The Mass of St Mary Magdalene has long been celebrated on July 22 each year. However, Pope Francis officially elevated the liturgical status of this mass from a memorial to a full Feast day back in 2016, putting this celebration on par with the Masses for the other apostles on their feast days. The change was made to emphasize her importance as the first witness to Christ’s resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is sometimes referred to as the apostle to the apostles, referencing her encounter with the risen Lord in the Gospel of John. Mary of Magdalene is weeping at the place of Christ’s tomb, seeing that it is empty, thinking that his body has been stolen. The Lord appears to hear, but at first she is unable to recognize him because of her grief and sense of loss. Yet, when Jesus calls her by name, she is able to recognize him, and calls out to him, Rabbouni, Teacher. She goes out to announce to the other disciples the Good News, that Jesus is risen from the tomb.
The resurrection is not just an historical event. It is not just a doctrine of our faith that we are called to blindly believe. The resurrection is a connection that each one of us has with Jesus as his disciple, a personal connection. We have the promise that Jesus is indeed alive and that he can speak to us directly in our hearts. He can transform our pain and our sufferings into hope and encouragement.
After her encounter with Jesus, Mary Magdalene did not want to stay there in that encounter and hold onto him. Her immediate response was driven by her sense of ministry and mission, of sharing that experience with others. She goes to others to share the Good News. We too are to share our experiences of Christ with the world, not to hold onto them as private experiences.
We can learn from Mary Magdalene because we cannot relate to her so easily. Like Mary Magdalene, our own fears and our own sufferings can be overwhelming sometimes on our journey of faith. Her faith and courage give an example of faith to follow. She learns to have faith and to trust in the presence of Christ’s love and mercy. Her witness was very important to the Early Church. As we honor Mary Magdalene today, may we unite our prayers with her prayers.
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