About our Patroness Saint
Below is a reflection from Therese Fenzl, prepared and delivered for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene on July 22, 2021
Happy FEAST of St. Mary Magdalene! I bring with me a special guest for this reflection–St. Mary Magdalene herself! I think she wants to speak to us on this feast day of our parish community.
Good Morning, Madeleine community. What a joy for me to be with you today. I hear from you frequently and bring your prayers to the Risen Jesus.
My life began in Magdala, a town very close to Galilee. It was close to the Sea of Galilee and a fishing town. My childhood held joys and challenges that go with growing up.
You have probably heard that Jesus healed me of “seven demons.” I had heard about this itinerant preacher named Jesus. Because Magdala is close to Galilee I had heard about this man who preached, healed, taught new things about God. My curiosity led me to go to Galilee and connect with the crowds that were being attracted to him. At first I just blended in with the crowds. But I was drawn to keep coming back.Then one day an extraordinary thing happened. I ended up fairly close to HIm and our eyes met. My heart skipped a beat. I knew that gaze had touched me in the deepest part of my being. I felt healing love fill me. I wondered if my life would ever be the same. I was drawn in a lasting way to walk with this holy man, this man whom I would discover was God and man.
I am sure that you, too, have experienced some demons in your life: fear, worry, depression, discouragement, distrust of God’s unconditional love. Hold some of your demons in silence for a moment! I invite you to ask Jesus to heal those for you. Ask God to fill you today with Jesus’ healing Love.
I began to walk, day after day, with other women and men with Jesus.
2000 years later, you and your community walk with the Risen Jesus in faith and hope and love. Jesus says “Blessed are you who have not seen Me and yet believe.”
Time went on and as I followed Jesus I became aware of a growing group of people who felt threatened by the presence of Jesus and His message and even wanted to kill Him. Apprehension rose in me and the others who were following Jesus. I felt helpless in face of the ongoing anger and threats that kept intensifying until what unfolded became the most painful day of my life. My love and connection to Jesus had deepened. As He was condemned to death and began to walk that long journey to Calvary I had to walk with Him and John and the other women who would not desert Him now. Those three hours of standing beneath the cross were the most pain-filled moments of my life. I wondered if I could survive the sorrow I felt.
After his death I walked with Mary, His mother, Joseph of Arimathea, and the other women to anoint Him and gently lay Him in the tomb. I didn’t sleep that night and went to the tomb early the following morning. What a shock! The stone was rolled back from an empty tomb. I raced to tell Peter and the other apostles and then returned weeping to the garden. As I walked I saw a man who looked like a gardener. I begged him “Sir, if you have carried Jesus away, please tell me where He is.” In that moment my sorrow turned to joy. He said “Mary.” As I responded “Teacher”, our eyes and hearts connected with a love that would never leave me. Yes, I would go from there and tell all “I have seen the Lord.”
So this morning I tell you,”I have seen the Lord.” My prayer for you is that you too will see the Risen Jesus, God in every moment of every day. Feel God’s presence in all of creation, in every person, in joy, in sorrow, in moments of peace, in moments of anxiety. You are never alone. As you receive the Eucharistic presence of Jesus, allow His Risen,Love-filled Presence to fill you. Be that presence for one another and your 2021 world that is filled with so much suffering. Keep praying to me and allowing me to join in your prayer. Know that my prayer joins yours and that someday we will meet in the presence of the Risen Jesus.