Justified!

Mass Readings: March 25

First:	Acts 2:14,22-33
Resp:	Psalm 33:4-5,18-20,22
Gospel:	John 20:11-18

John 20:15 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."

Who was Mary looking for? It occurs to me that Mary may have felt almost apologetic or out of place, like she didn't belong here. Think about it for a moment, why would the gardener take the dead body out of a tomb? Well, the tomb was given by Joseph of Arimathea, a man of wealth. He would have a gardener to tend to the grounds and Mary may have thought that the gardener has taken the body of Jesus because he may not have known that Joseph donated it. She may have even had some feelings that she was trespassing.
The term to be justified means that we need not apologize. We are justified in what we do. Mary may have not felt fully justified in using a wealthy mans tomb. Jesus asks her who she is looking for? Is she looking for a dead man, or the Son of God? Does the Son of God have to apologize for anything? That is why we can be bold in our faith. He is the Son of God and He has over come death. We are fully justified in following Him. We have every right to think that Jesus can inhabit the tomb of a wealthy man or even the culture of this country we live in. As Americans, that is as Christian Americans, we need not apologize for our faith. We are justified by Christ because he is the Son of God and He has risen from the dead. Peter says to save yourselves from this corrupt generation. Don't apologize for your faith and give into the ways of the world. We must act as though we believe what we say we do.

Father, help me by your Holy Spirit to act boldly and faithfully, to know that I need not apologize for having faith in you, who is the Son of God and who has overcome death for me. Help me to repent and to know that I am justified by faith in you through my baptism.

Amen