St. Mary Magdalene at Easter

St. Mary Magdalene adoring the Risen Lord, St. Conleth's Church, Newbridge, Co. Kildare, Ireland

 

My great-great-grandparents were married before this carving on May 30, 1869. I wonder if it inspired them as much as it does me. Ten months later, their first child was baptized Mary Anne. Then they emigrated to the United States, and had six more children - including my great-grandfather Stephen.

This beautiful act of Our Lord -- appearing to the repentant sinner and giving her a message to His disciples -- never fails to move my heart. She turned her passionate heart from a love of sin to love of Jesus. We can too!

E. Seton, in her "Sundays in the Garden of Easter", wrote:

"...she turned away from the Tomb, her tears falling fast. Jesus stood nigh, but His loving Heart must hear once more from her own lips the voice of that mighty love mourning for Him and not to be comforted. He had so few to love Him as she did. And He had so great a reward for every tear, for every word laid up for her!"

"'Mary!' He said. There is a volume in the word. Tenderness, the special vocation to a very high and intimate following of Him, loving predestination of that loving soul, Easter revelation of Himself. And Mary's instantaneous response, now that the veil upon her eyes was lifted, 'Good Master!'... O the joy that inundated her great soul, the sudden illumination of grace, the comprehension of all the Passion and Paschal Mystery, the realization of the Prophecies!"