Keeping faith in the Master

Listening to the Spirit

Christians, to the Paschal Victim offer your thankful praises!
A Lamb the sheep redeems; Christ, who only is sinless, reconciles sinners to the Father.
Death and life have contended in that combat stupendous:
The Prince of Life, who died, reigns immortal.
Speak, Mary, declaring what you saw, wayfaring.
“The tomb of Christ, who is living, the glory of Jesus’ resurrection;
Bright angels attesting, the shroud and napkin resting.
Yes, Christ my hope is arisen; to Galilee he goes before you.” Christ indeed from death is risen,
our new life obtaining. Have mercy, victor King, ever
reigning! Amen. Alleluia!

Listening to the Word

Jn 20:1-9

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.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Reflection

Along our life journey we often realize how slow our pace is. At times we may even get stuck. Our pitfalls may give opportunities to see clearer who we are and seek for help. Yet it seems so difficult to learn and grow; our propensity for self-deception, superficiality is always with us. One feels entitled to take more than he or she can give, complain about everything, pass judgment on others. On the way, the temptation to settle for cheap, to withdraw, sit down or to give up a life-time commitment have some appeal to us. No wonder why our days are spent in doing maintenance to an engine that has little fuel.

Today, we meet a woman who does not seem at all to be affected by slow motion. Forgetting herself, first things first, she goes to meet Jesus. It must have been tremendously heartbreaking for her not to be able to cling to the only thing that was left: the lifeless body of her Lord in the tomb. While drunkards are staggering along the way - who knows whether they are going to make it to their homes without collapsing at the corner street, Magdalene resolutely reaches the place of burial. She had not only known Jesus; even Pilate did; she had eaten the bread of Jesus, even Judas did. However unlike others she kept the faith in her Master.

If we complain about so many problems, what about Mary of Magdala? Did we not learn that beyond some speculation that she was a woman of bad reputation, seven demons were holding her in their grip? I could not think of something worse than that, seven capital sins come to my mind. Jesus had made her free, had restored her dignity, dissipating her life-long fears. Her showing up at early down to pay homage to the body of the Lord manifests her deep gratitude and ardent love for Jesus. The path of Magdalene is what gives hope to us today. It wakes us up, it shakes the life of the Apostles who were almost giving up hope in the aftermath of Jesus’ tragic and shameful end. Magdalena is a true disciple and a true missionary!

Well, there is something of her within us. The Lord makes a difference to us. Is it not uncommon that a true contemplation of Jesus's life, His passion and death has the power to re-float our vessel; St. Paul reminds us in his second letter to the community of Corinth that: "If anyone is in Christ, this person is a new creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come (2Cor,5,17). Motivation, inspiration and courage come from God but we must look for Him. Magdalena is pointing us to the right direction in her plea to look for Jesus.