St. Mary Magdalene

+JMJ+

According to the scriptures, Mary Magdalene is the first to witness the resurrection of Christ. She truly was a faithful disciple whom Jesus had freed from an evil spirit. She was faithful to the end, even remaining with the other women at the foot of the Cross. She, along with the other Mary, were the first to hasten to the tomb, according to the Gospels. In his work, In Conversation with God, Fr. Francis Fernandez uses this scene to show us Mary's love for her Master. He specifically points out that Mary chose to stay at the tomb weeping when she discovered the Body was not there, even though the other apostles returned home. She chose to persevere in finding Him, and we can see this as an example of "Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved" (Litugry of the Hours, Second Reading, St. Gregory the Great, Homily on the Gospels, 25,1-2. This perseverence, according to St. Jose Maria Esciva, wins her the reward of being the first to see Jesus. Although she did not recognize Him at first, the clouds of darkness were then removed from her eyes, as He called her by name. So too can this happen to us when we seek Him in prayer. After al, this dialog with Him results in Christ reaching out and giving us peace and joy once again. This should fill us with hope, since we know that He will always triumph in the end. This also will be translated into a joy which will help us to let our light shine before others (St. Matthew 5:16).

Father, your Son first entrusted to Mary Magdalen the joyful news of [H]is resurrection. By her prayers and example may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord and one day see [H]im in glory. (Opening prayer of the Mass)

Taken from "In Conversation with God" vol 7 by Francis Fernandez, p 19-25.