Memorial of Saint Mary
Magdalene
Lectionary: 395/603
Lectionary: 395/603
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| St.Maria Magdalene |
When it was reported to the king of
Egypt
that the people had fled,
Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them.
They exclaimed, “What have we done!
Why, we have released Israel from our service!”
So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiersB
six hundred first-class chariots
and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh
that he pursued the children of Israel
even while they were marching away in triumph.
The Egyptians, then, pursued them;
Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers,
caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea,
at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up
and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them.
In great fright they cried out to the LORD.
And they complained to Moses,
“Were there no burial places in Egypt
that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?
Why did you do this to us?
Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said,
‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’?
Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians
than to die in the desert.”
But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground,
and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.
These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers.”
that the people had fled,
Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them.
They exclaimed, “What have we done!
Why, we have released Israel from our service!”
So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiersB
six hundred first-class chariots
and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh
that he pursued the children of Israel
even while they were marching away in triumph.
The Egyptians, then, pursued them;
Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers,
caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea,
at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.
Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up
and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them.
In great fright they cried out to the LORD.
And they complained to Moses,
“Were there no burial places in Egypt
that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?
Why did you do this to us?
Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said,
‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’?
Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians
than to die in the desert.”
But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground,
and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.
These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”
Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,
that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers.”
Responsorial PsalmEX 15:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6
R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
GospelJN 20:1-2, 11-18
On the first day of
the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.
So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”
Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.
And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
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.”
Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’”
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”
and then reported what he told her.
Meditation: "I have
seen the Lord!"
Do
you recognize the presence and reality of the Lord Jesus in your life? How easy
it is to miss the Lord when our focus is on ourselves! Mary Magdalene did not
at first recognize the Lord Jesus after he had risen from the grave because her
focus was on the empty tomb and on her own grief. It took only one word from
the Master, when he called her by name, for Mary to recognize him. Mary's
message to the disciples, I
have seen the Lord, is the
very essence of Christianity. It is not enough that a Christian know about the
Lord, but that we know him personally. It is not enough to argue about him, but
to meet him. In the resurrection we encounter the living Lord who loves us
personally and shares his glory with us.The Lord Jesus gives us "eyes of faith" to see the truth of his resurrection and his victory over sin and death (Ephesians 1:18). The resurrection of Jesus is the foundation of our hope – the hope that we will see God face to face and share in his everlasting glory and joy. Without having seen him you love him; though you do not now see him you believe in him and rejoice with unutterable and exalted joy. As the outcome of your faith you obtain the salvation of your souls (1 Peter 1:8-9). Do you recognize the Lord's presence with you, in his word, in the "breaking of the bread", and in his church, the body of Christ?
"Lord Jesus, may I never fail to recognize your voice nor lose sight of your presence in your saving word."
 Two Hearts Beat as One |
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Saint Mary
Magdalene. Memorial
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John 20: 1-2; 11-18
Early on the first
day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and
saw that the stone had been removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to
Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to
them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know
where they have laid him." But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As
she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in
white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and
the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you
weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do
not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned
around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking
for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if
you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take
him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to
him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to
her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the
Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, ´I am ascending to my Father
and your Father, to my God and your God.´" Mary Magdalene went and
announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told
them that he had said these things to her.
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, I come before you wanting to grow in my knowledge
of you and wanting to grow in love for you. I want to show my love by truly
loving others as you have loved me. My falls are many, yet I trust in your
grace never to stay down and always to get up. I trust that your mercy will
change my heart. So I stand before you, ready to listen to your words and
ready to unite myself more perfectly to your most holy will.
Petition: Lord, grant me a love similar to Mary Magdalene’s passionate
love for Christ.
1. The Lone
Guard: How sad Mary
Magdalene must have been as she sat and wept outside our Lord’s tomb! Our
Lord had healed her soul; he had cast seven demons from her heart. She had
stood at the foot of our Lord’s cross, along with the Blessed Virgin Mary and
St. John. She had washed our Lord’s feet with her tears; now her tears flow
down her face. She’s alone. Or rather she experienced an existential
loneliness in the face of the bitter events of Good Friday. But she wasn’t
alone. We are never alone in our suffering. Do I suffer alone, or do I open
my heart to Our Lord in all my trials?
2. “Mary!” - How Mary Magdalene must have endeared
herself to our Lord. The other followers were locked up in their rooms. Yet
here was this simple, humble woman, trying to accompany our Lord in the only
way she knew. We have much to learn from this beautiful soul. How she moved
the heart of Jesus! She’s the first one he appears to after his resurrection.
What a gift. What a gift to have the Risen Lord say your name. Despite her
anguish she wishes to honor her Lord who she is about to discover is God. In
moments of trial and pain, do I remember to honor God with my thoughts,
desires, intentions and actions? Does he remain number one for me no matter
what I’m going through?
3. The Ultimate
Message: As Mary Magdalene
touched our Lord’s heart, he would now touch hers, and she would become the
apostle to the apostles. She’s the first one to announce to the world that
our Lord has risen from the dead. Jesus is the Lord of life. What was moving
through her heart as she hurried towards the apostles? Let’s ask Christ for
that gift – to have the same zeal as Mary Magdalene did as she went to
proclaim that she had met the Risen Lord! Am I a witness to the saving
message of Our Lord including, or especially, in the midst of great personal
suffering?
Conversation with
Christ: Jesus, I want to
endear myself to you just as Mary Magdalene did at your tomb. Then, fill me
with the joy you instilled in her heart on that first Easter morning.
Resolution: Today I will see how I can help at my
parish, in imitation of Mary Magdalene’s assistance to our Church 2,000 years
ago.
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MONDAY, JULY 22
JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
(Exodus 14:5-18; Psalm: Ex 15)
KEY VERSE: "I have seen the Lord" (v 18).
READING: Mary Magdalene came from the town of "Magdala" on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. She is described in the New Testament as a devoted disciple of Jesus. She is mentioned as one of the women who ministered to Jesus "out of their resources" (Lk 8:2). Luke also tells the story of an exorcism performed on Mary that cast out seven demons (which might have been physical, mental or spiritual infirmities). Mary was among the women who accompanied Jesus on his last journey to Jerusalem (Matt 27:55; Mk 15:41; Lk 23:55). She witnessed the crucifixion and was the first witness of Jesus' resurrection. John's gospel tells us that inthe early dawn of the first day of the week (Sunday) Mary Magdalene came to the sepulcher and found it empty. She ran to tell Peter and John, and then returned to the tomb and remained there weeping. When Jesus appeared to her, she did not recognize him and thought he was a gardener. When he spoke her name she cried, "Rabboni" (Hebrew, "Master" or "Teacher"). She wanted to cling to Jesus but he forbade her. He told her to go to his brothers and say to them, "I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (Jn 20:17). Mary then returned to Jerusalem, and was probably among the group of women who joined the Apostles in the Upper Room after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:14). The Eastern Orthodox Church maintains that Mary Magdalene retired to Ephesus with Mary, the mother of Jesus, and died there. Her relics were transferred to Constantinople in 886 where they are preserved. Mary is called "The Apostle to the Apostles," but she is also a witness to the whole world.
REFLECTING: Do I give testimony to the Risen Lord in my life?
PRAYING: St. Mary of Magdala, help me to recognize our Savior in my sorrow and in my joy.
Memorial of Mary Magdalene
For centuries, Christians have wondered about the real identity of Mary Magdalene, who was beloved by Jesus. Many false ideas about her persist today. For example, early church fathers incorrectly identified her with the sinful woman who anointed Christ's feet at the house of Simon the Pharisee, but there is nothing in the Bible to support this view and much to dispute it. Others wrongly believed that she was Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. We may never know details about Mary Magdalene, but the Bible gives us clues about her importance as a significant leader of early Christianity. According to the Gospel of John, after Jesus' resurrection, he first appeared to Mary Magdalene and not to Peter. In other scriptures, her name is first in the list of witnesses (Mk. 16:1-11; Mt. 28:1; Lk. 24:10; Jn. 20:11-18; 1 Cor. 15:5-8). Her encounter with Christ that first Easter morning was the inspiration of the popular hymn, "I Come to the Garden." One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene is that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she gained an invitation to a banquet given by Emperor Tiberius Caesar. When she met him, she held a plain egg in her hand and exclaimed "Christ is risen!" Caesar laughed, and said that Christ rising from the dead was as likely as the egg she held in her hand turning red. Before he finished speaking, the egg turned a bright red, and she continued proclaiming the Gospel to the entire imperial house. Mary Magdalene is considered by the Roman Catholic, Eastern Orthodox, and Anglican churches to be a saint.
Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory
'There is something greater than Solomon here.'There is always a temptation to say that we would have believed more wholeheartedly if we had grown up with Jesus. Yet we find stories in the gospels where the locals seem to have most trouble in recognising Jesus.
Today's gospel has the local spiritual authorities asking for proof. It is just the sort of thing one often thinks would help our faith rest more comfortably. If only Jesus would heal this person or visit that person, all would be different. The unfortunate truth seems to be that people ask for signs because they do not believe. So while we sometimes ask in faith for miracles, and ask Jesus to answer our special prayers, even then we leave it to him to grant what is the Father’s will.
July 22
St. Mary Magdalene
St. Mary Magdalene
Except
for the mother of Jesus, few women are more honored in the Bible than Mary
Magdalene. Yet she could well be the patron of the slandered, since there has
been a persistent legend in the Church that she is the unnamed sinful woman who
anointed the feet of Jesus in Luke 7:36-50.
Most Scripture scholars today point out that there is no
scriptural basis for confusing the two women. Mary Magdalene, that is, “of
Magdala,” was the one from whom Christ cast out “seven demons” (Luke 8:2)—an
indication, at the worst, of extreme demonic possession or, possibly, severe
illness.
Father Wilfrid J. Harrington, O.P., writing in the New
Catholic Commentary, says that “seven demons” “does not mean that Mary had
lived an immoral life—a conclusion reached only by means of a mistaken
identification with the anonymous woman of Luke 7:36.” Father Edward Mally,
S.J., writing in the Jerome Biblical Commentary, agrees that
she “is not...the same as the sinner of Luke 7:37, despite the later Western
romantic tradition about her.”
Mary Magdalene was one of the many “who were assisting them [Jesus
and the Twelve] out of their means.” She was one of those who stood by the
cross of Jesus with his mother. And, of all the “official” witnesses that might
have been chosen for the first awareness of the Resurrection, she was the one
to whom that privilege was given. She is known as the "Apostle to the
Apostles."
Stories:
Today’s Gospel (John
20:1–2, 11–18) shows Mary at first not recognizing the risen Jesus in the
garden, then knowing him as he spoke her name. Her great love bursts forth,
echoing the First Reading, “I took hold of him and would not let him go” (Song
3:4b). Jesus says, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the
Father” (John 20:17a). The meaning probably is that there is an entirely new
relationship now—a much deeper one, resting in faith rather than the former
relationship that was possible because of his visible body. Saint John may also
be stressing the fact that Jesus’ exaltation at the right hand of the Father is
the completion of the Resurrection.
Comment:
Mary Magdalene has been a victim of mistaken identity for almost 20 centuries. Yet she would no doubt insist that it makes no difference. We are all sinners in need of the saving power of God, whether our sins have been lurid or not. More importantly, we are all, with her, “unofficial” witnesses of the Resurrection.
Mary Magdalene has been a victim of mistaken identity for almost 20 centuries. Yet she would no doubt insist that it makes no difference. We are all sinners in need of the saving power of God, whether our sins have been lurid or not. More importantly, we are all, with her, “unofficial” witnesses of the Resurrection.
Patron Saint of:
Penitents
Perfumers
Penitents
Perfumers
LECTIO: SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
Lectio:
Monday, July 22,
2013
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
Lord,
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
be merciful to your people.
Fill us with your gifts
and make us always eager to serve you
in faith, hope and love.
You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading -
John 20,1-2.11-18
It was very early on
the first day of the week and still dark, when Mary of Magdala came to the
tomb. She saw that the stone had been moved away from the tomb
Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.'
As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.'
Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her.
Mary was standing outside near the tomb, weeping. Then, as she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. They said, 'Woman, why are you weeping?' 'They have taken my Lord away,' she replied, 'and I don't know where they have put him.'
As she said this she turned round and saw Jesus standing there, though she did not realise that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, 'Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?' Supposing him to be the gardener, she said, 'Sir, if you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.'
Jesus said, 'Mary!' She turned round then and said to him in Hebrew, 'Rabbuni!' -- which means Master. Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to the brothers, and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala told the disciples, 'I have seen the Lord,' and that he had said these things to her.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today
presents the apparition of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, whose feast we celebrate
today. The death of Jesus, her great friend, makes her lose the sense of life.
But she does not cease to look for him. She goes to the tomb to encounter anew
the one whom death had stolen. There are moments in life in which everything
crumbles down. It seems that everything has come to an end. Death, disasters,
pain, disillusionments, betrayals! There are so many things that can make one
lose the earth under our feet and produce in us a profound crisis. But
something diverse can also take place. Unexpectedly, the encounter with a
friend can give us back the sense of life and make us discover that love is
stronger than death and than defeat. In the way in which the apparition of
Jesus to Mary Magdalene is described we distinguish the stages followed, from
the painful seeking for the dead friend to the encounter of the risen Lord.
These are also the stages that we all follow, along our life, seeking God and
in living out the Gospel. It is the process of death and of resurrection which
is prolonged day after day.
• John 20,1: Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb. There was a profound love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She was one of the few persons who had the courage to remain with Jesus until the hour of his death on the Cross. After the obligatory rest of the Sabbath, she returned to the tomb, to be in the place where she had met the Beloved for the last time. But, to her great surprise, the tomb was empty!
• John 20,11-13: Mary Magdalene weeps, but seeks. As she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. The angels asked: “Why are you weeping?” Response: “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” Mary Magdalene looks for the Jesus she had known, the same one with whom she had lived during three years.
• John 20,14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without recognizing him; the Disciples of Emmaus saw Jesus, but they did not recognize him (Lk 24,15-16). The same thing happens to Mary Magdalene. She sees Jesus, but does not recognize him. She thinks that it is the gardener. Jesus also asks, like the angels had done: “Why are you weeping?” And he adds “Who are you looking for?” Response: “If you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him!” She is still looking for the Jesus of the past, the same one of three days before. The image of the past prevents her from recognizing the living Jesus, who is standing in front of her.
• John 20,16: Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus. Jesus pronounces the name “Mary!” (Miriam). This is the sign of recognition: the same voice, the same way of pronouncing the name. She answers “Master!” (Rabbuni). Jesus turns. The first impression is that death has been only a painful accident on the way, but that now everything has turned back as it was in the beginning. Mary embraces Jesus intensely. He was the same Jesus who had died on the cross, the same one whom she had known and loved. Here takes place what Jesus had said in the Parable of the Good Shepherd: “He calls his by name and they know his voice”. “I know my sheep and my sheep know me!” (Jn 10,2.4.14).
• John 20,17: Mary Magdalene receives the mission to announce the resurrection to the Apostles. In fact, it is the same Jesus, but the way of being with her is not the same. Jesus tells her: “Do not cling to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father!” Jesus is going to be together with the Father. Mary Magdalene should not cling to him, but she has to assume her mission: “But go and find my brothers and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father”. He calls the disciples “my brothers”. Ascending to the Father Jesus opens the way for us so that we can be close to God. “I want them to be with me where I am” (Jn 17,24; 14,3).
• John 20,18: The dignity and the mission of Magdalene and of the women. Mary Magdalene is called the disciple of Jesus (Lk 8,1-2); witness of his crucifixion (Mk 15,40-41; Mt 27,55-56; Jn 19, 25), of his burial (Mk 15, 47; Lk 23, 55; Mt 27, 61), and of his resurrection (Mk 16,1-8; Mt 28,1-10; Jn 20,1.11-18). And now she receives the order, she is ordered to go to the Twelve and to announce to them that Jesus is alive. Without this Good News of the Resurrection, the seven lamps of the Sacraments would extinguish (Mt 28,10); Jn 20,17-18).
• John 20,1: Mary Magdalene goes to the tomb. There was a profound love between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She was one of the few persons who had the courage to remain with Jesus until the hour of his death on the Cross. After the obligatory rest of the Sabbath, she returned to the tomb, to be in the place where she had met the Beloved for the last time. But, to her great surprise, the tomb was empty!
• John 20,11-13: Mary Magdalene weeps, but seeks. As she wept, she stooped to look inside, and saw two angels in white sitting where the body of Jesus had been, one at the head, the other at the feet. The angels asked: “Why are you weeping?” Response: “They have taken my Lord away, and I do not know where they have put him!” Mary Magdalene looks for the Jesus she had known, the same one with whom she had lived during three years.
• John 20,14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without recognizing him; the Disciples of Emmaus saw Jesus, but they did not recognize him (Lk 24,15-16). The same thing happens to Mary Magdalene. She sees Jesus, but does not recognize him. She thinks that it is the gardener. Jesus also asks, like the angels had done: “Why are you weeping?” And he adds “Who are you looking for?” Response: “If you have taken him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will go and remove him!” She is still looking for the Jesus of the past, the same one of three days before. The image of the past prevents her from recognizing the living Jesus, who is standing in front of her.
• John 20,16: Mary Magdalene recognizes Jesus. Jesus pronounces the name “Mary!” (Miriam). This is the sign of recognition: the same voice, the same way of pronouncing the name. She answers “Master!” (Rabbuni). Jesus turns. The first impression is that death has been only a painful accident on the way, but that now everything has turned back as it was in the beginning. Mary embraces Jesus intensely. He was the same Jesus who had died on the cross, the same one whom she had known and loved. Here takes place what Jesus had said in the Parable of the Good Shepherd: “He calls his by name and they know his voice”. “I know my sheep and my sheep know me!” (Jn 10,2.4.14).
• John 20,17: Mary Magdalene receives the mission to announce the resurrection to the Apostles. In fact, it is the same Jesus, but the way of being with her is not the same. Jesus tells her: “Do not cling to me because I have not yet ascended to the Father!” Jesus is going to be together with the Father. Mary Magdalene should not cling to him, but she has to assume her mission: “But go and find my brothers and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father”. He calls the disciples “my brothers”. Ascending to the Father Jesus opens the way for us so that we can be close to God. “I want them to be with me where I am” (Jn 17,24; 14,3).
• John 20,18: The dignity and the mission of Magdalene and of the women. Mary Magdalene is called the disciple of Jesus (Lk 8,1-2); witness of his crucifixion (Mk 15,40-41; Mt 27,55-56; Jn 19, 25), of his burial (Mk 15, 47; Lk 23, 55; Mt 27, 61), and of his resurrection (Mk 16,1-8; Mt 28,1-10; Jn 20,1.11-18). And now she receives the order, she is ordered to go to the Twelve and to announce to them that Jesus is alive. Without this Good News of the Resurrection, the seven lamps of the Sacraments would extinguish (Mt 28,10); Jn 20,17-18).
4) Personal questions
• Have you ever had an
experience that has produced in you an impression of loss and of death? What
has given you new life and the hope and joy of living?
• Mary Magdalene looked for Jesus in a certain way and found him again in another way. How does this take place in our life today?
• Mary Magdalene looked for Jesus in a certain way and found him again in another way. How does this take place in our life today?
5) Concluding Prayer
God, you are my God, I
pine for you;
My heart thirsts for you,
My body longs for you,
As a land parched, dreary and waterless. (Ps 63,1)
My heart thirsts for you,
My body longs for you,
As a land parched, dreary and waterless. (Ps 63,1)
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