Word to the Wise
Tuesday, July 22, 2008 - St. Mary Magdalen (Patroness of the Order of Preachers)
[Micah 7:14-15, 18-20 and John 20:1-2, 11-18]Jesus said to [Mary], "Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended ot 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 Magdalene went and announced ot the disciples, "I have seen the Lord," and then reported what he told her.
Mary Magdalen was doing a lot of going to and fro from Jesus' tomb! She first went and discovered the empty tomb and ran back to tell Peter and John. After they went and saw the tomb and left, she stayed behind has the experience of seeing the angels and then seeing Jesus who tells her to go and report what she has seen to the disciples. The physical reality of the resurrection is noted in the line, "Stop holding on to me...." Scripture scholars have many things to say about this scene in the Gospel of John. What stands out is that Mary Magdalen is a true disciple who, like many in the Gospel of John, goes through stages of belief. She sees the empty tomb. She observes Peter and John as they go into the tomb. She hears the message from the angels and lastly she experiences the Risen Lord in person and can then say to the community, "I have seen the Lord!" This is not just a statement of a "sighting" but in the Gospel of John also has the meaning of faith. For Dominicans, who claim Mary Magdalen as a patroness, her significance in this gospel passage is in her being sent by Jesus to proclaim the word of his resurrection! She becomes one of the first preachers! She becomes a model preacher in that she is faithful to the message which Jesus gave her to proclaim. She is a model preacher because she proclaims the message based on her own experience of the Lord! She is a challenge to our church as well which restricts preaching at the Eucharist to ordained males which runs counter to the recognized charism of the Order of Preachers [Dominicans] and deprives its women members from expressing that charism in the most important liturgical moment of the community! Scripture scholars also remind us that Mary Magdalen has gotten a "bad press" from some traditions in the church. There is no basis to the opinion that she was a prostitute. We know only that Jesus healed her of "seven demons" - a term that means she was completely healed because the number seven was considered a "perfect" number. In any case, her feast comes every year on July 22 to remind us of the importance of preaching and discipleship. We Dominicans need that reminder from time to time! AMEN
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