Mary Magdalene
Do We Recognize Jesus?
Easter Sunday
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: April 4, 2021
This is one of my favourite Gospel stories. A very personal, very intimate encounter between The Risen Lord Jesus and Mary Magdalene. Mary Magdalene, this woman who is the first to encounter the Risen Lord Jesus. The Tradition calls her the Apostle to the Apostles. The first to profess the Resurrection. In Mary Magdalene begins a long history of great women preachers, usually always unofficially preaching. In our new parish name, St. Catherine of Siena, we have another of the great women preachers in Church history.
There is something surprising in this encounter between Jesus and Mary Magdalene. She does not recognize him at first. She thinks he is the gardener. Same thing happens in the other Resurrection accounts, often the disciples do not recognize Jesus at first. But, this was someone they had loved, someone they had spent much time with over the past years. It is surprising that she does not recognize him.
There was a Bishop from Brazil who tells a story of thinking about and reflecting on the Resurrection accounts such as the Road to Emmaus. And like this encounter with Mary Magdalene he could not understand why they failed to recognize this man they knew so well.
While he was thinking about this there was a knock on the door. It was poor man looking for assistance. The Bishop was a little disturbed that his meditation time was being interrupted. So, to get rid of the poor man as quickly as possible he gave him a little cash, a smile, and goodbye.
The moment the door was shut, he realized, he had behaved just like the disciples. The Lord Jesus had knocked on his door in that poor man and he could not get rid of the living Christ fast enough to return to his thoughts on the blindness of the disciples.
Are we like Mary Magdalene, like the disciples, failing to recognize the Living Jesus in those people who knock on the door of our lives? Do we fail to recognize the Living Jesus in the person in need right in front of us? Perhaps in your family, your own spouse, your child, your parent? Perhaps in your community, someone grieving, someone alone, someone sick, someone struggling?
Do we celebrate this Eucharist and fail to recognize the Living Jesus present to us in the bread and wine transformed into Holy Communion?
Imagine how we would be at Mass, how we would hunger to be here, if we truly recognized the Risen Lord Jesus here in the Eucharist to meet us?
Imagine how we would be with the people in our lives, if we truly recognized the Risen Lord Jesus coming to us in that person in front of us?
That wonderful personal, intimate encounter between Mary Magdalen and Jesus is an encounter that each of us can also share. But, we need to recognize Jesus in this simple bread transformed at Mass. We need to recognize Jesus present in that person in need right beside us. Then we will be apostles like Mary Magdalene, proclaiming joy and hope in the Risen Lord Jesus.
Not By Force, Nor Violence, But By Love
Easter 2019
Fr. Mark Gatto
Preached: April 21, 2019
Only love can bring true change for good. In our world, in our church, in our families, in any person. Only love can bring true change for good.
God did not use force, or violence, or power to bring about change. In fact, in Jesus we see God letting go of all force, all power, dying on a cross in a way of non-violence. In the
Resurrection we see the victory of love. It is not seen in the news, not recognized by most people, yet in the Resurrection we see that love changes and transforms history and our future.
God does not change us or change the world by force or violence or power. But, through love brings about the change that we celebrate at Easter as we celebrate the Resurrection.
Mary Magdalene is a key person and first to witness to the Resurrection. As first to experience the Resurrection and to witness to it, she is often referred to as the Apostle to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus.
So, at his death, she is grieving, sad, lost, she is seen weeping. Yet, it was this love of Jesus that eventually allowed her to see beyond the suffering, beyond the loss, beyond the darkness. She meets the Risen Lord Jesus and sees the work of God’s love in the midst of the great darkness of that moment.
You and I as disciples of Jesus are called to change ourselves, to change the world. We are to challenge and upset the world. But, not by force, not by violence, not by power. We Christians must reject violence and force as a way to change others or to change the world. Like our God, we must only strive to bring change in others or in the world by the way of love.
Many grandparents, parents, spouses come to me sad about a grandchild or child or spouse who is no longer practicing their faith. They wish they could do something to change this person that they love. But, I have to remind them that we cannot bring someone to faith by force, by criticism, by power. I encourage them to pray for that person, pray for them with a heart full of love. Then love that person with a great love. For only love is able to bring change and lead people into the heart of God.
Mary Magdalene had such a great love for Jesus, you and I are called to the same deep love of Jesus. Then like Mary we will be able to see everyone and see all with the eyes of God. Then we will not become lost in evil, in darkness, in injustice, in suffering, in death. Like Mary we will see beyond all of these to the love and goodness of God.
The key to living joyfully in this world, even when faced with darkness and difficulties, is to fall in love with Jesus, with your whole heart. Then you will see in a new way. The key to assisting others to find God in their life is to love them with all your heart.
The death and Resurrection of Jesus shows us the way of God, that force, violence, power cannot bring about change for good, only love can bring about true change for good.