Homily: Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene (John 20:1ff.) “An Intimate Friend of Jesus”
Mary Magdalene got a lot of press a few years ago when the movie called “The Da Vinci Code” was in the theaters. If you don’t remember, this movie speculated that Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene, and they had children. The movie revolved around trying to find historical proof that this was true.
The book that the movie was based on, and the movie, struck a nerve of some kind. People were fascinated by the possibility that Jesus was married. There is no historical proof that Jesus was married, but it made a good story.
The consensus among scripture scholars was that if Jesus would have been married, it would have been mentioned in the Gospels. The scandal was that as a Jewish man he was never married and did not have children. It was unusual for a man to be unmarried in biblical times.
In scripture, Jesus does have unique interactions with women. We know about women like Martha and Mary and Mary Magdalene who had close relationships with the Lord. We know that other women followed Jesus around as he ministered and were considered disciples of the Lord. Rabbis usually did not have women disciples.
There is also a lot of non-biblical material that speaks of Mary Magdalene as a prominent leader in the early church. We read in the Gospel Luke that she was the first to see the risen Lord. She was called on to witness her experiences as others sought to cement their belief in the resurrection.
Mary Magdalene also qualified as an Apostle. She had the two attributes of an Apostle. She had seen the risen Lord with her own eyes. Secondly, she was sent by Jesus to tell others the Good News. All this makes her an important figure in the early church.
Reflection Questions:
- How would I feel if Jesus would have been married? Would it shake my faith in him as God’s Son?
- Jesus seemed to have close relationships with women. We do not know if they were young or old, married or unmarried. Why did Jesus’ preaching resonate with women?
Dear Parishioners,
Remember that we have adoration of the Blessed Sacrament on Wednesdays from 7 a.m. until 11:30 a.m. in the St. Francis Chapel at the Lee Parish Center. This is a good opportunity to pray. I would encourage anyone who wants a quiet time with the Lord to stop by. This is an important time in the life of our parish.
Adoration is not meant to replace the Eucharistic celebration, but it is meant to be an extension of the Eucharistic meal. When we have a gourmet meal, hopefully, we do not just gobble it down and run, but we savor the meal, and let it slowly digest, giving thanks for it. Our adoration time is meant to be a time of deep thanksgiving for the Eucharist. Therefore, it is good to engage in adoration after the 6:30 and 8 a.m. Masses on Wednesdays.
May Our Lady and all the Angels and Saints protect all of us this day.
Fr. Mark