The feast of St. Mary Magdalene provides a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the faithfulness and dedication of a woman who stayed with Jesus throughout His Passion and Death and was the first to report his Resurrection to the Apostles. Along with St. John and the Blessed Mother, she faithfully accompanied Jesus through the hours of torture and agony that culminated in His death on the Cross. Even the death of Jesus could not quell the fire of her loving dedication, however, as we hear in the Gospel today that she had come to the tomb early in the morning when it was still dark and discovered that it was empty.
The devotion of St. Mary Magdalene is an example for all of us to imitate in our own daily lives. Are we dedicated enough to remain with Jesus even in those moments when it is most difficult to do so? Do we rise in the morning and think first of spending time with the Lord? Do our lives, thoughts, and activities revolve around our desire to love, serve, and please Him in all things? Let us take time this day to meditate on the life of St. Mary Magdalene and pray for her intercession that we might have the grace to imitate her loving dedication to Christ.