Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Lectionary: 603
Lectionary: 603
The Bride says:
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves–
I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves.
I sought him but I did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me,
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?
I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
On my bed at night I sought him
whom my heart loves–
I sought him but I did not find him.
I will rise then and go about the city;
in the streets and crossings I will seek
Him whom my heart loves.
I sought him but I did not find him.
The watchmen came upon me,
as they made their rounds of the city:
Have you seen him whom my heart loves?
I had hardly left them
when I found him whom my heart loves.
Brothers and sisters:
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
The love of Christ impels us,
once we have come to the conviction that one died for all;
therefore, all have died.
He indeed died for all,
so that those who live might no longer live for themselves
but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we
regard no one according to the flesh;
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh,
yet now we know him so no longer.
So whoever is in Christ is a new creation:
the old things have passed away;
behold, new things have come.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9
R. (2) My soul is thirsting
for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
O God, you are my God whom I seek;
for you my flesh pines and my soul thirsts
like the earth, parched, lifeless and without water.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus have I gazed toward you in the sanctuary
to see your power and your glory,
For your kindness is a greater good than life;
my lips shall glorify you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Thus will I bless you while I live;
lifting up my hands, I will call upon your name.
As with the riches of a banquet shall my soul be satisfied,
and with exultant lips my mouth shall praise you.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
You are my help,
and in the shadow of your wings I shout for joy.
My soul clings fast to you;
your right hand upholds me.
R. My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Tell us Mary, what did you see on the way?
I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
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 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.
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 of the Lord Jesus when you hear his word? How easy
it is to miss the Lord Jesus when our focus is on ourselves! Mary Magdalene did
not at first recognize the Lord 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.
The Risen Lord Jesus reveals himself to us as we listen to his word
Mary Magdalene'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 Jesus 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). And he opens our ears to recognize his voice as we listen to the "good news" proclaimed in the Gospel message today.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of our hope - the hope that we, too, who believe in him will see the living 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?
The Risen Lord Jesus reveals himself to us as we listen to his word
Mary Magdalene'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 Jesus 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). And he opens our ears to recognize his voice as we listen to the "good news" proclaimed in the Gospel message today.
The resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead is the foundation of our hope - the hope that we, too, who believe in him will see the living 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
as you open the Scriptures for me and speak your life-giving word.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: The
love of Christ enflamed her, by Gregory the Great (540-604 AD)
"Mary Magdalene, who had been a sinner in the city (Luke
7:37), loved the Truth and so washed away with her tears the stains of
wickedness (Luke 7:47). Her sins had kept her cold, but afterward she burned
with an irresistible love... We must consider this woman's state of mind whose
great force of love inflamed her. When even the disciples departed from the
sepulcher, she did not depart. She looked for him whom she had not found... But
it is not enough for a lover to have looked once, because the force of love
intensifies the effort of the search. She looked for him a first time and found
nothing. She persevered in seeking, and that is why she found him. As her
unfulfilled desires increased, they took possession of what they found (Song of
Songs 3:1-4)... Holy desires, as I have told you before, increase by delay in
their fulfillment. If delay causes them to fail, they were not desires... This
was Mary's kind of love as she turned a second time to the sepulcher she had
already looked into. Let us see the result of her search, which had been
redoubled by the power of love." (excerpt from FORTY GOSPEL
HOMILIES 25)
FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
(Songs 3:1-4a or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Psalm 63)
KEY VERSE: "I have seen the Lord" (v.18).
WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, JOHN 20:1-2, 11-18
(Songs 3:1-4a or 2 Corinthians 5:14-17; Psalm 63)
KEY VERSE: "I have seen the Lord" (v.18).
TO KNOW: Mary Magdalene came from the town of "Magdala" on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. She was a devoted disciple of Jesus, and one of the women who ministered to him "out of their resources" (Lk 8:2). Luke tells the story of an exorcism performed on Mary, which cast out seven demons (perhaps physical, mental or spiritual maladies). Mary accompanied Jesus on his last journey to Jerusalem (Matt 27:55; Mk 15:41; Lk 23:55), witnessed the crucifixion, and was the first witness of his resurrection. John tells us that Mary came to the tomb on the first day of the week (Sunday) while it was still dark. At the beginning of time God said, "Let there be light." Jesus said, “I am the light of the world (Jn 8:12). In him a new creation is about to appear. Mary found the sepulcher empty, and ran to tell Peter and John. Then she returned to the tomb and remained there weeping. When Jesus appeared to her she did not recognize him, but when he spoke her name she cried, "Rabboni" (Hebrew, "Master" or "Teacher"). She wanted to cling to Jesus but he forbade her, telling her to go to his brothers and say to them that he was “ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (Jn 20:17). After Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:14), she returned to Jerusalem, and was probably among the group of women who joined the Apostles in the Upper Room. Pope Francis raised the July 22 memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to a feast on the church's liturgical calendar.
TO LOVE: Do I give testimony to the Risen Lord in my life?
TO SERVE: St. Mary of Magdalene, help me to recognize our Savior in my sorrows and in my joys.
FEAST OF
SAINT MARY MAGDALENE
Mary Magdalene was a significant leader of early Christianity, but many false ideas about her persist today. 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. The Bible gives us clues about her importance. 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). One tradition concerning Mary Magdalene says that following the death and resurrection of Jesus, she used her position to gain 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 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.
Wednesday 22 July 2020
St Mary Magdalene
Song of Songs 3:1-4 / 2 Corinthians 5:14-17. My soul is
thirsting for you, O Lord, my God – Psalm 62(63):2-6, 8-9. John 20:1-2, 11-18.
‘Who are you looking for?’
How dim of wit we are at times, and how blind to reality! How
many times, like Mary Magdalene, do we hear him but not recognise him.
We are too enveloped in what we expect to experience from him,
what we wish to see, what we believe we are entitled to, and we become blind
and deaf when his response does not conform to our expectations.
God, however, can penetrate our barriers and call each and every
one of us by name; he breaks down our stubbornness and calls upon that
authentic, original creature which he created, untarnished by sin, doubt and
cynicism.
Encountering Jesus reminds us of our true self, often lost to us
in the masquerades of life, but ever present and ever loved by him. To his call
of true love, every heart, however hardened, can only respond with joy and hope
renewed.
Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint of the Day for July 22
(d. c. 63)
 |
| Saint Mary Magdalene, Head hands and feet | photo by Simon Webster | flicker |
Saint Mary Magdalene’s Story
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.
Writing in the New Catholic Commentary, Father
Wilfrid J. Harrington, O.P., 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.” In the Jerome
Biblical Commentary, Father Edward Mally, SJ, 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 who
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.”
Reflection
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 “unofficial” witnesses of the
Resurrection.
Saint Mary Magdalene is the Patron Saint of:
Penitents
Perfumers
Perfumers
Lectio Divina: Saint Mary Magdalene
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, July 22, 2020
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
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.
3) Reflection
• The Gospel today presents the appearance 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 us lose the earth under our
feet and produce in us a profound crisis, but something different 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 defeat. In the
way in which the appearance 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.
• 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 people 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?” Her 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 for three years.
• John 20:14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without recognizing Him; the disciples on the way to 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 He is the gardener. Jesus also asks, as the angels had done, “Why are you weeping?” And He adds, “Whom 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!” (Rabbouni). 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 rather, 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). 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 people 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?” Her 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 for three years.
• John 20:14-15: Mary Magdalene speaks with Jesus without recognizing Him; the disciples on the way to 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 He is the gardener. Jesus also asks, as the angels had done, “Why are you weeping?” And He adds, “Whom 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!” (Rabbouni). 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 rather, 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). 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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