one at the head, and the other at the feet. They said, “Woman, why are you weeping?“ She
answered, “Because they have taken my Lord and I don’t know where they have put him.“
As she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not recognize
him. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who are you looking for?“ She
thought it was the gardener and answered him, “Lord, if you have taken him away, tell me
where you have put him, and I will go and remove him.“
Jesus said to her, “Mary.“ She turned and said to him, “Rabboni“ – which means, Master.
Jesus said to her, “Do not cling to me; you see I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and say to them: I am ascending to my Father, who is your Father,
to my God, who is your God.“ So Mary of Magdala went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord, and this is what he said to me.“
Reflect
Today we celebrate Saint Mary Magdalene, known since the early days of the Church as
the apostle to the apostles. An apostle is one who is sent. Mary was sent by the Lord himself
to share the good news of the Resurrection with his apostles. She was the first witness to the
Resurrection and the first evangelizer. She is a model for each of us.
What can we learn from Mary Magdalene? First, she followed Jesus closely during his ministry,
listening to his teaching and learning from him. We too can follow Jesus and learn from his
Word and teaching. Mary’s life was transformed by her encounters with Christ, both during his
public ministry and after his Resurrection. We too can encounter Christ in his sacraments and in
our brothers and sisters. Finally, knowing Christ’s rising and the salvation it brings, Mary gave
witness to him to everyone she met, faithfully proclaiming his good news. In the same way, aware
of all the good things God has done for us, we too can witness to Christ to all we meet.
© Copyright Bible Diary 2023