St. Mary Magdalene (2026)

By Fr. Conor Donnelly

(Proofread)

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

My Lord and my God, I firmly believe that you are here, that you see me, that you hear me. I adore you with profound reverence. I ask your pardon for my sins and grace to make this time of prayer fruitful. My Immaculate Mother, Saint Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

Mary was originally from Magdala, a small city of Galilee on the northwest shore of Lake Tiberias. She was one of a group of women who followed Jesus and cared for him out of their own possessions.

Mary was present with Jesus on Calvary, and she was the second one, after Our Lady, to behold the Risen Savior on Easter morning.

She recognized him when Our Lord called her by name.

Devotion to this most constant follower of Christ spread throughout the Western world during the Middle Ages.

Most probably, she is not the same Mary who out of sincere contrition pours out precious ointment on Our Lord’s feet at the home of Simon the Pharisee.

She exemplifies our search for God at every moment.

In the Psalms, we read, “O God, you are my God, for you I long, for you my soul is thirsting. My soul pines for you like the dry parched earth” (Ps. 63:1).

We read these words in the responsorial psalm of today’s Mass.

They remind us of the steadfast love of Mary Magdalene. Steadfast faith.

After nearly twenty centuries, the refinement, fidelity, and love of this stalwart follower of Jesus are deeply moving.

St. John narrates for us in the gospel of the Mass, “Now this woman set out for the tomb as soon as the Sabbath rest permitted, when it was still dark, to go to find the dead body of Our Lord.”

Sometime previously, he had freed her of an evil spirit, and grace quickly bore fruit in her soul.

She followed the Master faithfully on some of his apostolic journeys and served him generously with all her possessions.

During the terrible moments of the crucifixion, she remained on Calvary, near the one who cured her of all that was wrong in her life.

Furthermore, when they laid Jesus in the tomb, she stayed close and kept him company, as we may have done at some point on the occasion of a loved one’s death.

St. Matthew talks about her courage. He says, “Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were seated there in front of the tomb” (Matt. 27:61).

When the Sabbath was over, as the first day of the week began to dawn, she sets out with the other holy women for the place where the dead body of Jesus was lying, in order to anoint it.

But Our Lord was no longer there. He had risen.

She saw the heavy stone rolled away and the tomb empty.

Then she began to run to Simon and the other disciple whom Jesus loved and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb and we do not know where they have laid him” (John 20:2).

Peter and John went running towards the empty sepulchre.

St. John tells us that this moment was crucial in his life: “He saw and believed” (John 20:8).

Both apostles went back to their home again, but Mary stayed there, weeping, in the absence of the Master’s body.

With unspeakable sadness, still not believing in the resurrection, she perseveres in her vigil, not wanting to tear herself away from the place where she last saw our Savior.

Today, we consider the intensity of the love burning in the heart of the woman who did not leave the tomb, although the disciples had already gone away.

She continued to seek the one she had failed to find.

She sought for him in tears, and inflamed with the fire of love, was burning with longing to see the one she thought they had taken away.

Because Mary Magdalene remained there with the expectation of finding him, she was the only one to then encounter him.

Perseverance strengthens good deeds.

As the voice of Truth informs us, quoting St. Gregory, “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matt. 10:22).

In The Furrow, St. Josemaría says, “Let us not stop seeking Jesus in every circumstance of our lives, even during those moments in which, if Our Lord so permits, discouragement or darkness penetrate our soul.”

Let us never forget that he is always very much in touch with the events of our life, though we may not be aware of him.

He is always close at hand.

“For,” as the Apostle assures us, “the Lord is near” (Phil. 4:5). Dominus prope est.

“I shall walk with him, therefore, quite confidently, for the Lord is my father, and with his help I shall fulfill his most lovable will, even if I find it hard.”

When Jesus calls her by her name, she recognizes him, and has great joy before the Risen Christ.

Through her perseverance and great love in seeking him, Mary Magdalene received the grace of being the first person to whom Christ appeared.

At first she didn’t recognize him, despite his being right beside her.

St. John tells us she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus.

Even though he spoke to her, she didn’t immediately realize it was Christ, alive, there at her side.

Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Who is it you are seeking?” (John 20:15).

Her tears prevented her from seeing the Master, whom we can guess was smiling, being happy, very happy over the encounter.

Jesus looks at us too, as we continue to seek him out, in the midst of all the circumstances and events of our lives.

For Christ is the same now as then.

Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have removed him, tell me where you have laid him, and I will go and take him away” (John 20:15).

An unusual thing to say. Jesus was 6 feet tall, probably weighed 75 kilos, and Mary thinks she’s strong enough to carry Jesus away.

But then Jesus called her by her name, the way he used to. He said to her, “Mary” (John 20:16).

The dark clouds oppressing her heart for those past three days were all of a sudden dispersed.

One writer says, “How many interior sufferings, how many torments of the spirit, caused by great love and apparently without consolation, are frequently dissolved, and how often like the surf of a wave, at one word from Jesus.”

Like a river bursting its banks, as if it had all been a nightmare, Mary looks at him and says, “Rabboni” (John 20:16).

As though the connotation of this familiar term were a moving reality incapable of translation, St. John wanted to leave us the precise Hebrew word that Magdalene offered, that Magdalene often used to address Christ.

She sought him among the dead, comments St. Augustine, and he presented himself alive. How is it he is alive? He calls her by her name, “Mary.”

She responds the same instant that she hears her name spoken, “Rabboni.”

The gardener could have said, “Who is it you seek? Why are you crying?”

Mary, on the other hand, only Christ could have said it in that way. He called her by her name, the same one who called her to the kingdom of heaven.

He spoke the name “Mary.” He had written in the book of life, and she, “Rabboni,” which means “teacher.”

She already recognized the one who had illuminated her so that she could possibly recognize him.

She already saw Christ in the one whom before she perceived a gardener.

He said to her, “Do not touch me, for I have not yet ascended to my Father” (John 20:17).

Our burdens can disappear when we make an effort to discover Jesus, alive and glorious at our side, calling us by our name.

It’s a great joy for us to be on familiar terms with Christ, and to be able to call on him in the particular way that he knows so well.

Prayer, dialogue with the Lord, is our most profound blessing and the foundation of our entire life.

We will never stop seeking his company, even if at times we don’t perceive his presence.

If we persevere in prayer, he will always come out to meet us, calling us by our name.

Closely united to Jesus, we will recover our peace and joy.

One word from him will restore our hope and renew our desire to begin again.

In The Forge, we’re told, “Let us never forget, in any situation, that the Lord’s triumph on the day of the Resurrection is final. Where are the soldiers the rulers put on guard? Where are the seals they affixed to the stone of the tomb? Where are those who condemned the Master? And those who crucified Jesus? He is victorious, and these poor wretches have fled away. Be filled with hope: Jesus Christ is always victorious.”

He conquers even in the battles of our own life. He triumphs over those defects and weaknesses of ours, which at times seem insurmountable.

After consoling Mary, Jesus gave her a message for the Apostles, whom he affectionately called “brothers.”

“Then Mary went and said to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and she told them all that had happened” (John 20:18).

Pope Francis likes to use an interesting term for Mary Magdalene at this juncture. He said, “She became the apostle of the apostles.”

She announces to the apostles that Christ is risen.

We can imagine Mary’s joy upon saying those words, “I have seen the Lord.”

We can imagine her joy at bringing that news to the Apostles, inflaming their own apostolic zeal, and hopefully ours also, and everyone who is to come after us.

This is the joy and happiness of all apostolate, worthy of the name, in which we proclaim to others in countless ways the fact that Jesus is alive today.

St. Thomas Aquinas comments, “This woman, who was eminently steadfast in finding out about the burial place of Christ, is prefigured every person who yearns to know divine truth, and is therefore well-disposed to pass on the knowledge of such a grace to others.”

Just as Mary announced it to the disciples so that she could not be reprimanded for hiding her talent.

The Angelic Doctor concludes, “God has not granted us this joy in order for you to hide it in the recesses of your hearts, but to share it with those who are capable of love.”

Whoever finds Christ finds him for everyone.

The news of the resurrection spread like wildfire during the first centuries. Christians were conscious of being bearers of the good news.

The disciples rejoiced over the one who died for us, and rose again on the third day, as he said.

They were happy people in the midst of a sad world. Their joy, like ours, stems from always being near the living Christ.

Apostolate is always the communication of this joyful message, the most cheerful message of all.

Today we can ask St. Mary Magdalene to gain for us a share in her loving perseverance in seeking the Lord.

Father, we’re told in the opening prayer of the Mass, “your Son first entrusted to Mary Magdalene the joyful news of the resurrection. By her prayers and example, may we proclaim Christ as our living Lord, and one day see him in glory.”

The Psalms say, “Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings” (Ps. 17:8).

Our refuge and our strength lie in the love of God. We need to go to the tabernacle frequently to seek the presence of Jesus, like Mary Magdalene did.

On his way to the holy city, Jesus stops for a moment to express his disappointment at its rejection of his message. “Jerusalem, Jerusalem. How often I would have gathered your children together, as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, but you did not want” (Matt. 23:37).

Our Lord describes how he protects his own as a hen gathers her brood.

Jesus watches over us from the tabernacle. He is alert to the dangers that threaten us. He is ever ready to cure our wounds.

He continually shares his life with us. This has continually been our prayer on many occasions: “Pie pellicane, Iesu Domine, me immundum munda tuo sanguine.” “O loving Pelican, O Jesus Lord, unclean I am, but cleanse me in your blood.”

Of which a single drop, for sinners spilt, can purge the entire world from all its guilt.

Our Lord is our refuge and our strength. The image of this just one seeking protection from the Lord as a hen gathers her brood, is to be found repeatedly in sacred scripture.

The Psalms say, “Keep me as the apple of your eye, hide me in the shadow of your wings, for you are my refuge, a strong tower against the enemy. Let me dwell in your tent forever. Oh, to be safe under the shelter of your wings” (Ps. 17:8; 61:3–4).

The prophet Isaiah employs this image to reassure the chosen people of God’s protection against the Egyptians.

“Like birds hovering, so the Lord of hosts will protect Jerusalem” (Isa. 31:5).

At the close of our earthly life, Jesus will be our judge and friend.

While we live on earth, his mission is to save us, to give us all the help we need.

From the tabernacle, Jesus protects us in a thousand ways. How can we imagine that he is indifferent towards our problems and worries?

Jesus has wanted to remain present throughout the world so that we might seek him more readily for friendship and assistance, and rely on him, like St. Mary Magdalene did.

Getting up early in the morning, while it was still dark, because she had a hole in her heart.

St. John Vianney says, “If we are suffering pain and discomfort, he will lighten our burden and comfort us. If we succumb to illness, either he will provide a remedy, or he will give us the strength to suffer it for the sake of eternal life. If we find ourselves at war with the devil and our passions, he will supply us with arms for the battle, so that we can resist and ultimately be victorious. If we are poor, he will enrich us with all kinds of good things in this life and in eternity.”

Like Mary Magdalene, we could resolve to seek his company every single day without fail.

St. Alphonsus says, “Those few minutes we spend in our visit will be among the most productive moments of the day.”

What are we to do in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament? Love him, praise him, thank him, ask of him.

What does a poor man do in the presence of a wealthy man? What does a sick person do in the presence of a doctor? What does a thirsty person do at the sight of a fountain of sparkling water?

Our confidence that we will be victorious in trial and tribulation is not founded on our own limited resources, but on the protection of Our Lord.

He has loved us from all eternity, to the point of sacrificing his son for our salvation.

Jesus remains present among us in the tabernacle. As a consequence, he may be very close to the place where we live and work. He’s ready to help us, to heal us, to give us energy for our earthly sojourn.

All we have to do is draw close to him. He is waiting for us.

Nothing should separate us from God.

Because, as St. Paul teaches us in scripture, “If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him? Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?” (Rom. 8:31–35).

“Nothing can separate us from God if we are determined to abide with him.”

The Psalms say, “Clothed in grace we can cross mountains and climb the hill of our Christian duty without panting on the way.”

If friends of God, St. Josemaría says, “If we use these resources with a firm purpose, and beg Our Lord to grant us an everlasting hope, we will possess the infectious joy of those who know they are children of God.”

If God is for us, who can be against us?

Even though Our Lord permits us to experience strong temptations, family difficulties, sickness or reverses of any kind.

No trial, no matter how fierce, can separate us from Jesus.

By making a devout visit to the tabernacle nearest to us, we will reach out to the most powerful hand of God. We will then be able to say, “Omnia possum in eo qui me confortat,” “I can do all things in him who strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13).

“For I am sure that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom. 8:38–39).

This is the psalm of trust and optimism, which we should make our own.

St. John Chrysostom reminds us that Paul himself had to fight against numerous adversaries. He was attacked by barbarians, his guards laid traps for him.

There were times, says St. John Chrysostom, when he was opposed by his own faithful in great numbers. Yet Paul was triumphant.

Let us not forget that the Christian who is faithful to the laws of God will win out over those who oppose him, and even over Satan himself.

If we stay close to Jesus in the Eucharist, we will be victorious in every engagement, though sometimes we may appear to have been overcome.

The tabernacle will be our strength.

That’s why Jesus wanted to remain with us, in a tangible way, so that we could seek his help.

“Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, for my yoke is easy and my burden is light” (Matt. 11:28–30).

Jesus invites us and beckons to us every day. Our Lord, may we go to you, like Mary Magdalene did, with insistence, with perseverance, with courage, with a spirit to overcome all obstacles.

In that way our serenity will be rooted in Our Lord. We don’t close our eyes to reality, we look at the present and to the future with optimism, because Our Lord is by our side.

Life’s difficulties can, in the end, yield for us a great good. We’re never alone, in even the most overwhelming circumstances.

Just as we appreciate the company of a friend when things are going badly, so should we be grateful for the company of our Friend in the nearest tabernacle. We should go to him for consolation, peace, and strength.

What more can we want, wrote St. Teresa, than so good a friend at our side? Who will not forsake us when we are in trouble and distress, as they do who belong to the world.

St. Thomas More realized that his doom was sealed when he was called to testify before the Lambeth Tribunal.

He bade farewell at home to the people of his household, because he didn’t want them to follow him to the wharf, as was their custom. Only his son-in-law William Roper, and his favorite daughter Margaret, accompanied him on this final, short journey, together with a few servants.

Everyone aboard the upstream ferry was silent. After a while, More whispered into the ear of Roper, “Son Roper, I thank Our Lord the field is won.”

Roper later wrote that he did not comprehend the meaning of these words.

With the passing of time, however, he came to understand that More’s faith had given him the confidence of victory over any obstacle.

He knew without a shadow of a doubt that Our Lord would be with him in his ultimate battle.

If we seek to be close to Jesus, to be eucharistic souls, Our Lord will watch over us as a hen gathers her brood.

We too can be strengthened in the knowledge that the field is won.

St. Josemaría says in The Forge, “Be a eucharistic soul. If the center around which your thoughts and hopes turn is the tabernacle, then my child, how abundant the fruits of your sanctity and apostolate will be.”

We ask Mary Magdalene to give us those desires that she had in her heart, as she set out so early to seek Jesus, not worrying about what people would think or what people would say, overcoming all the difficulties.

The Mother of God contemplates her Son in heaven. She’ll put the right words and desires, right words on our lips and the right desires in our hearts. If we don’t know what to say or to do, she’ll provide a prompt response to make up for all our tongue-tied clumsiness.

I thank you, my God, for the good resolutions, affections, and inspirations that you have communicated to me during this meditation. I ask your help to put them into practice.

My Immaculate Mother, St. Joseph, my father and lord, my guardian angel, intercede for me.

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

EW