✝️ REFLECTION CAPSULE – April 02, 2024: Tuesday
"Being steadfast to the Lord, despite our tears and pains… and experiencing the caring and intimate Love of the One Who is ‘always with us!’”
(Based on Acts 2:36-41 and Jn 20:11-18 - Tuesday in the Octave of Easter)
One of the very beautiful verses in the Bible, not too known though… is from the book of the Psalms..
Psalm 56: 8, "O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle"
Another translation would read, "… You have collected my tears in a wineskin"
This verse speaks volumes of a God who is so intimately related with a person and expresses a very personal and close association.
God is a God who…
… is specially close to His people in their moments of pain and suffering
… is particularly near to His people in their times of affliction and tribulations.
The Gospel of the Day is a beautiful witness to this loving concern and tender affection of God…
… expressed by Jesus to Mary Magdalene.
We are still near the tomb of the Lord.
Mary Magdalene, the soul who loved the Lord so deeply, is still lingering around the tomb of the Lord.
She had experienced Divine Love in a great manner.
Her heart could not fully accept that the Lord who had transformed her life was no more
Her mind could take in the fact that the One whom she loved so deeply had gone away.
And so she kept waiting.
True love always seeks…
True love always seeks to break boundaries, do away with hurdles and cast away any barriers
Finally, when she did encounter Him, her eyes were kept away from recognizing the Lord.
But the Lord did recognize her…
… not just her physical pains.. rather also her mental agony and her spiritual longing!
And so He asks her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" (Jn 20:13)
Mary had been incessantly weeping over the loss of her Beloved
Mary had been continuously shedding tears for the Lover of her soul.
However… these tears were not in vain….
… these tears were not lost in futility..
Rather, the Lord was storing them up carefully in a vial… in a bottle… in a wineskin
"O Lord.. You have stored my tears in a bottle" (Ps 56:8)
And these tears of affection, love and fondness was rewarded by the Lord, by calling her by name, "Mary!" (Jn 20:16)
The sweetness of that voice, calling out her name, wiped away every tear!
Her tears were turned to smiles…
… her mourning to comfort
… her brokenness to immense joy!
Today, we are reminded the same…
We may be shedding many tears before the Lord…
It could be due to many reasons…
… maybe some personal crisis in life
… maybe some brokenness in the family
… maybe some tragedy or calamity to our closed ones
All these may cause us to have tears…
… either externally or within the depth of our hearts
Some tears may be seen by others…
… most others, will go unnoticed, invisible
Yet, the One who loves us the most - the Lord - is storing up all our tears in His presence
Each one of our tear is precious to the Lord…
Just like Mary Magdalene, who continued to be faithful and longing for the Lord…
… let us also be steadfast to our God, despite our tears and pains and sadness.
This faithfulness to Him will surely win the reward for us…
… the reward of our names being called out by the Lord!
Happy Easter to all of you!
God Bless! Live Jesus!