Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
Lectionary: 603
Reading 1
Song of Songs 3:1-4B
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.
OR
2 Corinthians 5:14-17
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.
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.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 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.
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.
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.
Reflection 1
Catholic Daily Reflections
Unwavering Fidelity
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. John 20:11–12
Early in His ministry, Jesus cast seven demons out of Mary of Magdala. As a result, she became an exceptionally faithful follower of Jesus. She was most likely one of His followers who provided for Jesus and the disciples out of her own resources as they traveled. She listened to His teachings, witnessed His miracles, was present when He was condemned, stood at the foot of the Cross with Jesus’ mother, helped to prepare His body for burial and was the first person recorded in Scripture to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection.
The Gospel for today’s Mass tells the story of Mary going to the tomb early Sunday morning to complete the anointing of Jesus’ dead body as He laid in the tomb. But much to her surprise, the tomb was empty. Therefore, she ran to tell the Apostles, which makes Mary Magdalene the first of His followers to witness to the Resurrection. After telling the Apostles, she returned to the tomb with Peter and John; and, after Peter and John left, she remained outside the tomb weeping, as is mentioned in the Gospel passage quoted above.
Mary’s tears are beautiful. They are an expression of her deep devotion to her Lord. She did not yet understand that He had risen, but her fidelity to Jesus is a testimony to her love. Jesus had restored her dignity. He freed her from the seven demons who tormented her. She most likely had been a sinful woman in the past, but now she was singly devoted to the Savior of the World.
The witness of Mary of Magdala is one that should inspire us all. Though few people are possessed by seven demons, we are all tormented in one way or another. We all sin. We all are weak. We all have a past we regret. And we all are invited to do better. Mary’s “better” was a life that was given to Jesus with the utmost fidelity. She didn’t care if the authorities saw her at the foot of the Cross. If they were to persecute her as a result, it did not matter. She was faithful. She didn’t care if the soldiers would have harassed her when she went to the tomb to anoint the body of Jesus—she only thought of that last act of love she could offer Him. And when she saw Jesus risen and thought He was the gardener, she didn’t care if He saw her heartbroken and in tears—she only wanted to see the body of her Lord.
As a result of her unwavering fidelity, Jesus gave her a gift beyond imagination. He appeared to her, after being resurrected from the dead, and sent her to be an apostle to the Apostles. He sent her to go to the Apostles to tell them that Jesus had risen and that He was preparing to go to His Father in Heaven.
Reflect, today, upon the holy soul of this woman. She was a repentant sinner who turned her whole life around. She devoted everything to Jesus and, in return, received even more. In Heaven, Mary Magdalene will forever cling to Jesus and adore His Sacred Heart. May we all strive to imitate her by turning from our own life of sin and becoming unwaveringly faithful to our Lord.
Reflection 2
One Bread, One Body
SUPREME, ALL-CONSUMING LOVE
“On my bed at night I sought Him Whom my heart loves.” —Song of Songs 3:1
The psalmist prays: “O God, You are my God Whom I seek; for You my flesh pines and my soul thirsts” (Ps 63:2). The Church proclaims “the supremacy of the bond with Christ” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1619). Our relationship with Him should be in a class by itself (see Lk 14:26). St. Mary Magdalene is a great example of a right relationship with Jesus. Mary was so preoccupied with Jesus that she hardly noticed “two angels in dazzling robes” (Jn 20:12). She clung to Him (Jn 20:17). Jesus was her Love, Life, Lord, God, and All.
Do you love Jesus more than anyone or anything else? (see Jn 21:15) Do you love Jesus as He should be loved? Although it is difficult to answer these questions, our thoughts are often a good indication of where our hearts are. “The root of all conduct is the mind” (Sir 37:17). We can think at any time, and nothing can stop us from thinking. Because our thoughts are so free, they can be a way that the Lord uses to show us whether we love Him supremely.
What do you think about? Who do you think about? Are you always thinking of yourself? If Jesus is the supreme Love of your life, the words of the old spiritual will be true for you: “I woke up this morning with my mind stayed on Jesus.”
By His grace, think of Jesus continually. As Mary Magdalene does, love Him supremely.
Prayer: Jesus, consume me in the fire of Your love (see Heb 12:29).
Promise: “The love of Christ impels us who have reached the conviction that since One died for all, all died. He died for all so that those who live might live no longer for themselves.” —2 Cor 5:14-15
Praise: Praise God for the faithful witness of St. Mary Magdalene, the first apostle to the Apostles.
Reflection 3
Shared from God's Word
“Repentance is a gift of God's grace,” says Rabindranath Tagore. God was pleased with Mary Magdalene because she chose to leave behind her past life. “There will be more joy in Heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Lk 15:7). God blessed Mary Magdalene with the privilege of seeing the resurrected Jesus and to announce him first, hence she is called the ‘apostle to the apostles’. God used her as an instrument in bringing the Good News of hope and encouragement to the Apostles. When the risen Lord appeared to Mary Magdalene, she initially thought he was a gardener. It was only when the risen Jesus called her by name that she recognized him. Jesus, the Good Shepherd, knows each of his sheep by name, even before we search for him. Mary Magdalene was a faithful and committed follower of Jesus; let us imitate her love and fidelity towards Jesus.
Prayers
My resurrected Lord, You appeared first to Mary of Magdala after Your Resurrection. You now invite her to share in Your glorious life in Heaven. Help me to learn from her by turning away from all sin and becoming deeply devoted to You. May my fidelity to You, dear Lord, be absolute and unwavering, so that I, too, will one day share in the glory of Your Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.
Lord Jesus, fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may grow in wisdom and knowledge of your love and truth. Free me from stubborn pride and willfulness that I may wholly desire to do what is pleasing to you.
Daily Reflections on Divine Mercy
Reflection 203: The Depth and Breadth of Mercy
Imagine being given the task of counting every grain of sand in the world. It would obviously be an impossible task. In fact, all the people in the world could not accomplish such a task together. Some things are simply beyond us. Another task that would even be more difficult to accomplish is to fully fathom the Mercy of God. This is impossible. The Mercy of God is completely beyond us. Its depths and breadth are infinite. You could spend your whole life contemplating and experiencing the Mercy of God and you would only begin to penetrate the surface. In fact, if every person ever created spent eternity contemplating the Mercy of God, our combined effort would not even suffice to comprehend it. Understanding that the Mercy of God is infinite will enable us to turn to Him no matter our struggle and no matter our sin, trusting in Him with all the powers of our soul (See Diary #1059).
Have you tried to comprehend the Mercy of God? Do you even understand that you can never fully understand this infinite Gift? If you are to trust in our Lord, you must begin this impossible mission of Divine contemplation. It’s what you will do eternally in Heaven. And your Heaven must begin now. Doing so will deepen your ability to trust, and your trust will enable you to surrender. Do not wait, begin this glorious task today.
Lord of Mercy, I thank You for the infinite nature of Your love and for calling me to begin my journey into this unfathomable mystery. Give me the grace to open my eyes so that I may begin to plunge into Your Mercy and in so doing, deepen my trust in You this day. Jesus, I trust in You.
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