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…