Presence

It is always nice to be in the presence of friends. You, O Lord, are my closest and truest friend. May I never forget the friend I have in You.

Scripture

John 20: 13-16

They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher).

Reflection

Mary Magdalene bore silent witness throughout the crucifixion and death of Christ. At the close of Matthew’s burial narrative, we are told that, after Jesus’ body was placed in the tomb and the stone was rolled over, she and the other Mary remained standing in front of the tomb. The following morning, she turns away from the tomb, the place of death, and becomes the first person to see the risen Jesus. She becomes, in the words of St Thomas Aquinas, “apostle to the apostles”. Her pre-eminence at the Passion and Resurrection is often lost in the Gospel narrative which devotes far more space to the threefold denial of Peter.
The Franciscan writer, Richard Rohr, observes in one of his daily online meditations “we skipped over the faithfulness of the women and focused instead on the faithlessness (and the Easter morning foot race) of the men. Mary Magdalene and the other women were the first witnesses to the resurrection because they remained present for the entire process, from death unto new life, exactly what is necessary to witness resurrections in our own lives as well”.
“I have called you by name”, Isaiah wrote, describing God’s redeeming love (Is 43:1). Mary Magdalene had herself experienced that redemption when Jesus rescued her from spiritual death. She never wavered thereafter. Physically, mentally and emotionally present to Jesus, she wasted no time seeking the living among the dead after all seemed lost. Turning resolutely from the tomb, she hears Christ call her by name and she recognises him. Now she is the first person he chooses to meet in his risen glory.

Prayer

Lord, in my prayer today, I will sit in silence and listen to you calling me by name.

Amen

Glory to you, Father, source of all being,

to you, Jesus, Word made flesh,

to you Holy Spirit, Comforter,

as it was before time began,

is now and shall be into the future.

Amen.