Today, during the octave of Easter, we get a close look at St. Mary Magdalene and her deep abiding love for Jesus. May our grief turn into joy as it did for this apostle to the apostles, and like her, may we run with glad feet to spread the good news to all we meet, fulfilling our baptismal promise, commanded by none other than the risen Lord Himself.
Why are you Weeping?
At the moment we meet this fair saint in today’s Gospel, she has already had quite the workout. She arrived at the tomb early on Easter morning while it was still dark and found it empty, the stone removed. A quick sprint to inform Simon and John, who promptly made a beeline to the tomb to see for themselves, while she presumably jogged back herself. The men saw the burial cloths, strove for understanding and returned home teetering between belief and unbelief.
But Mary wasn’t about to go anywhere. She stayed outside the tomb weeping. When asked why, she tries to put her emotions into words. Mary is at a loss without Jesus. She is frozen, she cannot move on, this conundrum demands an answer. On that Friday of all Fridays, her own eyes had watched the bloody torture and brutal execution of her Lord, and today, she wasn’t looking for a whom, but a what – she was seeking the body of Jesus. Not finding it, she weeps. And her love is relentless, she won’t return home, this mystery has to be probed to the bitter end.
Angels In White
Now Mary should be startled to see heavenly beings in the tomb where she expected to find a dead body. But she’s not even fazed by it, her whole being fixated on the Lord, or rather His disappearance. Which begs the question, why were the angels there, if not for Mary’s benefit and for ours?
Their presence mirrored the choir of angels who sang Hosannas at the time of the Incarnation. Their presence points to the divine action that has unfolded. And this time, it is the consummation of the promise that God made, of a redeemer who would pay the price for Original Sin and pave the way for our return to Our Maker. The messengers ask us to contemplate the divine remediation for our sins and to seek the living, not the dead. That means following Jesus – out of the cemetery where He is not to be found and into the Light that shines forth from Him alone that alleviates the parameters of our human condition and promises an eternity where tears will be no more.
Whom are You Looking For?
In silence, with no witnesses present, God wrought the most marvelous work of our salvation. He Suffered Death and was Buried. He Descended into Hell, an event called the harrowing of Hell, in which he brings salvation to the souls held in captivity, including Adam and Eve. Now He appears to Mary Magdalene and she becomes the first witness to the resurrected Christ. And her quest is successful beyond her wildest dreams, she finds not a corpse but the risen Lord, and she doesn’t recognize Him until He speaks her name: Mary.
Her relationship is rekindled, and she is beside herself with joy as she realizes that He will always be there for her – and for us. We can look for Him here, there, and everywhere for He is omnipresent, but where better, than the church. Recall the rejoinder to His Blessed Mother: Didn’t you know that I must be in my Father’s house?
Faithfully each year, during Lent and Easter, we relive the death and rising of Our Lord and Redeemer, Jesus Christ in liturgy, fast, and song until the Gospel becomes ingrained in us and we too can be like St Mary of Magdala, proclaiming the good news to all we meet.
Great reflection, Patrick. I liked your observation that God wrought the Resurrection, this “marvelous work of salvation” in silence, with no witnesses present. Appreciate that you drew us into the heart of Mary Magdalene, as first witness to the Resurrection. Thanks and God bless.