Telling Others

“Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,

‘I have seen the Lord,’

and then reported what

he told her.’”

John 20:18

Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. From being possessed by seven demons to running to tell the Apostles of Jesus’s Resurrection, St. Mary Magdalene allowed God to work through her. Before following Jesus, Mary Magdalene was possessed by several demons and after being set free and having encountered Christ, she journeyed with Christ and the Apostles. In having encountered Christ, Mary Magdalene’s live was forever changed. The demons that once possessed her no longer had any control over her life. She lived in the freedom that comes from knowing Christ. She was there when Jesus died on the Cross. And she was there when the tomb was found empty.

After encountering the Risen Lord Mary Magdalene ran to tell the Apostles who were in the Upper Room, locked away in fear, of the great news. Mary became for the Apostles the bearer of great news that cast all their fears. Today may we seek to encounter the Lord and ask Him to cast out the demons that hold us back from living so that like Mary Magdalene we may run and tell others about the great love with which they are loved, serving as an instrument of God’s grace.

The Will of the Father

“And stretching out his hand toward his disciples, he said,

‘Here are my mother and my brothers.

For whoever does the will of my heavenly Father

is my brother, and sister, and mother.’”

Matthew 12:49-50

Today Jesus tells us who His family is. When some people hear of this passage, they feel that Jesus was dissing and disrespecting His Mother, Mary, by seemingly being indifferent to her presence outside. But Jesus was really praising and honoring Mary with what He did. When the people told Jesus that His Mother and brothers are outside looking for Him, He used it as a teaching moment.  Jesus taught about the importance of the will of the Father and of those who not only know of it but does it. Those who do the will of the Father, Jesus told the people, are His brother, and sister, and mother. In saying this, Jesus was saying that Mary does the will of the Father, and that perhaps we all ought to look to her and learn from her, imitating her humility and obedience.

The Family Jesus speaks of is not blood-related, but it is something greater, something more real. In Him we have our adoption as sons and daughters of the Father, His brothers and sisters. In the will of the Father lies our truest identity.  Jesus gestures to you and calls you His brother and sister. Let’s claim that identity today, embracing the will of the Father, to love as Christ loves, to forgive as the Father forgives us, and to encourage and inspire as the Spirit does.

Doing What is Right

“You have been told, O man, what is good,

and what the LORD requires of you:

Only to do the right and to love goodness,

and to walk humbly with your God.”

Micah 6:8

As children, whether at home or at school, we should have been taught what is right and what is wrong. But times have changed. We seem to be confused by what is right and good and what is wrong and evil. What is right and good is now seen as what is conservative and uptight, and what is wrong and evil is now just how we express our individuality. What is wrong will always be wrong – it can’t be justified.

Deep down in our hearts we know what is good and what is bad. We have the innate desire to be good because we belong to Goodness. Only the Truth can satiate our hunger. We only need to do what is right, to desire and to love goodness and to clothe ourselves with humility, knowing that we depend on God. So simple yet so difficult. May we ask the Lord for the strength and humility to always choose to do what is right and to do so with love and humility.