Weeping blinds you... listen and look!

THE WORD AND THE SAINT

July 22, 2025: Celebrating St. Mary Magdalene 

Song of Songs 3: 1-4; John 20:1-2,11-18

We celebrate Mary Magdalene, the first apostle of the Risen Lord. It may be a surprising title to give her, but factually it is so! An apostle is someone who is sent, sent with a message, sent with a task... and the first one who was sent, sent with a message, sent with a task by the Risen Lord was Mary of Magdala! Hence, isn't it true that she was the first apostle of the Risen Lord?

Mary Magdalene loved Jesus intensely. She was delivered by Jesus from seven demons, the Gospels tell us. And after that for her, Jesus, her Master meant everything in life. The first reading is given to make us understand how intimately she had loved Jesus. She had encountered, experienced and cherished her relationship with Jesus, while he lived, in such close quarters but now the Risen Lord stands right beside her and she is unable to identify him... the reason: she is too occupied with her weeping and complaining.

At times in our lives when troubles come by and trials abound, we fumble and falter as if we are all alone. We fail to recognise the Lord who sticks so close to us, because we are too busy weeping and complaining.

If only we opened our eyes and saw; if only we opened our hearts and listened; if only we believed in the words of the Lord, "I have conquered the world"... we would leap for joy and love to cling to the Lord. Mary Magdalene gives us a clear message: stop weeping; weeping blinds you; look, listen and you will leap for joy, for the Lord is with you now and always!