Mary of Magdala: the apostle of mercy

Every man, beloved brethren, hopes that when he comes to the day of judgement he will find mercy there. Now, if we all desire it, if all people want to find mercy in the future, let us make it our patron in this life that it may deign to welcome and defend us in the future. (Saint Caesarius of Arles)

A few years back, Pope Francis elevated St. Mary Magdalen’s memorial day (July 22) to a feast day. Known as the ‘apostle to the apostles’, the example provided to us by this saint is one of surrender to mercy. She was opened to receive the fullness of divine Mercy because she first surrendered to it. The depth of that mercy is exhibited by the depth of her conversion. 

How does one perform the role of apostle to the apostles? The scriptures teach us this through her example. She is always present to the Lord, in adoration of Him. And her posture is not one of empowerment. It is not one of co-creator or collaborator. It is one of surrender and cooperation with grace. The crux of her example to us is one of constant focus upon Him and surrendered adoration of Him. Only then is she capable of truly being an evangelizer to others. Not as an empowered collaborator but rather as an instrument through which He works, a vessel of His grace. She ‘pays forward’ the gift of mercy she has received. A true apostle. 

“When I became a Catholic, it never occurred to me to question how much freedom I had or how much authority the Church had to limit that freedom. I had reached the point where I wanted to obey.” (Servant of God Dorothy Day)

After the resurrection, why did Jesus first appear to a woman? The secular world would have us focus on thinking men and women are one in the same, no different from one another, and lose sight of the complementarity of our uniqueness. The world’s view is to  focus on equal rights rather than equal dignity, treating people as objects to categorize rather than as persons. In all of this, we can see the enemy’s diversion at hand; divide and conquer is his strategy. This type of thinking focuses us on ourselves rather than Jesus. That’s why it doesn’t bring peace. We are thinking of what we deserve rather than being in a posture of thanksgiving for the mercy He’s already given us. The mercy we do not deserve, which makes it a gift given purely of love. 

We know the Truth of the feminine genius: “that ‘genius’ which belongs to women, and which can ensure sensitivity for human beings in every circumstance: because they are human! – and because “the greatest of these is love“ (cf. 1 Cor 13:13).” (St. John Paul II Mulieris Dignitatem). 

“As in the conversation with the Pharisees (cf. Mt 19:3-9), is Jesus not aware of being in contact with the mystery of the “beginning”, when man was created male and female, and the woman was entrusted to the man with her feminine distinctiveness, and with her potential for motherhood? The man was also entrusted by the Creator to the woman – they were entrusted to each other as persons made in the image and likeness of God himself. … The moral and spiritual strength of a woman is joined to her awareness that God entrusts the human being to her in a special way. Of course, God entrusts every human being to each and every other human being. But this entrusting concerns women in a special way – precisely by reason of their femininity – and this in a particular way determines their vocation. … This awareness and this fundamental vocation speak to women of the dignity which they receive from God himself, and this makes them “strong” and strengthens their vocation. Thus the “perfect woman” (cf. Prov 31:10) becomes an irreplaceable support and source of spiritual strength for other people, who perceive the great energies of her spirit.”

Perhaps, after the resurrection, Jesus appeared to a woman first simply because she was there, and the men weren’t. She made herself available to Him. And so should we. 

Mary of Magdala, woman of the resurrection, pray for us as we too go and tell what we know — that Jesus is alive and at work through us. Guide us all through your story. Teach us to live always in the light of the resurrection. Amen

Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam 😊

(Image by Paolo Veronese from WikiArt)