St. Mary Magdalene the Loyal Lover of Jesus – Santa María
Magdalena que se ha enamorado profundamente de Jesús
*****
The Gospel Reading for the Memorial Feast of St.
Mary Magdalene (John 20:1-2, 11-18) recalls how close she had been to Jesus
ever since her life was changed by him, for having seven demons taken out of
her by him (Luke 8:2). She was delivered from the bonds of demons into the
freedom, a new life of joy and peace in Christ by his power (i.e. Romans 5 -8;
Galatians 5). In fact, Mary Magdalene was one of the women, who followed Jesus
faithfully from Galilee to the foot of his cross in Jerusalem (e.g. Matthew
27:55-56), while Peter denied his relation to Jesus during Jesus’ trial by the
high priest (John 18:15-27) and other male disciples denied scattered away from
him out of fear, except John (John 19:25-27).
Just as his mother, Mary, Mary Magdalene remained
loyal and faithful to Jesus. Yes, she really loved Jesus in ways to dedicate
her whole life for him. Yes, Mary Magdalene would say to Jesus, “Totus tuus”. She loved Jesus with agape. It is because she personally
experience the power of Jesus for having been made free from torments of seven
demons (Luke 8:2). But the disciples who fled from Jesus did not have such a
personal experience with Jesus.
It is a shame that St, Mary Magdalene had been
degraded as a prostitute because of an error committed by St. Gregory the
Great, who, in his homily, indicated her as such. Ever since, she has been
eroticized and sexualized. Some even say that she had sexual relationship with
Jesus! But, nowhere in the sacred scriptures and relevant materials, there is
no indication that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute and had a sexual encounter
with Jesus. Those who eroticize and sexualize her and espouse such an egregious
view on her are projecting their own pathological sexual fantasies or sexual
complex.
True Mary Magdalene was a great disciple, in whom we
can find inspiration for our faith in Christ – for her agape and loyalty and faithfulness to Jesus.
There certainly is something about Mary Magdalene.
It is because she is the first one to have announced the resurrection of Jesus,
saying, “I have seen the (risen) Lord!”(John
20:18). She is heralded the paschal joy.
So why did Mary Magdalene go to the tomb of Jesus
early in the morning while it was still dark (John 20:1a)?
Because she missed him so much? Of course, because
Jesus meant so much to her – beyond words. But that was not all there was.
It is likely that Mary really did not want to
believe that Jesus was dead – though she sure watched him die on the cross.
Nevertheless, it is likely that she believed in the resurrection, as Martha
also believed. Who would want to believe that loved one is dead – even it is
true. This is a normal initial grief reaction. So, it is probably that she
believed that it was possible to see him in resurrection as she had kept her
eyes on his tomb
So she went to the tomb early in the morning –
before sunrise.
But what she found was that the tomb’s stone cover
was removed (John 20:1b).
Not being able to figure it out, she thought that
someone opened the tomb and took the corpse of Jesus - and so she reported to Peter and John (John
20:2). Then, they rushed to the tomb and inspected it (John 20:3-8). They did
not understand why and how the tomb became empty (John 20:9) but John believed
that it was due to the resurrection (John 20:8).
Peter and John returned home after they examined the
tomb but Mary Magdalene remained by the tomb (John 20:11), because she was
loyal to Jesus. But having thought that his body was stolen, she kept weeping.
So two angels asked her why she was weeping (John 20:13). Mary Magdalene
explained that it was because she did not know where Jesus’ corpse was moved
(John 20:13). Then, it was risen Jesus standing by her, and she saw him but did
not realize it was risen Jesus (John 20:14). She was like the two disciples,
who saw and were with risen Jesus but did not recognize him as they were
walking from Jerusalem to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-24). Perhaps, it was her heavy
grief that prevented her eyes from recognizing him. And the magnitude of grief corresponds to
that of love, as John Bowlby asserted. Thus, because of her great agape to Jesus, still thinking that his
corpse was missing kept her in heavy grief.
Then, risen Jesus asked her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”(John 20:15a),
and Mary Magdalene answered, “Sir, if you
carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him”,
thinking that he was a gardener (John 20:15b). So, Jesus called her name, “Mary!”(John 20:16a), to show her that he
was not a stranger to her. And Mary Magdalene called him, “Rabbouni”, which, in Hebrew, means “teacher” and with more
affectionate and intimate nuance than “Rabbi” (John 20:16b). So, this was a
moment of powerfully joyful eye-opening moment in making an intimate encounter
with risen Jesus, as the two disciples had in Emmaus when risen Jesus broke
bread for dinner, making their hearts burning with great paschal joy (Luke
24:29-32).
Perhaps, Mary Magdalene could not contain the
paschal joy of being with risen Jesus to herself. So she must have tried to hug
him. This way, she would also verify that the resurrection is real – what she
saw was not an illusion. But 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”(John 20:17).
Why didn’t Jesus let Mary Magdalene hug him? And what did he mean by this statement to her?
Out of his love for her, risen Jesus wanted to
prepare her for his ascension in order for her to receive the Holy Spirit on
Pentecost – so that she would be able to be sent on her apostolic mission.
Jesus wanted her to rather internalize him so that she would not feel anxious
but remain securely attached to him even after his ascension. After his
resurrection, it was no longer a time for her and other disciples to hold on to
him physically. The 40 day-period from the resurrection to the ascension (Acts
1:3) was a time for her and the rest of the disciples to internalize risen
Jesus (i.e. John 14:20; 15:4; 17:23) to psychologically prepare themselves with
what Margaret Mahler calls “object constancy” for the ascension and receiving
the Holy Spirit on Pentecost for apostolic missions.
So, risen Jesus already gave her a mission: to tell
the rest of the disciples about his ascension. And Mary Magdalene announced her
paschal joy to them, saying, “I have seen
the Lord”(John 20:18), while they did not yet see him. Thus, she was,
indeed, the very first herald of the paschal joy, announcing about the risen
Jesus. And this earns Mary Magdalene her special place in the salvation
history.
Mary Magdalene calls us to be a great lover for
Jesus, as she is. Her soul is quenched only by him, as reflected by the refrain
of the Responsorial Psalm (63:2, 3-4, 5-6, 8-9): My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God (Psalm 63:2).
Is your soul thirsting for Jesus, because you love
him as Mary Magdalene loves him?
She went to the tomb of Jesus early in the morning
because her soul was thirsting for him. Even though she knew he was dead, Mary
Magdalene still wanted to be closer to him. So, she went to where his corpse
was laid. Even she found that the body was not there anymore, she remained
there, because her soul was thirsting for him. And risen Jesus appeared to her
and made himself known to her. So, her soul was quenched. But, he challenged
her to prevent her soul from becoming thirsty again by directing her to
internalize him, saying, “stop holding on
to me”(John 20:17a). This was to tell her to let him be in her heart so
that she is always with him though he returns to the Father in heaven, thus,
keeping her soul quenched with his love.
The first reading (Song of Songs 3:1-4b) poetically
reflects Mary Magdalene’s intimacy with Jesus. It was like a bride’s deeply
affectionate confidence in her groom. However, this is not to say that Mary
Magdalene secretly married to Jesus. Rather, because of her intimacy with and
loyalty to Jesus, she typifies the Church, as the bride of Christ (Revelation
19:7-9; 21:1-2), and he loves the Church as his bride (i.e. Ephesians 5:25–27).
And love of Christ to his bride, the Church, us, who are in love with and loyal
to him, as Mary Magdalene is, has been manifested on the Cross, as the optional
First Reading (2 Corinthians 5:14-17). And this reading also reminds us that
his love for us impels us to go on our apostolic mission to the world to bring
the paschal joy and the new life, reflecting risen Jesus commanding Mar
Magdalene to make announcement about knowing Christ beyond the flesh upon his
resurrection and ascension (i.e. 2 Corinthians 5:16-17; John 20:17).
Perhaps, this poem of Fr. Pedro Arrupe, S.J.
captures the essence of St. Mary Magdalene, as a great and loyal lover of Jesus
– “!Enamorate!”
Nada puede importar más que encontrar a Dios.
Es decir, enamorarse de Él
de una manera definitiva y absoluta.
Aquello de lo que te enamoras atrapa tu
imaginación,
y acaba por ir dejando su huella en todo.
Será lo que decida qué es
lo que te saca de la cama en la mañana,
qué haces con tus atardeceres,
en qué empleas tus fines de semana,
lo que lees, lo que conoces,
lo que rompe tu corazón,
y lo que te sobrecoge de alegría y gratitud.
¡Enamórate! ¡Permanece en el amor!
Todo será de otra manera.
In English,
Nothing is more practical than
finding God, than
falling in Love
in a quite absolute, final way.
What you are in love with,
what seizes your imagination, will affect
everything.
It will decide
what will get you out of bed in the morning,
what you do with your evenings,
how you spend your weekends,
what you read, whom you know,
what breaks your heart,
and what amazes you with joy and gratitude.
Fall in Love, stay in love,
and it will decide everything.
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