Magdalen and the Resurrection
Saturday, April 26th Readings Reflection: Saturday in the Octave of Easter
Today’s Gospel reading recounts certain important details from the day of Jesus’ Resurrection: “But [H]e rising early the first day of the week, appeared first to Mary Magdalen, out of whom [H]e had cast seven devils. She went and told them that had been with [H]im, who were mourning and weeping” (Mk 16:9-10 DRB). We know from Sacred Tradition that Our Lord first appeared to Mary His Mother, as is only fitting. The beautiful reunion between the Virgin Mother and her divine Son is not recorded in Scripture; instead, we hear the above account of Jesus’ second appearance on the day of His Resurrection.
This second appearance was to St. Mary Magdalen, a woman who had previously been possessed by seven demons. The Fathers of the Church saw in this number, seven, a symbol of the Seven Deadly Sins. Jesus had freed St. Mary Magdalen from these seven demons and seven capital sins to prepare her for her unique role of proclaiming His Resurrection to the Apostles. She was the second person to whom Jesus appeared after His Resurrection, and she, in obedience to Christ’s command, conveyed the joyous news to the Apostles.
St. Bede made an interesting observation about St. Mary Magdalen’s role in seeing the risen Jesus before the other Apostles. He connected Magdalen’s role with Eve’s role in leading Adam into sin in the Garden of Eden. St. Bede wrote: “In the beginning also woman brought man into sin, now she, who first tasted death, first sees the Resurrection, lest she should have to bear the reproach of perpetual guilt amongst men; and she who had been the channel of guilt to man, now has become the first channel of grace” (Catena Aurea).
By choosing to appear first to a woman, Our Lord showed that His Passion and Resurrection broke the bonds of sin that had enslaved mankind since the Fall, which occurred through the advice of the tempted woman. Christ is the New Adam Whose obedience atoned for the first Adam’s disobedience. Whereas Eve led Adam into sin, St. Mary Magdalen led the Apostles into a belief in the Resurrection. Adam and Eve brought sorrow and death into the world by their sin; Jesus Christ brought joy and life back into the world, with St. Mary Magdalen as the herald of the glad tidings.
Today’s Gospel passage reminds us that God’s mercy restores all things, even those that are the most broken. As Jesus says in the Book of Apocalypse, “Behold, I make all things new” (Apoc 21:5). On this vigil of the Feast of Divine Mercy, may we renew our hope in the One Whose death has dispelled the darkness of sin and merited for us eternal life by His own Resurrection.
