Mary Magdalene was filled with longing when she went out into the dark morning—longing to honor Jesus, hoping to be near his tomb. She searched and encountered True Love, Jesus. When she saw and recognized him, he told her not to cling to him. He commissioned her to go tell others what she witnessed. With joy and courage, she shared the Good News, and others came to know and believe, to rejoice.
There’s a pattern to her story, and it is the same pattern for many of us who journey in faith. Because of longing and hope, we search, then encounter, and then we must detach to share the Good News. Personally, I am comfortable with the longing for Christ, encountering Truth and even sharing the Good News. But the letting go, the not clinging—the instruction to stop carrying so much for the journey: This is a struggle. I wonder if Mary Magdalene could teach me how to let go.
I have pondered the “letting go”passage many times. The Bible tells us it is wrong to go to fortune tellers and spiritualists. We are not to know the future or attempt to contact the dead. In the Old Testament Saul goes to the departed Samuel through a “fortune teller” who can contact the dead. I think that passage has a direct relation to what Jesus is saying here. Mary wasn’t using a tarot card reader or spiritualist but she was “not letting go”. Maybe she was convinced Jesus would pop out of the grave like Lazarus and life would go on as before or maybe she was determined to hang about the tomb for as long as it took for her to have Jesus back in the same form and life that He had just given up. She needed to “let Him go” and move onto the next step; not live in the past and expectation of yesterday returning. For her sake she needed to put that part of her life in the “experience box” or the “gift box” of her mind and accept the new path God was offering her. None of us know the path ahead no matter what our past has been or who it has been with, but we need to use it toward a Godly future. Letting go of our desire to “have” our past and not pining over the life and feelings of what was with the people no longer sharing it here on this earth allows us to take their memory and the memory of what we learned from and with them into a future that will be very different than our past. If we use what we’ve learned and felt in the right way, not in a blind search for what was, our future can be a new relationship with our past, and ultimately our future for the Glory of God.
"Letting go of our desire to “have” our past and not pining over the life and feelings of what was with the people no longer sharing it here on this earth allows us to take their memory and the memory of what we learned from and with them into a future that will be very different than our past. If we use what we’ve learned and felt in the right way, not in a blind search for what was, our future can be a new relationship with our past, and ultimately our future for the Glory of God." Thank you, Vicki. I needed this today. A dear cousin of mine passed away last night. Not unexpectedly, she had cancer and we all knew it was coming. I spent a large part of this afternoon in memories of her - all happy and many of them funny. She was a very special person. What you wrote - quoted above - helps me to take that past with me into the future and treasure it in a new way. Rest in peace, my dear cousin! Vicki, may God bless you.
I agree, Vicky! *** 2 Corinthians 5:17, “When anyone lives in Christ, the new creation has come. The old is gone! The new is here!” *** Isaiah 43:18-19, “Forget the things that happened in the past. Do not keep on thinking about them. I am about to do something new. It is beginning to happen even now. Don’t you see it coming? I am going to make a way for you to go through the desert. I will make streams of water in the dry and empty land!” *** Philippians 3:13-14, “Brothers and sisters, I (Paul) don’t consider that I have taken hold of it yet. But here is the one thing I do. I forget what is behind me. I push hard toward what is ahead of me. I push myself forward toward the goal to win the prize. God has appointed me to win it. The heavenly prize is Christ Jesus Himself!”
Thank you Sister Julia, for your thought provoking reflection. Does it mean letting go of Jesus’ support? I think that’s what you’re saying. Maybe because we know that we always have His great Love.
*** How was Magdalene holding onto Jesus? She was so upset that she didn’t recognize Jesus in John 20:14-15, “Then she (Magdalene) turned around and saw Jesus standing there. But she didn’t realize that it was Jesus. He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?” She thought He was the gardener. So she said, “Sir, did you carry Him away? Tell me where you put Him. Then I will go and get Him.” *** Have you mistaken Jesus for someone else when you are so upset about a loved one who died? Do you hear Jesus talking to you in the midst of sad and painful situations? Do you think you can recognize Jesus when He calls out your name? *** How did Magdalene finally recognize Jesus? John 20:16, “Jesus said to her, “Mary.” She turned toward Him. Then she cried out in the Aramaic language, “Rabboni!” Rabboni means Teacher!” ******* I remembered taking a walk one morning with a very heavy heart and found a penny, immediately I recognized Jesus talking to me as I read the inscription on the penny, “In God We Trust!” On top of that, He reminds me to look up and not look down in Proverbs 3:5-6, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not depend on your own understanding. In all your ways obey Him. Then He will make your paths smooth and straight.” *** This is a good reminder for me this morning as I took Jessi to the airport this morning at 4:30am. Her flight was cancelled after she went to bed at 1am and rescheduled for tomorrow, but her interview was tomorrow!!! I later found out it was more like a visit appointment than an interview because she already had a Zoom interview. This visit is to show her sincere interest in their program! To make the long story short, she cancelled the trip to Richmond, VA :-( *** On our way back to her apartment, she concluded that this is God’s will and Father knows best :-) She rescheduled the rest of her trip to Columbus and Dayton OH for Thursday morning! She also mentioned that her friend has been stuck at airports for the last two days trying to get home because of the nation wide computer program update problems on Friday :-( She was grateful that she was able to come home on Sat standing by flights from Las Vegas because God cares for her!!! *** And guess what…Jessi finally came walk with me along the Tennessee River after we came back to her apartment this morning after two years of me asking her to walk with me during my stays with her :-) ******* Recognizing the voice of Jesus calling out our names is such a good peaceful feeling knowing we are His in John 10:27-28, “My sheep listen to My voice. I know them, and they follow Me. I give them eternal life, and they will never die. No one will steal them out of My hand!” *** Now I can call all my appointments and reschedule them so I can take Jessi to the airport on Thursday :-)
Why did Jesus say in John 20:17, “Jesus said, “Do not hold on to Me. I have not yet ascended to the Father. Instead, go to those who believe in Me. Tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to My God and your God.’ ” *** I believe Jesus wanted Magdalene to not hold on to Him at that moment because they ( Jesus and Magdalene) both had work to do according to God’s plan! *** I can understand that Magdalene wanted Jesus to stay with her because she thought she had lost Jesus and now she found Him alive :-) *** Remember Peter, James and John experienced the transfiguration of Jesus meeting Moses and Elijah at the mountain top ( that may be where ‘mountain top experience’ comes from) in Matthew 17:4, “ Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters. One will be for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.” *** Peter wanted to hold on to that moment as Magdalene did!!! ******* How do I hold on to (stay and not move) Jesus in those resurrection and mountain top moments that I didn’t want to move forward? I just pray all day all night…I just read my Scripture all day all night…I just watch all Christian programs on TV and listen to Christian music all day all night…I have work to do prepared by God in Ephesians 2:8-10, “ God’s grace has saved you because of your faith in Christ. Your Salvation doesn’t come from anything you do. It is God’s gift. It is not based on anything you have done. No one can brag about earning it. We are God’s creation. He created us to belong to Christ Jesus. Now we can do good works. Long ago God prepared these works for us to do!”
Sharing the Good News is not easy for me, since even as a child I encountered so many anti Catholics. But I believe that I share the Good News more by my actions & lifestyle than verbally. Thank you for this reflection, Sr. Julia. Much food for thought.
Sr. Julia wow your words definitely have me thinking. I have never thought of letting go of Jesus. I can't think of a day that I haven't thought about him in so many ways not only for guidance but for strength and direction. How would I let go of that? Jane I hope things are getting better at work for you. Blessings to all the LFF especially those with extra needs these days. May we all go and spread Gods love through all the world everyday.
Oh Sr. Maria, the instruction to stop carrying so much for the journey. How true that is, both physically and emotionally. His yoke is easy and his burden light. I will carry this with me today as I tend to load up on all things hard and heavy. Blessings to all of you this week. Amen.
Thank you for this beautiful reflection. I have never noticed the letting go element of this story.
Lord please hear our prayers and bring your light to all those experiencing natural disasters, and those in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur, the Sudan, in addition to all those suffering around the world - also for their strength, courage and resilience to continue walking in faith. Send them your light. Father in Heaven, have mercy on us and on the whole world! You sent Your Son, the Prince of Peace, for the salvation of the world. We pray that the Peace of Christ will reign in Haiti, the Middle East, Ukraine, Russia, Darfur and Sudan. Please protect and send aid to those in need and all who are at-risk. We pray for peace and rebuilding– we who are working towards it and for all those who are suffering or in danger from conflicts. We pray for an end to violence and war – we pray for wisdom for all leaders who have a hand in this. Lord God please help those in most need of thy mercy. Amen.
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Sharing with you, “ DAY TWENTY “Worship him who made the heavens…” *** READ “He said in a loud voice, ‘Fear God and give Him glory, because the hour of His judgment has come. Worship Him Who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.’” Revelation 14:7 “I looked, and there before me was a white cloud, and seated on the cloud was one like a Son of Man with a crown of gold on His head and a sharp sickle in His hand. Then another angel came out of the temple and called in a loud voice to Him Who was sitting on the cloud, ‘Take your sickle and reap, because the time to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is ripe.’” Revelation 14:14-15 *** REFLECT In Revelation 14, after witnessing waves of judgment on the earth, John sees the Lamb, the Lord Jesus Christ. An angel declares God’s glory: “Fear God and give Him glory....Worship Him Who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” A series of angels announce the arrival of the Son of Man, holding a sickle and prepared to bring God’s harvest upon the earth. As we prepare to study John’s visions in BSF this year, they can seem distant from our daily lives. But just as the angel called all to worship “Him Who made the heavens,” we are called to worship today. We can remember that the same hands that hold the sickle in Revelation 14 were first pierced for our Salvation. PRAY *** Reflect on God’s character as you read the verses from Revelation 14. Then consider the world around you. Where do you see God’s glory reflected in the heavens and on the earth? Where do you see evidence of His divine workmanship? Take time today to “worship Him Who made the heavens, the earth, the sea and the springs of water.” Whether in song or in prayer, spend time in worship.”