One of Bruce Springsteen's most recognizable songs is Hungry Heart. The song tells the story of a man searching for happiness, belonging, and fulfillment.
Beyond Bruces musical talent, it became popular because it touches something universal: every human being has a hungry heart. We all long for love, purpose, peace, and someone who truly knows us.
The question is not whether we are hungry—but where we go to satisfy that hunger.
Today's readings reveal that the deepest hunger of the human heart can only be filled by God. (Before Bruce Springsteen, St. Augustine famously prayed: are hearts are relentless until they rest in thee.”) In the Song of Songs, the bride searches through the night for the one whom her heart loves. She refuses to stop looking until she finds him and embraces him. The Church has long seen this as an image of the soul searching for Christ. Love is never passive. Real love seeks. It perseveres. It longs for communion.
The Psalm echoes that same desire: "O God, you are my God, for you I long; for you my soul is thirsting." Clearly, this is not simply a religious obligation. It is the cry of someone who knows that nothing else can satisfy the deepest thirst of the human spirit. Then comes the Gospel. Mary Magdalene stands outside the empty tomb weeping. She is searching for Jesus, convinced that someone has taken His body away. Like the bride in the first reading, she is searching for the one she loves. But the Risen Lord is closer than she knows.
Everything changes with one word: "Mary" when Jesus calls her by name. In that instant her sorrow becomes joy, her confusion becomes faith, and her searching comes to an end. She recognizes not merely a voice, but the One who knows her completely and loves her perfectly. And, that is the turning point for every disciple.
For, Christianity is not simply about searching for God; it is about discovering that God has been searching for us first. The Good Shepherd knows His sheep by name. The Risen Christ still calls each of us personally—in prayer, in the Scriptures, in the Eucharist, and in the people He places in our lives.
Our culture offers countless ways to feed our hungry hearts: success, entertainment, possessions, recognition, even constant activity. Yet these things can never satisfy the longing God has placed within us. As St. Augustine poignantly observed, our hearts remain restless until they rest in God.
Mary Magdalene teaches us what to do with that restlessness. Keep seeking Christ. Stay near Him even through our trials and tribulations…listening for His voice. And when He calls your name, respond with the faith and love that transformed Mary Magdelene.
My brother and sisters, every time we come to Mass, the Risen Jesus calls us by name. He invites us not only to believe that He is alive but to encounter Him personally. The One whom our hearts are seeking is here.
And only He…can satisfy the hunger that no one and nothing else can fill.
Reverend David S. Marcham is the Vice Postulator for the Cause of Venerable Patrick Peyton, and Director of the Father Peyton Guild, whose members pray for Father Peyton’s beatification and spread his message of the importance of Family Prayer. Prior to becoming a seminarian, Father David was a physical therapist and clinical instructor, serving hospital inpatients and outpatients throughout the greater Boston area for eleven years. In 1998 he heard the call to priesthood and was ordained in the Archdiocese of Boston in 2005. Father David grew up in Quincy, MA, and has fond memories of playing soccer, tennis and running track. You’re never without a friend when Father David is around, as he welcomes everyone into his circle with a smile on his face!
