Luke 24: 

1 On the first day of the week, very early in the morning, the women took the spices they had prepared and went to the tomb. 2 They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, 3 but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. 4 While they were wondering about this, suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them. 5 In their fright the women bowed down with their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here; he has risen! Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee: 7 ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ” 8 Then they remembered his words.

9 When they came back from the tomb, they told all these things to the Eleven and to all the others. 10 It was Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and the others with them who told this to the apostles. 11 But they did not believe the women, because their words seemed to them like nonsense. 12 Peter, however, got up and ran to the tomb. Bending over, he saw the strips of linen lying by themselves, and he went away, wondering to himself what had happened.

Mary Magdalene Reflection

Once again in Luke’s Gospel we see that Mary Magdalene is among the women who went to the tomb early on the Sunday morning, only to find that the tomb was empty and Jesus had risen from the dead. We can take great solace from the idea that the apostles originally did not believe the women because their words seemed like nonsense. Mary Magdalene was not the kind of person to be put off by other people’s opinions. She knew full well that Jesus had risen from the dead and that the apostles would need to eat their words at some point. 

Are we like Mary Magdalene? Would we be among the faithful people who came to pay tribute to the dead? Would we see and believe in the risen Christ? Would we be able to, in words and actions, be witnesses to the resurrection of Jesus?

Mary Magdalene was compassionate, courageous, independent and strong. She was a faith-filled disciple who lived a life of love. How blessed are we that Mary Magdalene is our patron saint? 

Mr Steve O’Neill