Homily- Wed of the 16th Week of Ordinary
Time/Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
v Song of Songs 3:1-4b
Or 2 cor 5:14-17
v Ps 63:2,3-4,5-6,8-9
v John 20:1-2,11-18
The Love of Christ Impels Us (Caritas Christi Urget Nos,
2 Cor 5:14, 15)
Mary Magdalen’s faith, love and interaction with Christ, are obvious throughout the Gospels. It is that faith, that love for Christ, that faithful interactions that we celebrate today. She is the one referenced in Luke 8:2 and Mark 16:9 receiving healing from Christ and listening to him preached from the boat.( I remember celebrating mass a few years ago in the Church of Magdala, in the Holy Land, with a boat shaped altar. She (Mary Magdalene) is also among those who remained with Christ during his agony on the cross. As read in today’s gospel, of John she came to the tomb of the risen savior on the first day of the week, when it was still dark. She did all these filled with God’s love.
It
is such love, that we heard chanted poetically and metaphorically in the Song
of Songs, today’s first reading (Sg 3:1-4b). In it, the bride and the groom are
searching for each other, are looking after one another.
In
the case of Mary Magdalen, we are told when out of love, she arrived at
Christ’s tomb, she found the stone rolled away (John 20:1-2, 11-18).. Note how
she reacted. She reacted very quickly with love, by running back to informed
Peter and the other Disciple Christ, setting the tone for our personal
reflection on how we react to the transforming power of the Resurrection of
Christ.
Impels by the love of Christ, as Saint Paul
recommends in today’s alternate first reading (2 Cor 5:14-17), she further said
to Peter and others, “they have taken the Lord from the tomb and we don’t know
where they have put him.” She initially thought that the body was stolen.
Notice also the reaction of Peter. “Peter and the other disciple also ran to
the tomb. Lots of running!.
Christ
love is infectious! Quite unlike Peter who was initially running away from the
“ugly” trial scene. The transformed Peter is now running to the triumphal scene
of the Resurrection. The love of Christ displayed by Mary Magdalen is
infectious and live changing. Though the Beloved Disciple is the first to
arrive Peter is the first to embrace the burial cloth in the empty tomb.
With this cloth they came to believe that Christ had actually risen to die no
more. We have something to learn from each of these disciples, especially Mary Magdalene
whose feast we celebrate today.
I am sure you would all agree with me that Mary
Magdalene could be seen as disciple who not only genuinely loved and search for
Jesus, but was attached to Jesus. Remember,
Mary knew, Christ is the truth, the light, the way, the bread of life and the
source of eternal salvation. Like Mary we are called not only to believe,
but to get to know Christ more deeply and intimately, to bear witnesses, to
announce our faith, like Mary Magdalene, where ever we find ourselves each day,
these days, corona virus or no corona virus!.
As
we rejoice today may we be strengthened in faith. May the love of Christ that impelled Mary Magdalene
(2 Cor 5:14) impels us, in our daily struggles to live our Christian faith, in
our various cultures and contexts, especially in this era of covid-19.
Reflection
Questions
1.
Can you ever mirror your faith in that of
Mary Magdalene?
2.
Like Mary, Magdalene how often do we bring
our neighbors to experience the mysteries of Christ?
3.
In our faith journeys what do we identify
as obstacles?
4.
How often do we encourage and appreciate
the role of women in our faith communities?
