22 July: 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 (St Mary Magdalene): Homily

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(Please read this Scripture passage first, before the homily.)

This celebration honoring St Mary Magdalene was recently raised to the rank of a feast and it has become a celebration of the woman called the Apostle to the Apostles.  It is a celebration of the resurrection of the Lord who had died.

In a very real sense, Mary Magdalene died when Jesus died.  We all died then.  If one died for all then all have died. 

Mary Magdalene had experienced the death of Christ in a very personal way.  She had stood beneath the cross.  She had seen him buried.  She had first-hand knowledge of the life and teachings of Jesus.  She could say that his death devastated her, so much so that she did not recognize him when she saw him risen from the dead.  In that moment of recognition, however, Mary Magdalene came back alive.

We have not had that experience of Jesus.  We did not live through his crucifixion.  We did not see where they laid him.  We did not go to the tomb early on that Sunday morning.  We received the facts of Jesus because disciples of Jesus, like Mary Magdalene, brought us the word.  We received the news of the death and resurrection together, as a done deal that happened long ago, so that we have not had to mourn and wait anxiously for a third day.

The fact remains, however, that since Christ died for all people, then, all of us have died.  Indeed, we have gone into the tomb with him.  Now, we have risen with him.  This means that we can no longer live for ourselves alone: we must live for Christ who died and was raised for us.

Consequently, we should be living on a different plain.  While we know people in the flesh, that is, is their present human state, we also have to know them spiritually, that is, according to the risen and glorified Christ.  We know our families, our friends, our fellow workers and retirees as they live among us body and soul, but we must also know them according to the risen and glorified Christ.

This is how Mary Magdalene came to know Jesus, crucified, yet risen.  This changed her life.  This also changes our life.  We must live risenly the life given us, knowing since Christ died for us, we have died with him.  We must live risenly the life given us, knowing since Christ was raised from the dead, we have been raised with him.

Go, now, you have seen the Lord.  Report what the Lord told you.