This week it is the feast of Saint Pope John XXIII who was the architect of the Second Vatican Council, which brought about a massive change to the church and the way we worship. It also opened up the church to the world and to a more positive approach to culture and other religions. 

On his deathbed, Pope John XXIII said: “It is not that the gospel has changed; it is that we have begun to understand it better. Those who have lived as long as I have…were enabled to compare different cultures and traditions, and know that the moment has come to discern the signs of the times, to seize the opportunity and to look far ahead.”

Mary Magdalene was a woman who grasped the significance of the death and resurrection of Jesus and shared this message with the Apostles. She understood the signs of the times, that Jesus had come to redeem humanity, and that this message was to be spread beyond the small group of disciples at the time of Jesus’ resurrection. 

Prayer:

Lord, may we, like Saint Mary Magdalene and Saint Pope John XXIII, be living witnesses to the saving power of the death and resurrection of Jesus on the Cross.

Amen