Easter 2025 - John 20-1-20

Every Easter, until COVID, my dad would host a Sunrise Service
(First at the Pacific Amphitheater and later the Verizon Amphitheater)
And most every year he would tell the same story; this one about Mary Magdalene
  - you might expect people to say, “Oh no, not this story again,” 
    ~ but instead it was, “Oh! This is one of my favorite sermons”
    ~ about forty years ago, a Sunrise Service was held at San Clemente High School
I went because I heard Eddie Piorek was going to speak
He also told the story of Mary Magdalene
  - I’m don’t intend to recover or carry on a tradition today
    ~ but last week—Palm Sunday—we read the story about another Mary,
the one who poured perfume on Jesus’ feet
    ~ it felt right to spend a moment with the Mary in today’s story,
who lost Jesus and then found found him

John, in fact, highlights three Marys who appear in connection with Jesus’ death
  Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who prepared Jesus for his burial (Jn. 12:7)
  Mary Magdalene, who stood by the cross and later came to the tomb,
  And Mary the mother of Jesus