Stations
of the Resurrection
By
Raymond Chapman
Station 5
Mary Magdalene
V We adore thee O Christ and we bless thee
R. Because by
thy glorious Resurrection thou has given life to the world.
Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to
him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni! (Which means Teacher). Mary Magdalene went and
announced to the disciples, “ I have seen the Lord,” (John 20:16-18)
Mary Magdalene felt so lonely and helpless; she had loved
greatly but her love seemed unable to reach the beloved one. Suddenly it was
all changed, and she became the first witness to the salvation of the world.
We give thanks for the gift of discernment; for
recognition of Jesus Christ, present in many ways and many places; for the
privilege of adoration. We give thanks for all healing of body and mind, for
the living power dispelling the dark things that trouble us.
Sometimes we fail to discern the Lord; we think that he
has left us, or we do not acknowledge his presence with awe and devotion. Help
us to remember that we are never separated form his risen presence and that he
is worshiped as the God of all creation.
V Christ is
risen.
R He is
risen indeed.
V Let us bless
the Lord.
R Thanks be
to God.
Mary of Magdala, you knew the deep darkness, the horror that
is most horrible it is there inside and has no form to fight. What strange
roads you tread before Jesus, the beloved, came to lead you in the right way?
What were the seven devils who had you in their power before he drove them away
to their own place?
We try to explain you, Mary, who had so much to give in love
returned for love. We use our own word to cover our own disquiet and talk of
psychosis, delusion, lack of self-esteem, we make light of devils, the dreadful
things of evil that Jesus knew and conquered. He knew that the power of
darkness was no foolish imagination.
It seemed too cruel, the dawn that brought no relief. The
devils were coming back. And there was no one to keep them out. Even the loved
body, broken and cold in death, had been taken away. You wanted to find him, to
treat him tenderly even though he could not feel your love’
But you were the first one, Mary of Magdala, the first to
see beyond the puzzling emptiness to the new presence, the Lord more powerful,
more beautiful than even you had seen him before. No wonder you wanted to cling
to him, to hold him forever so that the darkness would never come again. But
there was work for you, message for one woman to bring life back to those
foolish, frightened men. The greatest, strangest words that human lips could
ever speak were yours that day: “I have seen the Lord”.
Teacher, Master, Lord, when the devils start to come
close and shut out the light of my day, give me your strength to defend my
weakness. Call me by name; and make me turn to you
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