The angel had commanded the holy women to announce the Resurrection to the disciples. Not all three were obliged to return to the city. Mary Magdalene remained by the sepulchre. The two other Mary’s hastened towards Jerusalem where the disciples were hiding. They quickly left the sepulchre with fear and great joy, running to tell his disciples.
These holy women reacted differently to the angel’s announcement. We acquire merit and reward not from any action by itself; but from the motive and intention. Suppose, we make a visit to the Blessed Sacrament. A companion performs instead an act of charity. Our merit and reward will be the same if love of God was the common motive.
The prompt obedience of the two Mary’s was extraordinarily rewarded. As they hastened on their way, behold, Jesus met them, saying “‘All hail!’ But they came up and took hold of his feet, and adored him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Fear not. Go, tell my brethren that they go to Galilee; there they shall see me’.” (Mt 9:10)
Admire our Lord’s goodness to his loving and obedient servants, the tender sweetness of his words, ‘All hail’, ‘Fear not’; and ‘Tell my brethren’. He calls them such though they had abandoned and even denied him; thus showing his forgiveness and forgetfulness of their past guilt towards him.
The disciples, when they heard the news brought by the holy women, treated them as “idle tales; they believed them not” (Lk 24:11). Yet our Lord had clearly predicted his death and resurrection on the third day. Were the disciples, then, obstinate unbelievers? No; but their faith was in pieces. They doubted practically rather than systematically.
We believe God sees us always. Yet many things we do displease him greatly! We know the words, “As long as you did it to one of these my least brethren, you did it to me” (Mt 25:40). We are practical, not systematic unbelievers, as the disciples were. Where will this lead us?
Ref: cf “Practical Meditations” by a Father of the Society of Jesus, 1964, pp206-8
Jesus Shows Us the Way to Heaven
Through his redemptive work, Jesus has prepared places for us in his Father’s house. Christ’s words are meant also for all those who would believe in him throughout the centuries. The Lord will bring with him to glory those who have believed and have been faithful to him until the end.
How consoling it is for us to hear Jesus speak about God’s rewards! He encourages souls to be generous, even to the point of total renunciation, telling them: “You will have treasure in heaven.” (Mt 19:21)
Even though he reproves selfish ulterior motives in good works such as praying, fasting, and almsgiving, he nevertheless says: “Your Father who sees all that is done in secret will reward you.” (Mt 6:3)
St Augustine tells us: “Since your reward will be God himself, you ought to love him in such a way that you do not cease to desire him as the only reward that can satisfy you.”
St Josemaria Escrivá wrote: “Do everything unselfishly, for pure love, as if there were neither reward nor punishment. But in your heart foster the glorious hope of heaven.” (“The Way”, 139) “It’s good that you serve God as a son, without payment -- generously. But don’t worry if at times you think of the reward.” (Ibid, 668) “At the time of temptation think of the love that awaits you in heaven: foster the virtue of hope -- it’s not a lack of generosity.” (Ibid, 669)
Ref: cf Fr M Guzman, “Encounters With Christ”, 1990, pp151-2
Fulfilling our duties
The will of God for us is found principally in the faithful fulfilment of the commandments and the other teachings proposed to us by the Church. We find there what God wishes for us. And in their fulfilment, done with human nobility and with awareness of the constant presence of God, we find God’s love and holiness.
Love for God does not consist in sensible feelings, although Our Lord may give these too so as to help us to be more generous. It is essentially the full identification of our will with that of God. Love is repaid with love, but it must be genuine love, which is seen in specific ways in fulfilment of our duties towards God and towards others.
Our feelings may not incline us to do this and it may be an uphill struggle. “The highest perfection consists not in interior favours or in great raptures, but in the bringing of our wills so closely into conformity with the Will of God that, as soon as we realize that he wills anything, we desire it ourselves with all our might.” (St Theresa, “Book of the Foundations”, 5, 10)
True love includes all aspects of our existence, in a true unity of life. It leads us “to insert God in everything, which otherwise would be insipid without him. A pious person whose piety is not superficial strives to fulfil his duty: sincere devotion leads to work, to the willing fulfilment of the duties of each day -- even when this is hard; ...
“Professional work, human relationships of friendship and companionship, striving -- shoulder to shoulder with our fellow citizens -- to achieve the well-being and progress of society, are the natural fruits, a logical consequence, of this sap of Christ which is the life of our soul.” (St Josemaria Escrivá, “In Memoriam”, EUNSA, Pamplona)
“As soon as you truly abandon yourself in the Lord, you will know how to be content with whatever happens. You will not lose your peace if your undertakings do not turn out the way you hoped, even if you have put everything into them, used all the means necessary. For they will have turned out the way God wants them to.” (Ibid, "Furrow", 860)
Let us say to Our Lord: “I want whatever you want, I want because you want, I want as you want, I want as long as you want.” (“Prayer of Pope Clement XI” in “Roman Missal”) Our Lady who pronounced “be it done unto me according to thy word” (Lk 1:38) and put it into practice, will help us fulfil God’s Will in everything.
Ref: cf F Fernandez, “In Conversation with God”, 2:358-60
Our Lady of Arabida, in Portugal, where an image is seen which an English merchant used to carry about him. Finding himself one day in danger of shipwreck, he saw this image surrounded with a great light on top of the rock of Arabida, which induced him to build a little hermitage there, in which he spent the remainder of his days. — Triple Couronne, n. 16. (“Catholic Gems or Treasures of the Church” Historical Calendar; http://www.bethlehemobserver.com)
Nossa Senhora / Our Lady of Arabida. Portugal. 16th Century. (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm); (www.iskandar.com/ourlady/ourladyfeasts.html); (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html)
Our Lady of the Tears (http://www.starharbor.com/santiago/m feasts.html)
Notre Dame of Fourviéres. Lyons, France. (Moveable feast: Saturday after Low Sunday [11 April]) -- (maryfest.htm / www.starharbor.com/santiago/m_feasts.html); (www.marylinks.org/Mary-Calendar.htm)
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