Homily: July 22, 2025, Feast of Mary Magdalene (Loved Most)

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 Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’ 

St. Mary Magdalene is known in the Church as the “Apostle to the Apostles”, a privileged and beautiful title. Even Peter, the head of the apostles, or John, the beloved disciple, were not entrusted with the first announcement of the Resurrection. Instead, Jesus gave that mission to Mary Magdalene.

She was the first to proclaim the central truth of our faith: Christ is risen! He has overcome death, and because of that, we live with hope and our faith is strengthened. Jesus is the Resurrection and the Life. Death has no power over us too, because the One who conquered it, has the power to resurrect us as well.

For over 2,000 years, since Mary Magdalene’s first announcement, Christians have continued to proclaim the Good News of Jesus’s resurrection. It is our call, our mission, to echo Mary Magdalene’s joyful shout: “He is risen!”

How did Mary Magdalene become the first to receive the good news and the first to announce it?

The answer is simple: because she loved Jesus truly.

The first reading today, from the Song of Songs, is often seen as the expression of her heart, especially on that first Easter morning. It speaks of the anxious seeking for the beloved in the dark. That was exactly what Mary did. She went to the tomb before dawn, unafraid of the dark, the guards, the Jewish authorities or the stone which sealed the tomb. Nothing could stop her. The death of her beloved Lord did not stop her loving Him. The risk of death for herself did not stop her doing her bit for Him.

Her true love for Jesus gave her courage and strengthened her faith. With that love, she encountered the Risen Lord.

So, let us reflect: Do I love Jesus truly? Do I have the courage to proclaim, “Christ is risen”?

For a heart full of love. And a gut filled with courage. St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us.

Amen.


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