Introduction
In an increasingly secular world that still admires heroes, the saints are to the world what Superman is to Comics – classic figures of perennial value, representing goodness and triumph over society’s maladies, no matter the multitude of idols invented to distract the common seeker. Unlike comic book figures, the saints are neither mythical nor born of experimental scientific procedures or freak natural phenomena. They are born of fragile clay vessels receptive to God-given grace. Like superhero figures, the saints are unique and above the ordinary. But, unlike superheroes, the possibility of enrolling in the communion of saints is open to all. It is an open and universal school.
Saints “come to be” through free, profound, and continual encounters with the Lord...
Day 1 - Created in God's Image
When I sit upon the shores of the Sea of Galilee, I cannot help imagine what went through the heart of Mary Magdalene as she too sat upon the sand many years ago. The scene feels something like this: the rhythmic lapping of the sea upon the shore, the wind rustling the tall seagrass, the blue-domed sky with wisps of white cloud formations, the multitude of birds flitting about, and the majestic hills standing upon the shoreline beyond.
The beauty of nature has a nostalgic effect, giving the sense that you are one among many people over centuries who have tapped into a fundamental truth as they sat upon these same shores...
Heavenly Father, you have created us out of love and for love. Let the truth of our dignity echo deeply in our hearts. Help us to live according to this identity in your beloved image. Come to the aid of those who struggle with a sense of identity and purpose in life. May they discover you as a loving Father who invites them to life-giving communion with you and others. Teach us to reach out in a spirit of communion to all we encounter in our daily life, reflecting the love you have for each one of your children.
Day 2 - The Call To Repentance
One thing I love about Mary Magdalene is that she was human. Like men and women since Adam and Eve, she knew the reality of sin. She fought the battle that takes place in the depth of the human heart when misguided or ill-formed freedom gives into desires that snuff out God’s life within. The evangelists labeled her as the “woman from whom Jesus expelled seven demons” (Luke 8:2). What were those seven demons? Theories abound: a mental illness, epilepsy, schizophrenia, or a real possession?
Mary Magdalene’s seven demons, whatever their cause, represent the real threat in every person’s life: idols. Idols come in many forms and take the shape of misconstrued loves, from self-idolatry through pride to the subtle ways I replace the real God with the things of God...
Heavenly Father, you desire your children to return to your embrace. Enlighten me by your Holy Spirit to clearly see the idols that seek to establish themselves in my heart, taking the place reserved for your Son, Jesus Christ. Grant me true repentance for my sins and the desire to love you above all else. Hear the plea of all those estranged from friendship with you, especially those experiencing loneliness, confusion, and despair, and those who explicitly reject you. Send your Spirit with salutary gifts, leading to a conversion of heart and courage for a new beginning.
Day 3 - Called to God's Kingdom
The excavated marketplace and ancient synagogue in Magdala are the perfect places to imagine Jesus teaching, healing, and encountering many people. I love to imagine Mary Magdalene observing Jesus there. Little by little Jesus’s words piqued her curiosity, becoming personal, and she seeks him out. Initially, she keeps her distance as a mere observer. Perhaps she watches him in the marketplace confronting the Pharisees as he reveals how much he sees into their hearts. “Woe to you Pharisees! For you love the chief seats in the synagogues and the respectful greetings in the market places” (Luke 11:43). She must wonder, “If he can see the hypocritical hearts of those men, what does he see in me?”
Then one day she dares to enter the synagogue when he is teaching. She watches Jesus approach a woman crippled for 18 years...
Lord Jesus, transform our hearts with your personal and unconditional love. Heal my brokenness, restore my dignity, and cast out all that prevents a deeper relationship with you. Through the gift of Redemption, may I experience authentic freedom. Grant me fortitude so that I may faithfully follow you, even in the shadow of the Cross. Pour out your Spirit upon me that I may passionately witness to the good news of your victory over sin and death. And at the end of this earthly pilgrimage, may I be with you forever in your Kingdom.
Day 4 - Following Jesus
Jesus’s preaching from the boat must have hit home in the heart of Mary Magdalene. “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Mt 13:9). He spoke a parable about the necessity of cultivating the spirit to hear God’s Word. Her heart, once rocky or thorny, was discovering how fertile it could be the more time she spent in the presence of her Messiah. The expulsion of seven demons was a mere beginning. I doubt that Mary Magdalene had any idea how much her life would be transformed as she began to follow Jesus around Galilee and eventually to the foot of the cross in Jerusalem.
Mark’s simple statement teaches us a profound lesson: “…the women had followed him and cared for his needs” (Mk 15:41)...
Lord Jesus, like Mary Magdalene, I desire to know you more deeply, so as to love you more fully and follow you more faithfully. Make me attentive to your presence in your Word, Sacrament, and providential action in the world. May I praise and adore you in your most Holy Eucharist. Bring all to know, love, and follow you, especially those who have never heard your Word or rejected it. Grant that all who profess to be Christian may come to know you more fully and be witnesses through their fidelity to authentic Christian living.
Day 5 - Walking with Jesus
Following Jesus may seem like a romantic ideal, until the novelty wears off. I imagine that with the passing of time, Mary Magdalene entertained doubts about continuing her journey with the Lord. But she walked on. Her nickname, “the Magdalene” has its root in the Hebrew word migdal, meaning tower, alluding to the strength and courage she must have had to persevere in walking with Jesus.
Scripture testifies to the fact that she was one of the women supporting Jesus out of her own means...
Heavenly Father, I trust in you. Teach me to walk with Jesus, abandoning all pretenses and securities so as to seek only the Kingdom of heaven in faith, trust, and love. Help me to be steadfast in my commitment to you. Grant all pastors, religious, consecrated persons, and missionaries a special grace to leave all behind as they walk with you.
Day 6 - Steadfast at the Cross
What moves the heart of a woman to overcome fear and human respect, remaining steadfast at the cross? Not mere emotion, but rather conviction and love. Only an authentic, maturing love kept Mary Magdalene anchored in her determination to be present with Jesus to the end, while the tumultuous sea of sorrow, confusion, and pain practically drowned her. Awe, wonder, and peace at the site of humanity’s redemption at hand would have to wait until her understanding of God’s plan came to light. In her observation of the bloody disfigurement of her beloved “Rabboni,” horror and anger at the injustice fueled her decision to see him accompanied. She would not abandon him.
Mary Magdalene may have been at the foot of the cross regardless of John and the other women’s presence, but the desire to remain in solidarity with her friends was an added incentive...
Lord Jesus, you invite us to a deeper love by uniting our suffering to your cross. Help us to see life’s sufferings through the heart of the Father who desires to bring us to the fullness of life in and through you. Help all who suffer to look to you, realizing the beauty and redemptive power of a life laid down for love of another. Help us to remain steadfast in faith, hope, and love.
Day 7 - The Sabbath Wait and Empty Tomb
I imagine that Mary Magdalene lived the first Holy Saturday in an obscurity of faith. Jesus’s death appeared ignoble and did not paint his disciples in a favorable light among the authorities. But anxiety over what others thought of her was not foremost in Mary Magdalene’s mind. John and the women, with the help of Nicodemus and Joseph of Arimathea, had hastily washed and prepared Jesus’s body for burial as dusk fell on Friday afternoon. Then, impatient waiting loomed over the Sabbath day. The Sabbath day of rest was far from restful as Mary desperately longed to see the Lord once again.
How did she spend that long Saturday? Memories of Jesus lingered in her heart: his gaze, his words, his laughter, his seriousness, his reprimands that called out hypocrisy, and his gentle invitations that provoked a sense of deep freedom and joy...
Lord Jesus, grant us an unwavering hope that sustains us in patient longing and unswerving seeking for you above all else. Sustain those who walk faithfully, yet in darkness. Have mercy and release the souls in purgatory that they may fully rest in your presence. Console all who have lost loved ones with the hope of reuniting in eternal life in communion with you, the Father, and the Holy Spirit.
Day 8 - Revelation of the Risen Lord
Mary Magdalene’s long journey of conversion, her time of following Jesus, suffering at the foot of the cross, and longing for the Lord in darkness culminates in a surprise revelation from the Lord. At first glance, Mary Magdalene appropriately mistakes Jesus for a gardener, for he is the tender of all God’s gifts in our souls. He is also the Good Shepherd who will soon be recognized when he calls her name, “Mary.” To hear her name spoken by Jesus works wonders within her. Her sorrow turns to joy. According to her, he was lost and now is found. And she dare not lose him again. She throws herself at his feet, clinging to him. She cannot believe her good fortune.
But Jesus has other plans for her. “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God’” (Jn 20:17)...
Lord Jesus, open the eyes and ears of our hearts to recognize your presence and voice in our daily lives. Thank you for the gift of salvation and the chance to be fully embraced by our heavenly Father. Grant us perseverance in the journey of knowing, following, and loving you. Help us to live according to our identity as a beloved child of God. To those who struggle in faith, who fear giving themselves wholeheartedly, and who are weary of the journey, grant perseverance and new hope.
Day 9 - I Have Seen the Lord
Mary Magdalene jumps at Jesus’s commission to “go to his brethren.” Such a prompt response to Jesus’s call to mission comes from a deep impulse, echoing St. Paul’s profession, “The love of Christ impels me” (2 Cor 5:14). Before St. Paul spoke those words, they were embodied in Mary Magdalene’s missionary enthusiasm. She went to the disciples and proclaimed, “I have seen the Lord!” “But these words seemed to them an idle tale” (Luke 24:11). The simple task of sharing the good news was ill-received by many. Perhaps the apostle to the apostles found solace in the few who did believe. John and Jesus’s mother may have been a comfort to her, encouraging her to continue sharing the good news.
With the coming of Jesus Christ, the Kingdom of God was sown among the first believers...
Lord Jesus, make us your courageous missionary disciples so that the good news will arrive to the hearts of all those in need of your saving grace. Make us docile to your promptings and sagacious in the work of evangelizing. Guide us in our efforts to multiply faith-filled disciples and grant strength to all those who are fully dedicated to serving you, that you may reign in the hearts of all and your Kingdom will be extended to the farthest corners of the world.
Conclusion
Saints are ordinary people who open themselves to God’s extraordinary action. They discover an interior freedom to love God and others and let themselves be loved in the midst of the messiness of life. They do not wait for ideal circumstances, but live their humanity with grace-filled hearts. They accept the invitation to enter into the dynamics of Christian living, which in turn immerses them into the Paschal mystery of Christ in all its facets.The image of Mary Magdalene at Pentecost offers hints of this dynamic. The new image, created by Danielle Storey, reveals the beauty of her transformation at Pentecost...
