WOMAN, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?

What a glorious morning that was on resurrection day; I can imagine the tender scene of Mary Magdalene’s encounter with the Risen Jesus, the woman who had once washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and perfumed them with her grateful heart. The woman of the Gospel who looked for love with so many men without finding it and who dared to come to a dinner where she had not been invited. Who would have thought or imagined that this woman of the evening, whom everyone pointed out for her sin, would become the first witness of the Lord’s resurrection. There is no doubt that God makes straight the crooked lines, as St. Paul wrote, don’t you think?

I have found in the Gospels two very particular cases describing weeping women. Please bear with me, so that we can reflect on what happened in each of these cases. I believe that tears have a very particular effect on each person; both the one who sheds them and the one who sees them shed.

As a young boy – age 6 through 11 – I saw my mother cry many times. And every time she cried many things went through my mind. I felt helpless because I did not have the ability to solve her problems; her crying made me fearful, insecure, and unstable. The big question we all ask ourselves in the midst of suffering is, WHY? Since then, every time I see a woman cry, I am quickly reminded of my childhood and the sad moments when my mother cried. Likewise, I am convinced that Jesus was moved every time he saw the suffering and tears of his fellow men.

In the Gospel of Saint Luke, chapter 7, we are told about the very particular case of a mother – a widow – whose only son had just died and was about to be buried. Jesus and his followers met on the mourners on their way to the burial with the mother. Jesus stopped and felt moved by the woman’s sorrow. He saw her tears and understood that each one of them carried a piece of her heart. Some time ago, this woman had shed tears for her husband, but she had been left with the hope of her only son. It is quite possible that her son was her only reason to live, as it usually happens in cases like this; but then, the son died (Luke 7:11-15). This woman represents those of us who have lost someone or something that we consider irreplaceable and feel our hearts empty, without hope, with no reason to survive. Especially in a case like this woman who lost her husband and then her son. The scripture states that Jesus simply told the woman; ”DO NOT CRY”. This is what the Lord is like when he looks at us when we are authentically sad, dejected, disconsolate, helpless. Our tears continue to move Jesus’ heart, who again tells us those same words; “DO NOT CRY”.

I think Jesus was saying to her, I feel your pain, I feel your void, I feel your loneliness and your sadness, and I can tell that you think your life has no meaning. The three little words uttered by Jesus were not aimed at merely comforting her heart. Jesus was about to perform the miracle of giving life back to her only son. And so, it was…, Jesus gave her son back to her. And the woman’s tears turned into joy and gladness. This shows me that God hurts to see our suffering and understands our pain, our tears. And he always wants to comfort us and provide us with a reason to go on living.

The second case is found in John chapter 20: 11-16. In this passage, Mary Magdalene is weeping – not the first tears she shed, for once before, her tears were used to wash the feet of the Master and touched Jesus’ heart. Her tears helped her find God’s Forgiveness and Mercy. She also wept at the foot of the cross when she saw Jesus crucified. Now, in this passage, she is weeping at not finding the body of her beloved Lord. Suddenly, Jesus says to her, ”WOMAN, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”. You can see that Jesus is asking for the reason for her tears. In the previous case, Jesus does not ask but understands the reason. Anyway, this time, he asks the reason, and the reason is that Jesus had already announced His Death and Resurrection more than once and He hoped that His words would have echoed in the hearts of His followers.

Today, many say they believe in Jesus and trust in His words but nevertheless, what happened to Mary Magdalene happens to us. We cry because we think that Jesus has abandoned us when He promised to be with us all the days of our lives, especially in the most difficult moments. I would dare to say that His words, ”WHY ARE YOU CRYING?”, are aimed at those who cry because of unjustified fears, because we feel alone and in doubt of His promises. It is in these situations that God no longer says to us, ”do not cry”, but rather, He asks, WHY ARE YOU CRYING?

I dedicate the contents of this letter especially to the woman who struggles day by day to get ahead and despite her challenges and difficulties, does not turn back. Dear friends and sisters, take the marvelous example of our most Holy Mother, her fidelity to God, the YES that allowed the Word to become Incarnated in her womb. Today I invite you to discover God’s compassion for you and for us as He sees our tears of sorrow and let us continue to recognize that only He can change our lament into Joy, … just as the angel said to Mary, “With God nothing is impossible.” (Luke 1:37).

Beloved and respected women, I send you a special greeting in this month in which we celebrate Mother’s Day. I raise my prayer to the Creator, asking for abundant blessings for you, that He illuminates your life for the benefit of your children, husbands, and grandparents. May God protect you and give you His constant Blessing.

At Pentecost, I invite you to open your hearts without resistance to this outpouring of the Fire of God’s Love that is given to us freely so that the Spirit of God may be poured out in abundance with His gifts in each of your homes. For this, let us live out the Sacrament of Reconciliation as a certainty of God’s Mercy and Grace, in addition to living with the Joy the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary to her cousin Elizabeth on May 31st.

I congratulate all those who will be Consecrated to Jesus Christ through the I Am 73 Project this coming May 18, and encourage those who have not yet lived out this extraordinary experience to not hesitate to contact us at (818) 912-5842 or write to us at info@iam73.net, where our brothers and sisters will assist you in your registration and experience the Glory of the Lord.

Sincerely yours as a friend and servant in Jesus Christ and Holy Mary of Guadalupe,