Easter Thursday, the Apparition to St. Mary Magdalene

yay, I'm now finally left with only the exams before the semester ends, I just had 3 days of handing up assignments, lab reports/tests(cas) etc. for each of the 5 modules that I'm reading this sem. Deo volente, I survived, Deo gratias et Mariae! :)

Even though the exams are in about a week's time, I feel as if I've completed the sem. lol. Please do pray for me though, I need all the help I can get. :) Deo gratias et Mariae again! =D

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Salve Festa Dies (for Easter)

R. Salve festa dies, (Hail, O festal day,)
Toto venerabilis aevo, (venerable
from all time,)
Qua Deus infernuim vicit et astra tenet. (bis) (by which God
conquers hell and holds the stars.)

Ecce renascentis testator gratia
(Behold, the grace of a world)
Mundi: Omnia cum Domino dona redisse suo.
(rebirthing testifies: All gifts have returned with their Lord.) R.

Namque triumphanti post tristia (For indeed, after hellish sorrows,)
Tartara Christo: Undique fronde (the triumphing Christ, grove with)
Nemus, gramina flore favent. (green and buds with flower everywhere give
laud.) R.

Qui genus humanum cernens (Thou Who, seeing humankind)
Mersisse profundo, Ut hominem (plunged to the deep, that you might)
eriperes, es quoque factus homo. (save man, were also made man.) R.

Redde tuam faciem, videant ut (Turn again Thy face, that the ages)
Saecula lumen; Redde diem qui nos, (may see the Light; restore the Day)
Te moriente, fugit. (which, when as Thou wert dying, fled to night.) R.

Amen. R.

Alone with God
By Father J. Heyrman, S.J.

Thursday, Easter Week

APPARITION TO MARY MAGDALENE
(Jn. 20: 11-17)

1. Early that morning Mary Magdalene, with Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had gone to the sepulchre. They found the stone rolled aside and the tomb empty. At once she hastened back to inform the apostles. Peter and John ran to the tomb, found her statement was correct, and went away. Mary Magdalene came back to the sepulchre after they had left … and lingered there, filled with anxiety, and weeping bitterly. Then Jesus appeared to her.

2. Petition: The grace to understand what Jesus wished to reward in Magdalene and what He wants to find in our own hearts.

I. Mary Magdalene’s Ardent Love

After her conversion she had wholly dedicated herself to the service of the Lord; she had followed Him to Calvary; she had stood near the cross with His Virgin Mother and the beloved disciple; she had seen Him expire; and she had assisted at His burial. And now the taking away of His dead Body made her lose Him a second time: nothing at all was left of Him … The thought that He had perhaps risen from the dead does not seem to have occurred to her for an instant, no more than to the other women, or to the Apostles. What distresses her most profoundly is that His dead Body has been removed and she does not know whither.

St. Augustine rightly remarks, “Whereas the men return home, the weaker sex, because of a stronger love, lingers on about the place. Mary Magdalene’s eyes, which have sought Jesus without finding Him, fill and overflow with tears. That He should have been removed from the tomb causes her greater grief than that He had died on the cross. Alas! Of the dear Master, whom she would never behold alive any more, there were now left no sacred remains whatever!”

How wonderful the workings of God’s grace and God’s love can be in a human heart! “I am still weak in love, and very wanting in holiness … O Lord, make me inwardly sound, worthy to love Thee, brave to suffer, steadfast to persevere” (3 Imitation of Christ 5:2).

II. Magdalene’s Perseverance Is Rewarded

“But Mary Magdalene stood at the sepulchre without, weeping. Now as she was weeping, she stooped own and looked into the sepulchre. And she saw two angels in white, sitting one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been laid. They say to her, Woman, why weepest thou? She saith to them, Because they have taken away my Lord and I know not where they have laid him.” Once more she looks into the tomb; she hardly notices the angels and probably is not conscious of having been questioned and having answered: one object only preys on her mind – Where, Oh where is He?

“When she had thus said, she turned herself back and saw Jesus standing; and she knew not that it was Jesus. Jesus saith to her, Woman, why weepest thou? Whom seekest thou?” And saying this, He comes a little closer, to draw her attention.

“She, thinking that it was the gardener, saith to him. Sir, if thou hast taken him thence, tell me where thou hast laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus saith to her, Mary. She, turning, saith to Him, Rabboni (which is to say Master). Jesus saith to her, Do not thus cling to me, for I am not yet ascended to my Father.” These last words are obscure; the rest is clear: Mary hears her name, the affectionate voice, the master. She casts herself at His feet and from her heart comes the cry, one word only: Rabboni, a word that expresses all her love and adoration.

Thus was Mary Magdalene rewarded “because she had loved much”. According to St. Mark, Mary was the first to whom Jesus appeared; and he adds “out of whom He had cast seven devils”. God is wonderful in His saints.

III. The Message Entrusted to Magdalene

Mary Magdalene was privileged to enjoy the presence of her Lord just a little longer than the disciples of Emmaus, out of whose sight He vanished as soon as they knew Him. But only a little. “Do not cling to me thus,” said Jesus, “but go to my brethren and say to them, I ascend to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” How honorable a mission He commits to her! She is to go and announce the glad news to the apostles, “my brethren”.

“My brethren!” these words reveal to us the sentiments of the risen Saviour. When He was still with them, “in the days of His flesh,” He once said to them, “I will not now call you servants, for the servant knoweth not what his lord doth; but I have called you friends, because all things whatsoever I have heard from my Father, I have made known to you” (Jn. 15:15). Now, when He has entered into His glory, He no longer calls them friends, but brothers. He and they have the same Father: He, as the Only-Begotten Son, by nature equal unto God; they, as adopted sons, brothers by the grace of the Son. “I ascend to My Father and your Father, to my God and your God.” How is it that we can be so intimately united with Him, and yet so utterly different from Him? Here we discover the charity of Christ, which surpasseth all knowledge” (Eph. 3:19).

Mary Magdalene arose and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord, and those things he said to me.”

Prayer: O Lord Jesus, who hast so wonderfully rewarded the love of Mary Magdalene, when with tears she searched for Thee; be pleased to pour Thy love into our hearts, a love which in all things seeks Thee alone humbly and confidently, a love that is ready to assume every task and to make every sacrifice in order to preach Thy Holy Name.

Regina caeli, laetare, alleluia!