Where are the keys?

Today's READINGS are from Song of Songs 3:1-4b OR 2 Corinthians 5:14-17, Psalms 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9; and the Gospel can be found in John 20:1-2, 11-18.  Be sure to read or LISTEN today!

Have you ever lost your keys? You have that helpless feeling, you may find your heart constricting as panic sets in. Your mind is racing and you may find yourself frantically searching everywhere. You may feel helpless, hopeless and have no idea where to begin! You swear you put them in your purse, but they are gone! You have an appointment to get to and you are going to be late. You are probably angry, super frustrated and maybe even sad. You get mad at yourself, you may lash out and even blame others. Perhaps you even draw others into your search to help you find those darn keys.  

So often after searching and searching we realize the keys have been in front of us the whole time. We were just so consumed in emotion that we couldn't see them. How many times did you look into that purse? Maybe you even dumped the contents out and re put them back and still not found them? Then, either someone else looks in your purse for you, or you take a step back and come to it later when you are calmer and thinking more clearly. You discover they were there the whole time, clear as day!

These feelings, this emotion is only a fraction of what Mary Magdalen felt at the tomb. She went looking for Jesus only to see he was gone! Her heat was heavy and she was filled with such sadness that she sat there and wept. She even looked right at and talked to Jesus, but didn't see him in all her grief!

"They have taken my Lord, and I don't know where they laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus.

John 20:13b-14 (NABRE)

It took Jesus speaking her name to her heart for her to see that it was him. He stood right there in front of her and spoke to her, yet she totally missed him for a moment. 

How often in our life do we want to find God, yet we are so wrapped up in ourselves or other things around us that we totally miss Him? Sometimes we need to step back (like we did from our purse), or sometimes we need to bring in an outside view to help us look with new eyes. It is not enough to know who God is, it is not enough to believe in Jesus, we need to "see" him and have a relationship with him. We need to know Him! It's time to stop being wrapped up in things of this world and really seek God with our hearts!

Mary Magdala went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord" and what he had told her. ~ John 20:18 (NABRE)