“Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene”
by Alexander Ivanov
One of the things I like most in the Bible is that there are so many Mary’s, and it seems as if Christ was close to them all. It makes me wonder about my grandmother, Edna Mary. Was she close to Him as well? I mean, was her heart connected to His Sacred Heart? She is certainly the person in my life who taught me to pray.
As I read through the Gospels, focusing on Jesus and women, I am reminded as a woman who first and foremost is a daughter of the most high God, that Jesus ROCKS! He is steady, merciful, embracing, and open. His openness to women shakes the rules of the day, and reflects for us as daughters our dignity and value. His mission with women, it seems to me, was to always reflect for them their dignity – their true feminine dignity.
I find story after story where women are used to evangelize to individuals, to towns, and even to kings. I am drawn to these stories, as I contemplate how God is calling me in the New Evangelization, and the gifts and talents He has given me for the mission-field.
As a momma who works outside of the home, I am constantly juggling about 7 million things at a time. That’s ok…that’s how women are created…we multi-task like crazy. Yes, ma’am!
At any point and time, I could be chauffeuring a kid to catechism, and in the next moment, cooking dinner for the family, while at the same time dealing with a situation at work. I sometimes look like one of those movie scenes in fast forward!!!!!
Because of the way I multi-task, I can become distracted, and not recognize Jesus. I go through my day not noticing the little things, or even the big things at times. On my worst days, I rely on my own devices to get me through the day, forgetting that I am a pupil of Jesus…one who wants to develop wisdom and mercy, just as Our Blessed Mother.
John 20:11-18 is another reminder to me to slow down, and then run to others with the messages received in silence and solitude.
“But Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping. And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet where the body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.” When she said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away, tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.”
Now this is where it gets personal…pay close attention!
“Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher. Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to 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 of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her.”
Mary recognized Jesus when He called her by name. He calls us all by name! And how we want to cling to Him and be safe under His care! But it is His next instruction that propels Mary. Basically, Mary entered the evangelization movement, just like so many women in the Bible. Her urged her to tell the others…and she did.
He is urging us, too. He is urging us to not stay so safe in His loving arms…He wants others to know about Him, and as women, He has given us incredible feminine gifts in which to show His love to others.
In my life, I have been in situations, like Mary of Magdala, in which I needed to recognize my Teacher. I needed to know what He was asking of me. I’ve heard Him in the silence of my heart say to me, “Do you believe I can make all things new? That I can turn the world on its ear? That I am strong enough to care for you?” Then I heard a further challenge: “If you believe this, go tell others. Tell them your story, which is My story.”
In a way, that is what I am attempting to do with this blog, and speaking engagements, and social media. Our Lord, who created us in His image, is begging to be part of our every day lives – in our busy-ness; in our silence; in our marriages; in our singleness; in our loneliness; in our brokenness; in our work life; in our personal life; in our hearts and souls. He seeks to transform us, and waits for us to use our free will (a gift given to us by the Father) to seek Him.
As we continue our celebration of Easter, you might ask yourself a few questions:
- How is God calling me in my feminine dignity in the New Evangelization?
- As a working Catholic woman, how is my day holy, rather than just busy?
- When do I recognize Jesus most? When do I miss recognizing Jesus? How can I change that?
- What do I want to be doing differently this week, as I celebrate and live the Easter Octave?
I will be answering these questions for myself as well. Join me in pondering this Easter Season where the Lord is sending me and what He is asking of me.
Peace of Christ to you and yours!
Mary
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