Mary Magdalene: Standing with Jesus

After Our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead on that glorious first Easter Sunday morning, He first appeared to Mary Magdalene, one of the disciples. Only the twelve apostles were the first official witnesses to Jesus’ Resurrection and His appearances (Acts 10:39-42), but she was the first to tell the apostles that Jesus had risen.

Because of this great and unique privilege and her life of penance after her conversion during Jesus’ public ministry, she has been revered by the Church since early times. Her life proposes an edifying example to homeschooling families.

Mary Magdalene was a public sinner who repented after she met Jesus. Because she was sorry for her sins, Jesus forgave her, but He told her to go and sin no more. Her repentance teaches us and our children about the infinite love and forgiveness that Jesus has for those who are sorry for their sins.

Her life teaches us and our children the importance of being truly sorry for our sins, of humbly asking for forgiveness.

It shows us, however, that mere sorrow and repentance for past sins is insufficient. We must also do penance for our past sins, and be determined to “sin no more.”

Mary Magdalene was at the foot of the Cross with Mary, the Blessed Mother of Jesus. When almost all the disciples had fled out of fear, Mary Magdalene was willing to stand up with Jesus in spite of the mocking crowd, in spite of the soldiers’ fearful and savage treatment of Jesus.

This witness of Mary Magdalene helps us and our children realize that there will be times in our lives when being a Christian and standing up for Christian values will be difficult. Part of the difficulty is knowing that, even as we testify to the truth and to the proper moral life, we ourselves often fail to live up to the ideals that we espouse.

We should pray to Mary Magdalene in such situations; she will help us to have the courage we need to witness to Jesus despite our own unworthiness.

After the burial of Jesus, Mary Magdalene went to the tomb to wash the Body of Jesus with perfumed ointment, the normal procedure at that time.

This action on the part of Mary Magdalene should teach us and our children the importance of being generous in caring for others.

We cannot be so engrossed in our own problems that we neglect to see and help others with their problems.

The appearance of Jesus to Mary Magdalene after the Resurrection is the first appearance recorded in the Gospels. Mary Magdalene did not recognize Jesus at first, nor did the apostles recognize Him when they saw Him later.

The divinity of Jesus, the absolute perfection and sinlessness of Jesus, is so brilliantly beautiful in His glorified Body that it was beyond their ability to recognize Him Whom they saw every day for three years!

We need to remind ourselves and our children about the perfections of God, such as His infinite beauty.

We must remain free of sin so that someday Jesus will speak our name in a loving way, calling us by name as He called Mary Magdalene in His appearance.

Only when she heard him speak was she immediately able to recognize Him.

This hearkens back to the story in the Gospels of the Good Shepherd, whose sheep know his call when they hear him.

Mary Magdalene was the first to run and tell the apostles that “He is risen!” Mary Magdalene, a repentant sinner, was the first to carry the most important message in history, from the Risen Christ to the leaders of His Church: “He is risen!”

We need to remind ourselves and our children that Jesus is counting on us, His followers, to carry the Gospel Message to others in our community.

Our lessons in our Catholic Faith are not to be kept within us but to be shared and put into practice.

Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Mary Magdalene, help us home schooling parents to teach our children by word and example, what it means to be a disciple of Jesus, the Son of God.

Help us to recognize that the Resurrection is the most important event in the history of mankind, and that we must be like Mary Magdalene in standing with Jesus and courageously spreading the Gospel Message.

This article first appeared in the April 2007 Seton Newsletter

The Seven Lessons of St. Mary Magdalene

1. Her repentance teaches us and our children about the infinite love and forgiveness that Jesus has for those who are sorry for their sins.

2. Her life teaches us and our children the importance of being truly sorry for our sins, of humbly asking for forgiveness.

3. We must also do penance for our past sins, and be determined to “sin no more.”

4. There will be times in our lives when being a Christian and standing up for Christian values will be difficult.

5. Her actions teach us and our children the importance of being generous in caring for others.

6. Her life demonstrates that we must remain free of sin so that someday Jesus will speak our name in a loving way.

7. Her response reminds us and our children that Jesus is counting on us, His followers, to carry the Gospel Message to others in our community.

Header Image CC bobosh_t