By Dr. Bryan Thatcher
The encounter between Mary Magdalene and Jesus has been called the encounter "between misery and mercy." She initially washed His feet out of contrition, and after His death, out of respect and adoration. She stayed with Our Blessed Mother at the Crucifixion. She didn't run off like the apostles.
St. Mary Magdalene, whose feast we celebrate on July 22, was a beautiful woman. She was well known throughout the area for her transgressions. She was the epitome of human frailty. She had so much beauty and so much potential, but she used it for bad instead of for good. Couldn't that easily be said of each one of us? Haven't we each fallen short of the mark?
Like any human being, Mary Magdalene wanted to be loved, but kept looking in all the wrong places. Then she looked into the eyes of the Master and found what had been so elusive. Jesus loved her unconditionally. He loved her for who she was and not for her beauty.
Forgiveness
Could God ever forgive her for her sins? Could God ever forgive you for your sins?
Sometimes, we seriously doubt that God could forgive us because we have committed serious sin.
Think about her conversion, about how she wept, and about how her tears helped to cleanse Jesus' feet. Reflect on how she then wiped them with her beautiful, long-flowing hair.
How did Jesus respond to her love? Look at who was given the privilege to announce the Resurrection of our Lord. It wasn't Peter, the first Pope. It wasn't even John, the beloved disciple. No, it was Mary Magdalene, the great sinner! That should give us all great hope.
Don't ever doubt the mercy of God. It is unfathomable and unwavering. It is like an ocean that has no bottom. Let the mercy of God be your life vest as you traverse the ocean of life's struggles and the valley of tears.
When in doubt about God's mercy, remember and trust in the words of Jesus to St. Faustina, "The greater the sinner, the greater the right he has to My mercy" (Diary, 723).
Dr. Bryan Thatcher is the founder of Eucharistic Apostles of The Divine Mercy (EADM), an apostolate of the Marian Fathers of the Immaculate Conception. Learn how to start a Divine Mercy cenacle in your area.
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