Go to My Brothers

The Church celebrates the memorial of St. Mary Magdalene, a favorite and faithful follower of Jesus. She stood at the foot of the cross and St. Mark tells us that Jesus first appeared to her on the morning of the resurrection. (St. Ignatius Loyola and others believe that even before this, Jesus appeared to his mother, but as likely and plausible as this is, it is not recorded in the Scriptures). St. John's version of the resurrection story has the familiar tale of Mary weeping at the empty tomb, her inquiry of the man she thought was the gardener, and her enthusiastic, and we can imagine, tearful, recognition of the Rabbouni, when he tenderly prounounced her name. She clung to him with such force that Jesus had to warn her that he had yet to ascend to the Father and would find it awkward (to say the least) to do so with her clinging to him. Then he gave her the instruction to "go to my brothers and tell them, "I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God" (Jn 20: 17). Can you imagine the joy that filled her heart as she, no doubt, ran to the upper room to announce to them: "I have seen the Lord" (Jn 20: 18)?
Jesus had become the center of Mary's life, love and attention as witnessed in her fearless presence on Calvary (supporting and accompanying Mary as well), and in her early morning tears at the empty tomb. She becomes a standard by which we might measure our own love, loyalty and passion. The instruction, "Go to my brothers" can be read as ours as well. We are the ones now who are to show and tell by example and word that Jesus needs to be the central love of our lives, and that his Father is our Father, his God, our God. O God, in the spirit of Mary Magdalene, let me be on fire with your love and fearless in my living of it, Help me by word and deed to spread his message to all my brothers and sisters. Amen.
Bro. Rene