July 22 2024 - St. Mary Magdalene - Delivered for a purpose

 It can be argued, that Mary Magdalene is the second-most important woman in the New Testament. Throughout the four Gospels, she is named 14 times, more than most of the apostles.  Yet, there is a lot of confusion about some of Mary Magdalene’s biographical information.

Movies like The Last Temptation of Christ and Jesus Christ Superstar portray Mary of Magdala as young, beautiful and as having a romantic interest in Jesus. We won’t even go into what Dan Brown, author of The Davinci Code has to say about her.  

There is no scriptural evidence that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute.  Nor is she the woman to have washed the feet of Jesus, that was Mary of Bethany in John’s Gospel; St. Mark and Luke do tell us that the Lord had cast out of her “seven demons”. St. Luke also tells us that she helped provide for the needs of Jesus and His apostles out of her resources (Lk 8:3). And, unlike the majority of the apostles, she followed the Lord all the way to Calvary and stood at the foot of his cross with Jesus (Jn 19:25). 

On Easter Sunday, sent went to the tomb to weep for the Lord, but she soon encountered the Risen Lord. Faith and Love then impelled her to bring the news of the resurrection to the apostles.

Saints and theologians from St. Thomas Aquinas to the modern popes have referred to St. Mary Magdalene as the Apostle to the Apostles.

She wasn’t one of the twelve apostles, and she is not regarded as a bishop at any point by the Church, but she is called Apostle to the Apostles because she is the first to encounter the risen Christ, and she is sent by the risen Jesus to bring news of his resurrection to the other disciples. As the Opening Prayer stated: “Christ “first entrusted to Mary Magdalene the joyful news of his resurrection.” 

And that is the apostolic task of every member of the Church: to spread the good news about Jesus.

Whatever her past—prior to becoming a disciples of Jesus—she became a woman transformed by faith, hope, and love. Even the demon possessed can become saints and effective missionaries. She was delivered for a purpose, and so are we.

St. Anselm has a beautiful reflection on St. Mary Magdalene, in which he writes: St Mary Magdalene, you came with springing tears to the spring of mercy, Christ; from him your burning thirst was abundantly refreshed; through him your sins were forgiven; by him your bitter sorrow was consoled. My dearest lady, well you know by your own life how a sinful soul can be reconciled with its creator, what counsel a soul in misery needs, what medicine will restore the sick to health… Draw me to him where I may wash away my sins; bring me to him who can slake my thirst; pour over me those waters that will make my dry places fresh.”

May we, with the help of the Magdalene’s prayers and example, be made worthy, like her, of the promises of Christ, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

 

That all Christians may seek to imitate the examples of the saints and grow in the virtues of faith, hope, and love.

For the demon-possessed and those hardened in sin, that they, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, may know true deliverance; and that young people may be preserved from evil, and discover the great joy of loving and being loved by Christ.

That Christians may imitate the generosity of Mary Magdalene in providing for the needs of the mission of the Church.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of human trafficking, natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for the unborn, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, free us from all that keeps us from the love of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.

Easter Octave 2022 - Monday - Fearful, yet overjoyed

 

When Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to the place where Jesus was buried, their first encounter was with an empty tomb.  

Lovingly and dutifully, they went to the tomb, Easter Sunday morning to anoint the body of Jesus—to complete the burial rites left unfinished by Joseph of Arimathea. On their way to the tomb, they wonder  “Who will roll back the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” After all, the stone was heavy. It was large. It was truly a foreboding obstacle. It took several people to roll it into place, it was going to be more difficult to move out of the way.

Despite this obstacle, they went to the tomb anyway. They could have stayed home. They could have dwelt on the enormity of this obstacle and stayed home. What beautiful fervor, that these holy women, despite the obstacle, go to fulfill the duty of charity anyway. And it was in that experience of being faithful and dutiful and charitable that the women encountered the angel and receive news of the resurrection.

A charitable heart, a dutiful and obedient heart opens itself to receive the good news. Alleluia.

After announcing to the women that Jesus had risen, the angel tells the women to go to announce the Goodnews to Peter and the other disciples--as a sort of Apostle to the Apostles, as the early church called her. And that’s where our Easter Monday Gospel picks up. 

Receiving this commission by the angel, we heard this morning that “They went away quickly”. This reminds me of the beginning of St. Luke’s Gospel. When our Lady is told to go to her cousin Elizabeth, St. Luke tells us that Mary left in haste. When we receive a commission by an angel, we do well not to dilly-dally. 

“They were fearful and overjoyed.” St. Matthew tells us. There’s an apt description of the Christian life if I’ve ever seen one. Christians are constantly to be going into unknown territory to spread the Gospel. That’s a fearful task, and yet, we are filled with joy, knowing that we are being faithful to the work God has given us.

And again, in this experience of being faithful, despite their fear, the women have an encounter, and this time not with an angel, but with the Risen Lord Himself.

Like the holy women on Easter Sunday morning, the Church is called to be industrious in our charity, diligent in seeking the Lord, and at the same time confident that when we are faithful, God will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves. The Lord will take care of the heavy lifting. 

And it’s okay to acknowledge that the work of the Gospel is often fearful—to speak to strangers, to stand before kings. Notice, that the Lord himself tells them, don’t be afraid. Don’t be afraid how the disciples will react to this news, tell them anyway. The same goes for us. Don’t be afraid how people will react to the good news, let us tell them anyway, trusting that if there is some obstacle in their hearts, some heavy stone, God will move it, if God wills it.

Dutiful, charitable, trusting in God, may we be faithful to the spread of the Gospel and the work God has for us today and all days, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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Filled with Paschal joy, let us turn earnestly to God, to graciously hear our prayers and supplications.

For the shepherds of our souls, that they may have the strength to govern wisely the flock entrusted to them by the Good Shepherd.

For the whole world, that it may truly know the peace of the Risen Christ. 

For our own community, that it may bear witness with great confidence to the Resurrection of Christ, and that the newly initiated hold fast to the faith they have received. 

For our brothers and sisters who suffer, that their sorrow may be turned to gladness through the Christian faith.

That all of our beloved dead and all the souls in purgatory may come to the glory of the Resurrection.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the desires of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our lord.

July 22 2019 - St. Mary Magdalene - To love and be loved by Christ

Three Years Ago, during the Jubilee of Mercy, Pope Francis raised the liturgical celebration of St. Mary Magdalene from the rank of a memorial to a rank of a feast. And I think this is the first time that I personally have the honor of celebrating the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene.

The letter promulgating the feast explains the Holy Father’s decision: “The decision is situated in the current ecclesial context, which calls upon us to reflect more deeply on the dignity of women, the new evangelization and the greatness of the mystery of divine mercy. It was St. John Paul II who dedicated great attention not only to the importance of women in the very mission of Christ and the Church, but also, and with special emphasis, to the peculiar function of St. Mary Magdalene as the first witness of the Risen Christ and the first messenger who announced to the apostles the resurrection of the Lord. This importance remains in today's Church – as shown by the current commitment to a new evangelization – which seeks to welcome, without distinction, men and women of any race, people, language and nation, to proclaim to them the good news of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to accompany them on their earthly pilgrimage and to offer them the wonders of God's salvation. St. Mary Magdalene is an example of true and authentic evangelization, that is, an evangelizer who proclaims the joyful central message of Easter. The Holy Father Francis has taken this decision precisely in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy to stress the importance of this women, who shows great love for Christ and was very dear to Christ"

Beautiful words for us to reflect upon today.

Up and down the centuries Mary Magdalene has been called the Apostle to the Apostles. She wasn’t one of the twelve apostles, of course, and she is not regarded as a bishop at any point by the Church, but she is called Apostle to the Apostles as the first witness who saw the risen Christ, and as the first messenger who announced the Lord’s resurrection to the Twelve Apostles; as the Opening Prayer stated: God’s Son “entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection.”

In raising the rank of St. Mary Magdalene’s feast, the Holy Father certainly wants this feast to inspire us to consider our own role as apostles, evangelizers, joyful proclaimers of the Lord’s resurrection. And the letter of promulgation roots that identity in that two-fold realization: showing love for Christ and being dear to Christ. As the Song of Songs sings so sweetly: I belong to my beloved and my beloved belongs to me

On one hand, as we grow in love for Christ, we want to tell people about him—to tell people about our beloved, shouting it from the rooftops.. Mary Magdalane’s life was change by the Lord, she loved him deeply—not romantically, as some of the Hollywood movies would put it, but a love that changes us to our core.

On the other, we come to realize in the Christian life, that we are dearly loved by Christ. The experience of being loved is what changes us. We want to adhere to the moral life, we want to do great things for the Lord, because we are loved, and want to present our best selves, to the God who loves us.

The life that is changed by love is the most powerful instrument of evangelization, thereby making St. Mary Magdalene one of the greatest saints of the Church, a model for us all, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That women of faith may continue to bless the Church through their sharing of spiritual gifts.

For all women trapped in sin, especially, for the deliverance of all women from prostitution.

That young people may, through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, be preserved from evil, and discover the great joy of loving and being loved by Christ.

For all the needs of the sick and the suffering, the homebound, those in nursing homes and hospitals, the underemployed and unemployed, immigrants and refugees, victims of human trafficking, natural disaster, war, and terrorism, for the unborn, for all those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today, for their comfort, and the consolation of their families.

For all who have died, and for all the poor souls in purgatory, and for X. for whom this Mass is offered.

Hear Our Prayers, O Lord, and through the intercession of St. Mary Magdalene, free us from all that keeps us from the love of Christ. Through the same Christ Our Lord.