Wednesday 22nd July Saint Mary Magdalene
My friends we know very little with accuracy about St. Mary Magdalene; but, in general, she is the example of a notable sinner who became a great saint. Just what her earlier life had been, we do not know precisely. St. Luke remarks that seven demons had gone out of her.
Probably she is to be identified with that sinful woman who crashed the Pharisee’s banquet with an alabaster box of ointment and anointed Jesus’ feet, and received forgiveness of sins. “I tell you”, says Jesus, “her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much”. “Charity shall cover the multitude of sins.”
St. Mary Magdalene is a witness to the triumph of love. But what is this love, which winds new life, this charity which covers the multitude of sins? We can hardly mention the word “Charity” without recalling St. Paul’s great hymn of charity in the 13th chapter of 1st Corinthians, one of the best-known and most loved passages of scripture.
Gospel – 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.
The Gospel of the Lord
The Mass intention is for Sisters of Nazareth
Reflection:
Note in today’s Gospel how Jesus say’s to this sinful woman, “I am going to my Father and YOUR Father, to my God and YOUR God”. Why was Mary so honored? A sinful woman was the herald of the Resurrection.
It was because she was forgiven much that she loved much. Jesus has this same love for you and I.
Friends take a moment and ask yourself: When was the last time you experienced the presence of Jesus in your life? Perhaps it simply was a sense that Jesus was present to you? Did you cling to this experience?
Did you share your experience with anyone?
It is a wondrous gift to see or sense Jesus’ presence and love! At times, this gift may be a direct encounter with Jesus. At other times, we may experience Jesus as another person being attentive or loving with us!
Or it may be in the beauty of a sunrise, a hug from a child, a smile from a stranger. Jesus is with us always! However, we have to have open eyes, an open mind and an open heart in every situation in our lives! Otherwise, we most likely will miss seeing Him!!
- Have you ever encountered Jesus call you by name?
- 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?
Fr John