Readings
I - 2 Cor. 5:14-17
II - Jh. 20: 1-2, 11-18
FEAT OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE (Feast)
Today the Church celebrates the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, the ardent apostle, daring disciple and the passionate follower of Jesus Christ. All the four Gospels speak of Mary Magdalene (Mt. 26: 6-13, Mk. 14: 3-9, Lk. 7: 36-50 and Jn. 12: 1-8). From all these four Gospels we infer that Mary Magdalene was a sinful woman who had bad reputation in the society, she anointed the feet of Jesus with sweet smelling perfume and she was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Before the crowd of men in Simon’s house, Mary dared to walk up to Jesus, anointed his feet with costly ointment, untied her hair before a band of men which no Jewish woman would dare to do , to wipe the feet of Jesus and continued kissing his feet as an act of her repentance for her sins and a desire for a new life in him. Jesus permitted or rather uninterrupted Mary Magdalene despite inheriting the gossip of the crowd around, for Jesus grasped the depth of her repentance and dense of her love in that act of anointing. Jesus defended Mary Magdalene and rewarded her act saying, “Truly I tell you, wherever this good news is proclaimed in the world, what she has done will be told in remembrance of her” (Mt. 26: 13).
Mary Magdalene followed Jesus faithfully even when all his disciples deserted him during the crucial moment of his passion, death and resurrection. Along with the mother of Jesus, Mary Magdalene accompanied Jesus in his journey up till Calvary. As today’s Gospel reading says, early in the morning while it was still dark she came to the tomb to anoint Jesus. There she beholds the risen Lord, the privilege of being the first witness to the resurrection. The greatest of all rewards by the Master whom she loved and served so much. Let us examine the quality of our love for the Lord in the light of the love of Mary Magdalene. Examine the expressions of our love for our Master. It should be expressed not merely in our multiplicity of words in prayer but in the acts of charity towards our neighbour. May our mind and heart resonate with the prayer: “Lord Jesus, touch my heart and transform my life unto your will for me”
