A reading from the holy Gospel of 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.
REFLECTION: “I have seen the Lord...”
Without cost we have been given the gift of life. Each day we embrace life, accept life happily, love others,
give thanks and praise for our existence and being.
Such was the case of Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene was a friend and devoted follower of Jesus. She had seven demons exorcized by Jesus. She is mentioned 14 times in the New Testament. She is in Golgotha, at the tomb, and was the first witness of the resurrection. It was Mary Magdalene who went to the apostles to reveal, “I have seen the Lord...” Because she is the first person to announce the Resurrection, Mary Magdalene became known as “the apostle to the apostles.”
Her name, “Magdalen,” comes from her birth town of Magdala. It is believed she is the same penitent woman, Mary of Bethany who anointed the feet of Jesus and the sister of Lazarus and Martha.
“I have seen the Lord...” After the Ascension Mary continued her work of evangelizing. She is the patron saint of women, repentant sinners, penitent women, reformed prostitutes, and against sexual temptation.
The name Mary Magdelene calls to mind humanity's progress from sinner to penitent, from prodigal to a child of God. In Mary Magdalene is contained the story of sin and redemption. The focus, though it is her feast day, is not Mary Magdalene, but what Christ did for her and what He can do for us. His death has allowed us to wake up each morning filled with joy, wanting to do His will and knowing that God loves us.
Let us seek and follow the Lord, so we can say each day and night, “I have seen the Lord...”
God Bless You.
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