Bible
Study: Song of Solomon 3, 1 to 4 and John 20, 1 to 2 and 11 to 18.
Today we
celebrate the life of a Saint whose true identity and personality has been the
subject of much debate among scholars, theologians and even non-Christians. She
has become like the proverbial Elephant being described by four blind-folded
men. From any angle you stand, Mary Magdalene seems to take on a new identity.
For those
who do not believe that Jesus was a celibate, Mary Magdalene takes the position
of a very intimate friend. For those campaigning for female priesthood, Mary
Magdalene takes the personality of a Great Apostle, who did even more than the
twelve in publicising the fact of Jesus’ resurrection. For others, Mary
Magdalene was no more than a repentant prostitute who poured expensive oil on
the feet of Jesus and wiped them with her hair. Yet for others, Mary Magdalene
was just one of the women who attended to the needs of Jesus during his public
ministry and from whom Jesus cast out seven demons.
From
whichever angle you choose to stand, one fact we cannot take away is that Mary
Magdalene knew Jesus personally. She was his friend, not a client. Her love for
Jesus was real. No wonder our first reading today comes from the Song of
Solomon, a book in the Bible that uses raw language in talking about spousal
love. Mary Magdalene loved Jesus as a woman would love her husband. When the
twelve deserted Jesus at his arrest and crucifixion, she was there with him all
the way. She came to the tomb alone to look for her love and she became the
very first person to witness to the Resurrection of Jesus Christ.
When she
recognised Jesus, she used a personal name for Jesus “Rabonni!” Only a close friend
would call you by a name other than the one given to you by your parents.
God has
always desired that we should be his friends not his clients. But painfully, we
tend to prefer to remain clients, we are always very official – concerned more
about what we stand to gain from God than our relationship with Him. We are
very much like the Israelites who quickly forgot how God freed them from
Pharaoh and soon started grumbling for food.
The
difference between clients and friends is this: Clients can never be satisfied,
when they pray, they are always grumbling and complaining! But not so with
friends, prayer is actually worship. God is always happy to hear the voice of
his friends when they pray because he knows they are not there to complain. So
now comes the question for today: Am I a friend like Mary Magdalene or just one
of his clients?
Let us
pray: Lord Jesus, open my heart to love you more as a friend than anything
else. Amen.
Good
morning. Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith. It is well with you. God
bless you.
Fr. Abu
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