Who Tells Your Story?

A Reflection for Easter Sunday, by Rev. Madison J. McAleese

Lectionary Reading for 4/5/2026: Acts 10:34-43 or Jeremiah 31:1-6; Psalm 118:1-2, 14-24;        Colossians 3:1-4 or Acts 10:34-43; John 20:1-18 or Matthew 28:1-10

Selected Passage: John 20:1-18

Read

John 20:1-18

The Empty Tomb

20 Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. 2 So she came running to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one Jesus loved, and said, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we don’t know where they have put him!”

3 So Peter and the other disciple started for the tomb. 4 Both were running, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. 5 He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. 6 Then Simon Peter came along behind him and went straight into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, 7 as well as the cloth that had been wrapped around Jesus’ head. The cloth was still lying in its place, separate from the linen. 8 Finally, the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. 9 (They still did not understand from Scripture that Jesus had to rise from the dead.) 10 Then the disciples went back to where they were staying.

Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

11 Now Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb 12 and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus’ body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

13 They asked her, “Woman, why are you crying?”

“They have taken my Lord away,” she said, “and I don’t know where they have put him.” 14 At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

15 He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

16 Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

17 Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

18 Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Reflect

Easter is the most important holiday in the Christian faith because it is the day when Jesus defeated death, resisted the oppressive forces of Empire, and proved God’s reign by returning to bodily life. 

But a significant part of the story that we don’t always think about is the importance of Jesus revealing himself to Mary Magdalene. It is especially interesting because the risen Christ didn’t actually need a messenger. He could have gone directly to his disciples from the get-go, revealing himself and sharing his message of resurrection. He could have done the work himself.

But instead, he chose a messenger. A go-between. A vessel for his message. And it’s this precedent we see throughout the Christian faith: God always chooses a messenger. From Moses to John the Baptist, to Jesus, and then Mary Magdalene, and later to the disciples in the book of Acts, God works and speaks through his people.

God never wants to speak for himself. God wants us to tell his story. God wants us to co-create work here on earth. 

Jesus’s resurrection is not just a miracle of the body, but it is the first, inaugural step toward all of humanity sharing the good news.

And so, Easter reminds us not just of the glorious resurrection, but of the work of holy messengers. May we all be holy messengers.

Jesus Appearing to Mary, by Jesus MAFA, Cameroon, 1973

Respond 

Where can you serve as a messenger for God’s message this week, either through deed or word? 

What other holy people and prophets are inspiring to you? What can you learn about the stories they tell of God?

Rest 

God of the most glorious resurrection, we thank you for defeating death. We thank you for Jesus’s ministry on earth and in heaven. Fill us with your Spirit so that we may serve as your holy messengers, sharing the good news of justice, peace, liberation, and love. Let us co-create your Kingdom by doing your work. Amen.

About the Author 

Rev. Madison Jones McAleese is a priest, social impact leader, and nonprofit executive director. She is an ordained priest through the Catholic Apostolic Church in North America and presides at her local Dignity Chapter. She has a Master’s in Christian Studies and is completing her dissertation for her Doctorate in Social Transformation. Rev. Madison is also the Executive Director of FCM (Federation of Christian Ministries). She lives with her wife and dog, Bubbles, in Burbank, CA. You can find her at www.madisonjonesmcaleese.com.