Who is the first witness to Easter faith?

Who is Mary Magdalene? 

"Mary Magdalene 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 had 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.”

"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 went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her."  (John 20: 11 - 18).

Tuesday 11th April, 2023. Easter Tuesday in the Octave of the Solemnity of Easter.

Who is this woman, Mary Magdalene?

#1. Certainly not the wife of Jesus as alleged by the silly fiction of Da Vinci Code.

#2. Probably the woman of Mark 16: 9 who had 7 demons expelled from her. Once released from demonic oppression, Mary clung tightly to Jesus and His ministry. 

#3. Jesus and His disciples received no salary, stipends or gifts for their ministry. How did they survive? Mary of Magdala headed a group of women who supplied the needs of Jesus and the disciples from their resources.

#4. Mary Magdalene stood with the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Apostle John under the Cross and witnessed the agony of the Crucified from the very beginning to the end.

#5. Jesus rewarded Mary for her love and loyalty and made her the first eyewitness to see Jesus after His Resurrection. He commissioned Mary to take the great news to His brothers. Any wonder Mary is called the "Apostle to the Apostles."

What are the lessons from the profile of Mary Magdalene?

Mary has a heart that returns love for love. She never forgets a favor done to her. 

Pope Francis recently made the feast of St Mary Magdalene a Memorial feast, just below a Solemnity. 

Mary Magdalene is one of my patron saints. I pray through her intercession for the grace to know the Heart of Jesus intimately, to love Him passionately and to follow Him everywhere.

Daily Bible Verse @ SeekFirstcommunity.com