Mary Magdalene- Painting by Kathleen Carr, my cousin.
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
and saw two angels in white sitting there, one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been. And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord, and I don’t know where they laid him.”
When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there, but did not know it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him, “Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him, and I will take him.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her, “Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am going to my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.’” Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples,
“I have seen the Lord,”and then reported what he told her. John 20:1-7- 11:18
Today is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene. The Apostle to the Apostles. She was at the foot of the cross. Her story is a story of love and redemption. She was a terrible sinner. The Gospel tells us she had 7 demons in her. Yet, in her state, as the lowliest of low sinners, Christ lifted her up out of her sin and gave her new life, new freedom. It shows us that no matter how deep in sin we are, no matter how far away, Christ can lift us out of it.
Jesus tells her in today’s Gospel not to hold on to Him. I found that strange. The Priest explained in his homily that He was telling her not to hold on to His physical representation. He would now be mystically available, just as He is to us today. We don’t have Him walking around with us, but we have the Living God, mystically available to us in the Eucharist, and spiritually in our hearts. Do we recognize that when we go to communion? Do we ask for spiritual communion with Him? Are you aware of how much He loves you?
Recently, I made a Consecration to Merciful Love. It is based on a Consecration St. Therese of Lisieux made, it shows you overwhelmingly how much God loves us, even when we fail. I cannot tell you how much this Consecration drew me deeper into a relationship with the Trinity. I have also been reading the 24 hours of the Passion by Louisa Piccarreta. Reading these two things has been profound for me. They draw you into the Divine Will, something I think St. Mary Magdalene and St. Therese experienced. It is an experience of the Living God. I weep because of how little the world can see God chasing us, and how much we run away.
As I sat in the chapel yesterday, I had an experience. It is hard to explain, except that I felt in the presence of the Living God. I felt His Sacred Heart. As the outside world swirls around me, with personal storms, and with global crisis, I totally and completely felt God tell me, “I’ve got this.” I told the Lord, “I’m so glad you do, because I don’t.” It was an experience and exercise in TOTAL TRUST. I felt safe.
My friend, Eva, has been told her pancreatic cancer is back. I weep. God says, “I’ve got this.” I experience personal hardships. God says, “I’ve got this.” I look at the news. God says, “I’ve got this.” In that moment, in the chapel, all I can say that I experienced is that the God who created the universe, who created each unique human being, is definitely intimately involved in our lives. I have no doubt of that. If we only knew how much He loves us, we would all be living very differently.
Hold onto hope. Love one another. Ask God to make His will be yours.
“My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?” Psalm 42:2
Remember things of this world are passing away, our real life is in eternity in heaven with God. Do not be afraid. If you aren’t praying, start, if you are ask God to take you deeper into a relationship with Him. If you are grounded in the Lord, you shall survive life’s storms.
“Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, sensual lust, enticement for the eyes, and a pretentious life, is not from the Father but is from the world. Yet the world and its enticement are passing away. But whoever does the will of God remains forever.” 1 John 2:15-17
Veil of Veronica 
You say what is in my heart so much better than I can. I recently got laid off from my job and had to have a serious surgery on my shoulder and arm. It was so completely GOD taking me out and away from all my work, distractions, hobbies and everything that takes me away from Him. Through it all, I KNOW that He has in mind my good and not my destruction. Please keep these blogs up, I love reading you and I send them to everyone I know.
Thank you. I will keep you in my prayers for all your personal storms, that you know He has you in the palm of His hand.
Charlie, this answers so much in my spirit that has been close to despair over the political machinations of Pope Francis, instead of shepherding. It doesn’t seem to be the Church I came into in 1991 and I have been really struggling. If there is any doubt that what you say and see is inspired by the Holy Spirit, much was confirmed in my reading of your column today. Once again you’ve done your job: acknowledged God, took the next right step, and have been a sign of hope to those around you…especially this grateful reader!
Thank you, I will also pray for you.
Reblogged this on Annie.
Viel.. that was beautiful. thank you for sharing. .i felt great peace & calm while reading your account 😇
Thank you. God’s peace is needed in this crazy world of ours.
Eva’s cancer is back? How is she and her boy? Oh no. Maybe Mother Angelica will help, I will pray.
Please do. In her three month reprieve she gained 30 lbs. and that will enable possibly a surgery she wasn’t strong for before. Her son doesn’t know yet, she wants the parish priest there when she tells him.
Maybe our Lord is getting her ready for the operation. Is the crowd funding still there?
Yes, they never spent it because they worried about a reoccurrence.
Praise God! He is so wonderful!
I feel such a connection with you! I too did the consecration to merciful love and am reading the 24 hrs of the passion. Today I was seeking His face as it was one of those days when I don’t feel His presence as on other days. The words you wrote were used by Him to whisper “I am here always, whether you feel it or not.” May He bless you and yours.
Music often touches my heart, just like it touches yours.
My soul has been singing “I received the Living God and my heart is full of joy” since Mass on Sunday.
I feel negligent in not mentioning this. If Eva is open to this, please offer her the name of Dr Drisko. She is an integrative medicine Dr based out of KU that has several success stories of stage 4 cancer sufferers stronger 10 years after the stage 4 diagnosis. Off topic, but she also has helped an immense number of people suffering autoimmune disorders, naturally. Please feel free to email me and I can provide more detailed information. There is a NY physician that lived 26 years after being dx’d with pancreatic cancer. He cited supplementing with protease, a digestive enzyme. Not suggesting doing this, only throwing these facts out there to provide possible stepping stones to get answers, help, amelioration of the situation, etc. Please tell Eva she has another person praying for her.
Thanks I will pass the info along.
my gosh! I was there in the parking lot the day you had heard the news! I knew you were special when we discussed the devastation. Oh how I love you for creating this blog! I didn’t know you did this but I will be a loyal reader for sure!!
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Reblogged this on Veil of Veronica and commented:
I wrote this piece two years ago on the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene. My friend Eva has since passed away; I feel certain into the loving arms of a good Father. I remember my experience in the chapel that day, and I hold on to the hope because I do not doubt the infinite love of My Creator.
Thank you for this piece. Resonating today. God Bless You
Thank you. God Bless you.
Great lines then, great lines now:
My friend, Eva, has been told her pancreatic cancer is back. I weep. God says, “I’ve got this.” I experience personal hardships. God says, “I’ve got this.” I look at the news. God says, “I’ve got this.” . . . If we only knew how much He loves us, we would all be living very differently.
. . .
Hold onto hope. Love one another. Ask God to make His will be yours.
“My soul thirsts for God, the living God. When can I enter and see the face of God?” Psalm 42:2
Remember things of this world are passing away, our real life is in eternity in heaven with God.
Yes, it is.
Thanks James
Thank you for reposting this. I love St. Mary Magdalene. To me Sts. Peter, Paul, and Mary are great role models. They also made most of the mistakes of people in our world today. They repented, were forgiven, got back up, and were great disciples, apostles, and examples for us all. When you mentioned Jesus saying, “I’ve got this”, it reminded me of the Novena of Surrender to the Will of God, “Oh Jesus, I surrender to you, take care of everything.” I was also interested in your mentioning the 24 Hours of the Passion by Luisa Piccaretta. I’ve also read/prayed/meditated over these on and off for years. I misplaced the binder with the readings printed out, and I’ve been looking for it since the Camp Fire here last November (our home survived but we were evacuated for a month). I have been looking for my orange notebook with the Hours in it for 8 months. I found it a couple of days ago. It’s been sitting there, and I just didn’t see it, recognize it, thought it was a different one – and there it was all this time. God lifted the blinders from my eyes. Thank you, Lord. I was so excited, I read and prayed the first three hours that night, continuing on now each day. What a blessing they are to enter more deeply into the Passion with Our Lord and Our Lady. Thank you again for your post. God’s blessings to you and all here.
I feel very called to meditate on two things, the annunciation and the passion. God Bless you and may the Lord draw you ever closer.
Apprreciate your blog post
Thank you and God Bless you.