approached the tomb on that Sunday morning. She was certainly not expecting that the tomb would be empty, nor could she understand the presence of the two angels sitting there. How could she have expected this! Where was her Lord? Why have they taken him and where did they lay him?
The remarkable events of that long-ago Easter morn are still incredulous. Jesus was dead. Mary saw him die. She saw him wrapped in cloths and laid in that very tomb. She was burdened with grief and then she cried new tears for this more terrifying loss—His body gone. She turned to see a stranger who she thought might be the gardener. And then she heard him call her name and knew in that moment of recognition that he wasn’t a gardener. She knew that voice. She knew in an instant that it was Jesus, her teacher. She hadn’t recognized him; she couldn’t possibly know who he was until he said her name, until he spoke to her heart. Jesus was unrecognizable in His glorified body, not in the torn and crucified body she saw be taken down from the cross upon which he died. He was alive! He spoke to her and in that instant her heart sang out in joy, and she ran to wrap her arms around him. He was alive and that joyous event of his resurrection is what we base our Christian faith on these centuries later. We can thank Mary Magdalene, the first one who shared this good news with others, the Apostle to the Apostles.
Mary only recognized him when he called her name, when Jesus touched her heart in a way that she immediately knew it was the same teacher she had followed and revered. The unexplainable but understandable language of love! The mysterious yet universal nature of the language of the heart!
I’ve been thinking of the occasions when few words were necessary to communicate with someone close to me. Sometimes, all it took was a glance or a raised eyebrow or mouthing an exclamation. While I’ve never been visited by Jesus in his flesh, I surely have been able to hear him in my heart and know without a doubt what His message to me at that time was. I treasure these experiences and hope for His next appearance. May you also hear in your heart the voice of the One who is the Resurrection and Life.
For Reflection:
How does this event resonate with us today?
Do we have this kind of relationship with Jesus that is so very personal and intense?
Is He alive and real in our lives?
Can we also recognize him today as he calls our name? How do we hear him? How do we see him?
Do we believe in a life beyond the grave? Is the resurrection more than an historical event?
Does it make a difference in my ordinary life that Jesus rose from the dead?
Do we seek to share this good news with others?
By Sister Barbara Rohe, CDP
Sister Barbara Rohe is a Sister of Divine Providence from Covington, Kentucky. She has served in a variety of ministries, including education, spirituality, pastoral care, and leadership. She currently serves as the provincial leader for the United States Province of the Sisters of Divine Providence. She enjoys reading, cooking, and, of course, writing reflections for God Space.
Watch a video of Sister Barbara’s talk here. Subscribe to the Providence Podcast on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get podcasts!