The Search That Finds

Song 3:1-4a, Psalm: 62, Jn 20:1-2.11-18

My dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,

The human heart is a restless seeker. We search for love, for meaning, for security, for a peace that does not fade. The Song of Songs captures this longing in the passionate words of the beloved: “On my bed at night I sought him whom my soul loves; I sought him, but I did not find him.” She rises and searches through the city, asking the watchmen, “Have you seen him whom my soul loves?” It is a search born of love, a longing that cannot be silenced.

In the Gospel of John, we witness another search—Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb. She comes while it is still dark, and she finds the stone rolled away. She runs to Peter and John, crying, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” She searches, weeping, and even when she sees angels, she does not understand. Then she turns and sees Jesus, but she mistakes Him for the gardener. It is only when He calls her by name—”Mary!”—that she recognizes Him. “Rabbouni!” she cries. The search is over. The one whom her soul loves has found her.

Two searches, two songs of longing, and one single answer. The beloved in the Song of Songs seeks her lover through the city, and when she finds him, she holds him and will not let him go. Mary Magdalene seeks the body of Jesus, and she finds the risen Lord, who sends her to announce the good news to the disciples. The search of the soul is not in vain. God is not distant; He is waiting to be found—and to find us.

Pope Benedict XVI, reflecting on Mary Magdalene, said, “Her tears were the tears of love, and love opens the eyes of faith.” And Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, understood this intimate search: “Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.”

What does this mean for us? We are all seekers. We may not be searching for a lover in the streets of a city or a body in a tomb, but we are searching for something—for meaning, for peace, for a love that does not disappoint. The readings today assure us that the search will not be fruitless. But we must be like Mary Magdalene—weeping, persistent, and willing to turn around when we hear our name. We must be like the beloved in the Song—rising from our complacency, going into the streets of our daily lives, and asking, “Have you seen Him?”

But there is a deeper truth: we are not the only ones searching. God is searching for us. He calls us by name, as He called Mary. He knows our sorrow, our confusion, our longing. And He speaks our name in the quiet of prayer, in the breaking of the bread, in the voice of a friend. He finds us before we find Him.

This week, let us not be afraid to seek the Lord. Let us rise from the “bed” of our comfort and complacency, and go into the city of our daily lives—our families, our workplaces, our neighborhoods—asking for Him. And when He calls our name, let us cling to Him and never let go. For the one whom our soul loves is near, and He calls us to be His witnesses, just as Mary was sent to proclaim the good news: “I have seen the Lord!” Amen.

May God bless you all!

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