Daily Devotional • July 22
Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
A Reading from Mark 15:47-16:7
47 Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joses saw where the body was laid.
16 When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Salome bought spices, so that they might go and anoint him. 2 And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. 3 They had been saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 When they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled back. 5 As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed. 6 But he said to them, “Do not be alarmed; you are looking for Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has been raised; he is not here. Look, there is the place they laid him. 7 But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going ahead of you to Galilee; there you will see him, just as he told you.”
Meditation
In a way, St. Mary Magdalene’s history in the church is a kind of witness. She gained something of a more colorful backstory in the Middle Ages that has thankfully since been reconciled with the Gospel accounts. It is interesting to note that, in spite of flawed assertions about her past, she continued to occupy a place in the sanctoral cycle of commemorations. Part of the church’s wisdom, even when it’s a little weak on getting the details right, is that we remember that none are beyond the saving grace of Jesus Christ.
Even if Mary had been a woman of ill-repute prior to encountering Christ, would not her radical transformation proclaim what is possible with God just as powerfully as the actual healing received in her exorcism? Would her generosity supporting the nascent church be any less a reflection of God’s generosity to us? Would her presence at the Cross and tomb, or as the Apostle to the Apostles not still show how much one may by grace truly no longer live for themselves, but for him who died and rose again?
We give thanks that St. Mary Magdalene’s true witness was not diminished by an unfortunate chapter, and that the account of her life and ministry has been restored. Likewise, we are encouraged that in the fullness of time we will be able to see the ultimate outworking of grace and truth through all such trials. Until then, we who are in Christ are to see our brothers and sisters as a new creation, giving glory to God who reconciles us to himself. We share with blessed Mary Magdalene and all the saints the ministry of reconciliation, beginning with our own proclamation of the risen Lord, Jesus Christ.
The Rev. Benjamin Hankinson is the director of admissions for Nashotah House Theological Seminary and priest in charge of St. James in West Bend, Wisconsin. Originally from South Carolina, he has also served parishes in the Diocese of Springfield.
♱
Daily Devotional Cycle of Prayer
Today we pray for:
The Diocese of Harare – The Church of the Province of Central Africa
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Brooklyn, New York
