Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene
This past weekend was an intense lesson on marriage. On one hand, my brother in-law was married in Fort Wayne, Indiana. His wife is a wonderful person. The wedding was beautiful. It was a fitting start to a long and fruitful life together. On the other hand, the day before the wedding my wife’s grandmother passed from this life. Only a handful of weeks earlier, her husband, my wife’s grandfather, also passed from this life. Though unspeakably sad, the two passing so close together was also quite romantic and deeply touching. Thus, in the midst of celebration, there was mourning. In the midst of mourning, hope and joy. Two sides of this wonderful sacrament of marriage converged over one weekend.
For my part in the ceremony, I was charged with the reading from Ephesians. The reading concluded with Ephesians 5:31, which reiterates Genesis 2:24: “For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother and joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”
Of course, I’ve heard this passage countless times at weddings. Yet, this time it struck me like a thunderbolt. Both in joy and sorrow, “one flesh” applies to the beginning but also the ending (and all points in between). As I witnessed the beginning of one union, I reflected on the earthly ending of another. Although, a union born from God’s eternal love cannot really be said to end.
This leads to today’s gospel reading from John. Mary Magdalene, in mourning, came to the Christ’s tomb and found it empty. Her initial reaction was despair. Not only had Christ been murdered but she also believed his body had been stolen from its place of rest. In the midst of her deepest despair, she encountered the risen Christ. She bore witness to the power of God’s eternal love, which had proven greater than even death.
The Church is the bride of Christ. Moreover, we are the bride of the resurrected Christ. Christ loves his bride with an eternal, undiminished, and insurmountable love. The sacrament of marriage is a sign of its Divine source. It is therefore a sign of God’s love that surpasses and overcomes mortality. In celebration and mourning, we witness this love. We both participate in the joy of holy union and also proceed in the hope of the resurrection. The love of God abides. The love of God continues.
Today let us ponder in our hearts the love of the resurrected Christ for his Church.
- Adam Sheridan