Tuesday of Easter Octave, April 10,2007

Scripture: John's Gospel has many scenes within it that can be likened to a
drama with an emphasis on dramatis personae (the persons within the act).
I like this feature of the Fourth Evangelist for it gives us an insight
into people of that time who were not that different in reaction and
emotions than we are. Today it is Mary Magdalene who is center stage as we
experience the second of John's Resurrection appearances. I personally am
strengthened in my faith by these persons who had the same doubts, fears,
and hopes as we do about how Jesus fits into our lives. Mary is first
called by one of Jesus' favorite titles, "Woman". He used it for his own
mother (Cana, Calvary), for the Samaritan woman, and now for Mary of
Magdala. Her last name is from the town from which she comes, just as Jesus
is identified with his town, Nazareth. John certainly knows a lot about
the city of Jerusalem and about its surroundings--probably better than the
other evangelists if one takes the time to scrutinize the locales he speaks
about and even locates. Archaeology has confirmed them as being accurate.
Moreover, returning to Mary Magdalene, we see that she has been popularized
and studied in the apocryphal writings (Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Thomas
Didymus, Gospel of Judas), in novels, pseudo-historical books, and, of
course, in the movies. The result is that she has been redeemed as an
integrated woman, a follower of Jesus, and an apostle to the apostle. This
is very good to see and read about her for the tradition has confused her
with the women who were not apostles to Jesus nor were they as faithful in
their love for God and for Jesus. She followed Jesus in his active
ministry both in Jerusalem and probably in Galilee. She, no doubt, was in
the upper room when the Spirit descends upon the one hundred and twenty
people gathered there. She is explicitly named at the foot of the Cross
with the Beloved Disiciple and the mother of Jesus. In the second time
that Jesus calls her in today's Gospel, he says, "Mary". She comes to her
senses and realizes that this is the Risen Lord Jesus. Her response is
"Rabbouni", my teacher! She is told not to cling to him (Noli me tangere)
but to go and proclaim as an apostle to the other disciples that he is
risen. She then carries out the mission and the world has never been the
same. As we put ourselves in her sandals, let us hear Jesus calling us by
our name (maybe even our baptismal name) and then we, too, shall be able to
realize that Jesus the Lord is truly risen. Alleluia.