Posted on April 12 2020 by F. Florin Callerand

Easter: Mary Magdalene opens herself up to the closeness of a new Presence...

Mary Magdalene is the first one to arrives at the tomb on Easter morning and she goes to tell John and Peter’s who then come and see for themselves that the tomb is empty, John, once there begins to discover that, if the tomb is empty, it is that Christ may have passed into him... And that's why, having seen through the entrance that the tomb was empty, he does not go in as he knows there is no point! Whereas Peter, goes in head down to realize that the shroud and strips are indeed there.

And Magdalene is back. It is at this point that there is a conversation between her and the Lord. It can’t have been easy to get used to a Risen when one has lived with him for several years when he wasn't resurrected! Try to ask yourself the question, through experience! It is quite formidable to live with Jesus, to hear him, to see what he's doing, to ask him questions... Can you imagine how fascinating it must have been to be a disciple of Jesus: to follow his footsteps, listen to his teachings, see how he shined with the Holly Spirit! And then there were people who were freed, converted, finding the meaning of their lives in their hearts and who asked themselves fundamental questions... It wasn't the same as it used to be! Can you imagine: two to three years of companionship between Mary Magdalene and Jesus!

We also know that Jesus’ mother, Mary, accompanied and followed - John made a clear inclusion of it in his gospel ‑ Mary after Cana does not return to Nazareth, she follows suit, and she proceeds. And we find her again at the foot of the Cross, along the Cross: the inclusion is completed in John’s way of writing. So that does mean that Mary was present throughout the life of Jesus. Not necessarily at all points and in all the details, but she was with him. She did not return to the starting point, she emigrated from Nazareth. Nazareth was behind her, this was a beginning. She left together with him...

Mary would have given a certain tone in the way she looked at and listened to Jesus, through her passion for him. Of course, she would have taught him many things, starting with walking and talking…But afterwards, she learnt from him through what he said and demonstrated: the living revelation! Her child’s life taught Mary some of the secrets of the invisible God she loved so much but could not see. Mary continued to move forward in her knowledge and experience of this God-Father whose son she received. What radical changes throughout Mary’s life!

When she was listening to the parables, listening to and seeing the teachings of Jesus and with the disciples looking at her and how she listened and with Mary- Magdalene looking at her and how she listened, you can imagine the ripple effect! Mary was passionate about Jesus in the most improbable way...

You can be sure that there was another astonishment for Mary: the translucent revelation, transparent, diaphanous of the invisible God which takes hold of her within herself and who, in the Son to whom she gave flesh, reveals the invisible God to her! We find this is St John’s Prologue: "God, no one has ever seen him, but a Son, he who is face-to-face with the Father, came to put him into words, to make us hear him, to make us see him!". It is the Revelation and Mary is at the forefront of this revelation.

Mary-Magdalene sees as Mary sees, but she also sees Mary who sees! When there is double mediation, it is undoubtedly more powerful than when there is only one! Getting together with Mary is quite fantastic! If you are close to Mary, then what moved her deeply will move you too.

Mary-Magdalene who is very likely the sinner from Chapter 7 of St Luke, is the one who is by the cross with Mary and is also the one who, on Easter morning, has the first revelation that the Christ is resurrected! She believes that it is like it was before, that Christ will speak to her...So she rushes! Let’s say the word, she has a “hallucination”! Of course! What else when one loves someone so much, even when he has gone, one sees his shadow: “I thought he was here!”

To enter into the mystery of the Resurrection, it is with analogies, metaphors and parables that you can do so. That is why, of course, Mary-Magdalene tries to grab Jesus by the feet to hold on to him, so that it may be ''after'' as it was “before”. Then Jesus says to her - not "Don't touch me!" as in the wrong translation from the Vulgate: but rather - “Don't hold me back, for I'm passing onto my father!" He is entering into glory, and he gives his disciples, who used to live perceptibly with him, an intermediate pedagogy time to learn.

"Don't hold me back, I'm going up to the Father!" And I don't know how, but Jesus gives something that is still perceptible. Mary-Magdalene would like it to be perceptible as it was before. And Jesus said to her: "Stop, don't hold me back! It's about to become an inner experience. This "hallucination" that you have now, on Easter morning, you won’t have it anymore tonight, and tomorrow, you won’t think of it anymore! You will live a new life in the closeness of my new Presence. You will have the proof of this, because it will not be the way it used to be, when I was in the outside world and told you warm words, great words, exciting words, which enthused you... wonderful! But when I will speak to you from within, and the breath of Holy Spirit will be with my words too, then you will see what happens!".

And that is why Mary-Magdalene is called "Apostola apostolorum", "The Apostle of the Apostles.” It is she who, equipped by her experience of Christ in her, becomes the awakener of faith, in Peter, in John and in others...