Homily for the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

In the Church's tradition, including its artistic tradition, Mary Magdalene has often been depicted as a repentant sinner. This is mainly because she was mistakenly associated with the sinful woman who washed Jesus' feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. However, there is no evidence in the Gospels to indicate that Mary was any more of a sinner than the other disciples of Jesus. According to our Gospel passage today, Mary Magdalene is identified as the woman who, out of devotion, went to the tomb early on that first Sunday morning. Her deep devotion to Jesus also led her to stay outside the tomb, weeping tears of loss upon discovering that Jesus' body was not there.

Mary Magdalene was searching for the Lord but couldn't find Him. However, the Lord sought her out and found her when He called her by name. Just like her, we also seek the Lord, and just like her, Jesus seeks and finds us. It's the Lord's search for us that comes before our search for Him. Even if we struggle to find the Lord, like Mary, the Lord always finds His way to us and calls us by name. He is the Good Shepherd who laid down His life for us and now calls us by name.

When the Lord calls us by name, He also sends us out, just as He did with Mary Magdalene, to share the Good News of His Resurrection with those we encounter. The Lord not only calls us by name but also requests that we be His messengers to others.