by Zelda KennedyJohn (20:1–18)
Early in the morning on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb. She saw that the stone had been rolled away from the entrance, so she ran off to Simon Peter and the other disciple–the one Jesus loved–and told them, “The Rabbi has been taken from the tomb! We do not know where they have put Jesus!” At that, Peter and the other disciple started out toward the tomb. They were running side by side, but then the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first. He did not enter, but bent down to peer in and saw the linen wrappings lying on the ground.
Then Simon Peter arrived and entered the tomb. He observed the linen wrappings on the ground, and saw the piece of cloth that had covered Jesus’ head lying not with the wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. Then the disciple who had arrived first at the tomb went in. He saw and believed. As yet, they did not understand the scripture that Jesus was to rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to God. But go to the others and say to them, `I am ascending to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Reflection
"Something About Mary Magdalene"
Even before I understood the importance of Mary Magdalene to Jesus and the spreading of the good news, she was one of my favorite women of the Bible She was both fearless and faithful, and seemed to “appear” throughout my life in challenging times.
During my year of discernment to ordained ministry, my spiritual director - without knowing of my admiration for Mary Magdalene - gave me a small icon of her holding an egg with a reddish tint. It was at a time when I questioned whether or not I wanted to continue the upheaval in my life resulting from pursuing a call to ordained ministry. As she gave me the icon, she explained that she knew I was called to ordained ministry, and that I should never doubt my call. She encouraged me to learn the story of the icon. Now, the average person would have gone to the nearest bookstore or computer to research the icon’s history. Well, I didn’t. I looked at the beauty of the artwork and left the icon in a drawer.
While in seminary, two years after receiving the gift, I finally learned the story behind the icon, and the reason, I believe my spiritual director gave it to me as a gift of encouragement.
Mary Magdalene visited the Emperor Tiberias (14-37 AD) and proclaimed to him about Christ's Resurrection. According to tradition, she took him an egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: “Christ is Risen!” Tiberias responded that no one could rise from the dead, anymore than the egg she held could turn red. Miraculously, the egg immediately began to turn red as testimony to her words.
From this “miracle of Mary Magdalene,” the custom to give each other paschal eggs on the day of the Resurrection of Christ spread among Christians over the entire world.
Mary Magdalene was not the harlot alluded to in early Christian writings. She was from the town of Magdala and a woman of means, influential for her time, and based on the number of times her name appears in the New Testament, she was important to Jesus and his ministry.
She is also important to us. A closer reflection of the first few verses of the twentieth chapter of John’s gospel reveals to us a woman, who is not afraid to travel during the darkness of dawn to honor Jesus. As a perceptive woman, Mary doesn’t have to enter the tomb to conclude that Jesus is gone. She sees that “the stone had been removed” and immediately knows the body is no longer in the tomb! She looks into the tomb only after Peter and the other disciple leave. She remains because she wants to know where the body of Jesus is. We see that even before encountering the risen Jesus, Mary Magdalene is brave, undaunted, tenacious and faithful. Her faith was uncomplicated - it never wavered.
I believe it was because of her faithfulness that Jesus revealed himself to her, before he returned to the Creator and subsequently to the disciples. It was because of her faithfulness that Jesus called her by name and commissioned her to proclaim the good news. It was because of her faithfulness that we have an example of how important it is to spread the gospel – even to those who may not believe us or dismiss us. Mary Magdalene returned to the tomb in darkness to complete the end of a relationship by anointing the body of Jesus, and the truth of the matter was that her journey to the tomb resulted in the beginning of a new life – one of resurrection, reconciliation and sharing the good news.
The icon no longer rests in a drawer. It remains in a prominent space in my den. I have since purchased a larger copy for my office. They both serve to remind me of the resurrection of Jesus - through the fearlessness and faithfulness of a remarkable woman.
During the Week
I know we are not all called to ordained ministry, so, as we move towards the Jerusalem, Golgotha and the garden - where we find Jesus and Mary Magdalene - consider some of the following questions:
Where am I on my journey of faith?
What is my call to ministry – is God asking me to be hands or feet or heart?
Am I listening and finding ways to respond to that call and share the good news?
Am I faithful and fearless about sharing the good news?
More importantly, am I willing?
