Seen

“I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).

Resurrection Mosaic (Unknown)

Saint Mary Magdalene is such an interesting Saint.  She was such a sinner.  We are told that she was possessed of seven demons and as a result she was caught and in the process of being punished for the sin of adultery when she encountered Christ.

After this we only hear that Saint Mary Magdalene followed Christ and is listed as one of the few people to be with Him when He died…

That means that a woman who was accused of terrible uncleanness and sinfulness stood with the sinless Virgin at the foot of the Cross, beneath the Feet of the Sinless Sacrifice – Christ…

And I have been reflecting on that.  Saint Mary Magdalene had probably seen the worst of human nature.  After all, being possessed of demons meant that she had spent some time during her life in situations and places that were full of sin – that is the actual result of demonic intervention in the human life, SINFULNESS…

And yet, when the situation became dire, she did not worry about her reputation.  She was not afraid of being arrested.  She did not run away and try to leave this terrible SUFFERING that occurred during the Passion and Death of Our Lord.  Instead, she stood there – repentant, heartbroken, - and she witnessed the murder of PERFECT GOODNESS…

And then, the next morning, it was Mary of Magdalene who was the first at the tomb.  She raced there – not expecting to find her Beloved God risen from the dead.  In fact she was so surprised by the Resurrection of Christ that she failed to recognise Him – that is how far from her mind it was that she would see Him ALIVE…

“Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. They said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping?’ She said to them, ‘Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.’ Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus.  Jesus said to her, ‘Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?’ Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, ‘Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.’ Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Hebrew, ‘Rab-bo′ni!’ (which means Teacher)...  Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord’!” (1 Peter 5:8-11).

And yet, even though it must have seemed CRAZY to her, she did not delay or hesitate or over think things, she just RACED out and said…  “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).

I pray for the Grace to LOVE my God like that…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.