Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “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.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,”
which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me,
for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he had told her.

—John 20:11-18

In the Gospel reading at Mass today, Jesus asks Mary Magdalene, “Why are you weeping?” I think Jesus very sweetly sometimes asks us the same thing to make us think: Ok, why are you really crying? Then of course, she hears His voice, and that’s enough, and she starts grasping to hang on to Him.

And He tells her, “Stop holding on to me.” But I don’t think it’s a, “STOP HOLDING ON TO ME.” I think it’s a really gentle, “Stop, you are not going to lose me.” And then, “Go tell my brothers, tell them, I am going to my Father and your Father. To my God and your God.”

What an incredible message. He reaffirms the “Our Father.” It’s Our Father. What a lovely thing, Mary doesn’t question Him, she just takes off. She’s gone. “And Mary went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord.’” She’s the apostle to the Apostles.

I think of the sweetness of doing His will. Mary wanted to hang on to Him, but He helped her to see His will instead of her own. It’s as if He said to her, “We need to do this now. You will never lose me.” What a wonderful way to live. That’s living in the New Testament. That’s truly living with that love that says to Christ, “I trust You. I will never lose You. Teach me to do Your will.”

I hope we all love that much that we want to obey Him rather than our own desires. What will we do for Him? Will we strive for an obedience that isn’t looking at ourselves, that says, “I want to join You in pleasing the Father”? What a precious gift to God this is. What a difference to look at obedience in Easter. It’s a triumphant obedience. One that says, “I live.” I wish that for each one of you — that triumphant obedience. 

Starting in the fall of last year, the Abbey’s paschal candle department focused on painting over twenty candles of various sizes. The 2026 candle’s design was inspired by the figure of Christ in Pietro Tenerani‘s monument to Pope Pius VIII in St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome. Christ, seated on His throne, is shown with a peaceful countenance and outspread arms, welcoming all who approach Him. We hope this speaks to those who have entered the Church this Easter, and to all the faithful as they encounter Christ in His Church.

Paschal candles are used during the Easter Vigil Mass to carry the flame from the Easter fire into the church, and from which every other candle in the church is lit, as a symbol of Christ the true Light enlightening the world and dispelling the darkness of evil.  

Thanks to the hard work of our Sisters in the paschal candle department, all the pastors who ordered candles from us are now burning our hand-painted candles in their parishes. Three different designs were created by three of our solemnly professed Sisters this year, and these designs were painted on candles large and small by the eight candle artists in our community, including two of our postulants. Paschal candles are used during the Easter Vigil Mass to carry the flame from the Easter fire into the church, and from which every other candle in the church is lit, as a symbol of Christ the true Light enlightening the world and dispelling the darkness of evil.

A very blessed Easter season to all—He is Risen!

A very blessed Easter season to all—He is Risen!

Abbess Mother Maria-Michael sings the Exsultet at the Easter Vigil Mass. The final part of this age-old prayer is about the Easter candle, featured in the audio clip above.

and the Word was with God,

and the Word was God.

He was in the beginning with God.

All things came to be through him,

and without him nothing came to be.

What came to be

through him was life,

and this life was the light of the human race;

the light shines in the darkness,

and the darkness has not overcome it…

He was in the world,

and the world came to be through him,

but the world did not know him.

He came to what was his own,

but his own people did not accept him…

And the Word became flesh

and made his dwelling among us…”

–John 1:1-5, 10-11, 14

We rejoice with you on this glorious day as we celebrate the day on which God gave us the greatest gift—His very self. May you receive Him with great joy! Many blessings on you this Christmas and always.

After His Resurrection, Jesus appears to His disciples and asks if they have anything for Him to eat. We can see by this that He so wants to be at home with them, wants them to recognize that it’s really Him, and they do not need to fear. I can imagine Christ saying, “I’m here with you, I’ll eat with you, I’ll do all things with you…Do not be afraid.”

Then we hear that “He opened their minds to understand the Scriptures” (Luke 24:45). I think this is the key to Lectio Divina—it’s not something we do of ourselves, but something Christ does. All we need to do is be present. He can open the Scriptures for us. He can bring to life those words. You are going to hear it straight from Him. I pray that whole world would experience this grace, because His words are life. They are the sword that can cut away all evil, and the very thing that is light and gives light. Take the time to read the Scriptures and delight in them, because God meets you in them, and He delights in you.

Christ gave us His very self, and what will we give Him in return? I hope we will offer Him our very selves, over and over again. That’s what we can do every time we read the Scriptures: “God, I offer you myself again.  Let me be that vessel You fill up.”

…my Father gives you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is that which comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.” So they said to him, “Sir, give us this bread always.” Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me will never hunger, and whoever believes in me will never thirst…and I will not reject anyone who comes to me, because I came down from heaven not to do my own will but the will of the one who sent me.

John 6:32-38, abridged