Mary Magdalene and the Easter Journey

Mary Magdalene takes us on the Easter journey from grief to joy. Mary was one of the women present at the cross along with the mother of Jesus and a handful of others. She was a disciple who had followed Jesus from early in his ministry - according to Luke, Mary had been healed  from demonic possession. We cannot begin to imagine the pain of watching the friend you have loved, the teacher you have followed being tortured and executed. 


Mary sets out for the tomb - Mark’s account has them bringing spices to anoint the body for burial - something they had run out of time to do before passover. Today’s reading brings more grief for Mary - she will be unable to complete the appropriate rituals around the death - the body has been taken. We often speak of “closure” around death rituals. This year we heard that in spite of all efforts they will be unable to remove the bodies of those who died in the Pike river mine disaster it has been more than 10 years and the families still suffer. Many in the past year have not been able to attend funerals of loved ones they have lost. It is this additional grief that further devastates Mary. She doesn’t know what to do - just hangs around the empty tomb weeping. Helpless in her grief. Sobbing and moaning her pain. 

The angel’s question must have seemed a bit pointless - there they are in the empty tomb & he’s asking why she is crying?!!!  - was Mary tempted to respond less politely? Why the heck do you think I am crying? stop wasting my time!Then there’s the gardener haranguing her with the same question. There is just a hint of hope - maybe he can at least tell her where the body is, perhaps that might diminish her awful grief and pain one small iota… maybe …


Then one word changes her life yet again. It is her own name and in the voice of the one she loves. The impossible truth of the resurrection fills her with joy. She grabs hold of Jesus - hugging him, clutching him to her, laughing and crying at the same time and repeating over and over the name she used for him Rabbouni. Gently Jesus asks her to let him go. 


What he then says to her is revolutionary - because it makes clear that the Messiah, the Son of God, the risen saviour of the world includes her (and us) in his family  - the disciples are his brothers, Jesus’ father is her father, Jesus’ God is her God. The joy of the resurrection is not just the return from the dead of a loved one - it is the birth of a new community - the family of God. 


The final part of Mary’s story is witness - she went to the disciples and told  them what she had seen and what Jesus had told her.  Mary Magdalene was the Apostle to the Apostles. 


So we ask ourselves - How has our Easter journey been this year? 

Did we hear our name on the lips of our Lord?Did we follow in the footsteps of Mary Magdalene and make that pilgrimage - in our hearts, in our reading and meditation, in our worship, in our prayers? It is an annual pilgrimage with the possibilities of fresh learning every time we make it. 


The journey of Easter takes us - from grief - to joy - to witness. Easter is not the end of the journey - Easter is the beginning - of our journey together as the people of God - bearing witness to love and hope in a world that so desperately needs it. 



God of life and love,

whose risen Son 

called Mary Magdalene by name

and sent her 

to tell of his resurrection to his apostles:

in your mercy, 

help us,

who will unite with him in this eucharist,

to proclaim in our lives, our worship, our words -  the good news that he is alive and reigns, now and for ever. Amen





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