HOMILY FOR FEAST OF MARY MAGDALENE — YEAR A
HOMILY THEME: MARY MAGDALENE
BY: Fr. Mike Lagrimas
On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.”
ALSO RECOMMENDED: HOMILY FOR FEAST OF MARY MAGDALENE
But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’” Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.
Mary Magdalene comes from the town of Magdala, hence the name Magdalene. She is one of the women who supported Jesus and his disciples in their daily needs. She is a very important disciple of the Lord. In recognition of her vital role in the life of the Church, Pope Francis elevated this liturgical celebration in her honor from a Memorial to a Feast, on equal level with that of the apostles.
There are two important lessons we can get from today’s feast. The first lesson is on the role of women in the Church. In the Scriptures, God created man, male and female, not to be competitors or enemies, but as collaborators complementing each other in taking care of the whole of creation. The Bible uses the word ‘helpmate’ of man, not ‘servant’ or ‘slave’.
There is no doubt that God gives equal attention to both sexes. In the Old Testament, there is a long list of women whom God used as His instruments: Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Leah, Deborah, Ruth, Esther, Hannah and many others. And in the Gospels, aside from Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and Elizabeth, the mother of John the Baptist, there are other women who accompanied Jesus: “some women who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities, Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out; Joanna, the wife of Herod’s steward Chuza; Susanna, and many others who provided for them out of their resources” (Lk 8:1-3).
In fact, the most important roles in salvation history were given, not to men, but to women. Eve, the first woman, is the “mother of all the living” (Gen 3:20). All human life begins in the womb of the woman. And of course, the only human being who was conceived without sin is a woman, the Blessed Virgin Mary, chosen by God to be the Mother of His Incarnate Son. And the first person to know and announce the great news of the resurrection of Jesus is a woman, Mary Magdalene.
Clearly, then, in the eyes of God, women are not second class citizens in His kingdom. They are, in fact, special and dear to Him. That is why, on the cross, Jesus entrusted all of humanity to the care and protection of a woman, His own Mother. He knows for certain that we are in good and loving hands.
The second lesson from this feast is the call to conversion and deep love. The Gospel describes her as the woman “from whom seven demons had gone out”, but it does not elaborate. What is certain is that the Gospel describes Mary Magdalene as the woman “from whom seven demons had gone out”(Lk 8:2).It is not clear what these “seven demons” were, but this may not necessarily mean evil possession but could indicate some kind of ailment that is certainly severe. Afterwards, she followed the Lord and was one among those women “who had been cured of evil spirits and infirmities,” and who accompanied the Twelve and “provided for them out of their resources” (Lk 8:2-3).
What is most outstanding is her great love and fidelity to the Lord. At the most crucial moment, on Good Friday, when almost all the disciples abandoned the Lord, she was standing there together with the Blessed Mother, weeping at the feet of Jesus on the Cross. She wept again at the entrance of the tomb, looking for Jesus even after His death. Her exemplary love and total fidelity to the Lord gained for her the great reward and privilege of being the first witness and herald of the Lord’s resurrection. Hence, she is honored as the “Apostle to the Apostles.”
Throughout history, great sinners have become great saints. It tells us that our sins are not an obstacle to holiness. In fact, according to the Apostle Paul, “where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more” (Rom 5:20). St. Teresa of Kolkata said, “Saints are sinners who never give up.” And according to Venerable Fulton Sheen, “the only difference between a sinner and a saint is found in their attitude toward their sins: the one persisting in them; the other weeping bitterly.”
It is so amazing to realize how God is truly gracious and merciful to sinners. May we not waste the graces of God, especially the grace of repentance and conversion. And, like Mary Magdalene and many other saints, we, too, will attain true greatness and genuine holiness.
FOR A SIMILAR HOMILY, CLICK HERE>>>>>