I Have Seen the Lord!

These words of Mary Magdalene, found in today's Gospel (John 20: 11-18), are powerful ones. But the words do not belong to Magdalene alone. I can honestly tell you that I, too, have seen the Lord! I have seen Him in the face of a father holding his newborn daughter in his arms. I have seen the Lord in the faces of migrant farm-workers who are striving to make a better life for their families. I have seen Him in the glance exchanged by a couple celebrating their fiftieth wedding anniversary. I see Christ when I look at a daughter loving tending to her dying mother. I have seen the Lord in the eyes of men who will spend the rest of their lives in jail for crimes they admit committing. I have seen Jesus in the face of a brother priest who was dying of AIDS. I have witnessed the Lord in youth from our parish trying to help make living conditions better for young people who live in a group home because they are not able to live with their families. I see the face of the Lord in the faces of residents of Broadmeadow who offer their suffering for family members. And I see the Lord in the young and old, rich and poor who gather together each week to give praise and thanks to God and beg for the strength to do the will of the Father.
Now I must admit, it is often difficult to see the face of Christ. I have to be constantly reminded to look for Him in the people I encounter. But when I do, it makes all the difference in the world. I hope that we can all make the effort to remember to look for Christ, especially during this Easter Season. And, like Mary, we cannot cling to Him, but look forward to the next time we meet Him in our sisters and brothers.