Encounter with the Risen Jesus

What does Easter means to me? For me, Easter is that sacred time of the year when I feel renewed – renewed as a friend, disciple, and witness to the risen Jesus Christ – journey with him – and have a deep encounter with him! Just like Mary Magdalene during the First Easter!

Since the time I have become a lay Carmelite, I have formulated a simple approach towards Easter which makes me feel like Mary Magdalene did on the morning of the First Easter. I would like to express myself in the words of St. Therese of the Child Jesus: “Just as Mary Magdalene found what she was seeking by always stooping down and looking into the empty tomb, so I, abasing myself to the very depths of my nothingness, raised myself so high that I was able to attain myself.”

 

Easter to me is a time to journey with the risen Jesus, like Mary Magdalene, and experience what she experienced. In the gospel of St. Luke 8:1-3, we find that Jesus went through cities and villages, preaching and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. Along with his twelve disciples, there were some women also who followed him. One of the women mentioned here is Mary Magdalene, from whom seven demons had been driven out by Jesus and to show her gratitude towards him, she became a follower of Jesus.

 

Probably she must have undergone a conversion of heart as she’s known as the Patron Saint of converts (like me). That’s one of the many reasons I have an affinity towards Mary Magdalene – also because after getting cured of her illnesses, she didn’t go away but totally changed her lifestyle and followed Jesus wherever he went and even when the disciples left him; she was there – right from his crucifixion to his resurrection. Such was her faithfulness for Jesus.

 

In the gospel of St. Mark 15:40-41, it’s written that during the time of Jesus’ crucifixion there were few women looking on from afar and Mary Magdalene was one of them. The gospel of St. John 19:25 records: “standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene.” Each of the four gospel accounts of the crucifixion and death of Jesus show her there. She was faithful to the end.

 

Even when Jesus’ body was been prepared for burial, she was there. According to the gospel account of St. Luke 23:55-56, “The women who had come with him (Jesus) from Galilee followed, and saw the tomb, and how his body was laid; then they returned, and prepared spices and ointments.” In the gospel of St. Matthew 27:61, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the sepulchre. It further says that Mary (Magdalene) prepared Jesus’ body for burial and watched as Jesus’ body was sealed inside the tomb of Joseph of Arimathea. She and the other women prepared the spices needed for proper burial of a body.

 

But the most astonishing thing that Mary Magdalene witnessed was the resurrection of Jesus. All the four gospel accounts – Mark 16:1-11, Luke 24:1-11, Matthew 28:1-10 and John 20:1-18 – mention Mary Magdalene present during the time of resurrection. According to the gospels here’s what happened – Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him.” Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb.

They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in. Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself.

Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. Then the disciples went back to their homes.

But 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, “Rabboni!” (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, “Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”

Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her.

 

Mary Magdalene witnessed the resurrection on the First Easter morning. She was the first person to speak to Jesus after the resurrection. She was the most privileged follower of Jesus because the risen Jesus told her to ‘go and tell’. And that’s the reason she is so close to my heart – she was the last to stay with him while he was nailed to the cross and the first to see his empty tomb and his resurrection – what a special favour Jesus granted to her!

 

Mary Magdalene had a profound encounter where she ‘saw’ and ‘heard’ Jesus. The heart of Carmelite spirituality lies in this profound encounter with the risen Jesus. That’s the essence of Carmelite spirituality! It is my personal belief that Mary Magdalene displays the three Carmelite virtues of Faith, Hope and Love from the time of Jesus’ crucifixion to his resurrection. In her I find the “determined determination” to grow in a relationship with Jesus because for me she is a model of faith, hope and love! She was close to Jesus during his life. She stayed close to him as he faced death. She saw him when he resurrected!

 

Mary Magdalene has a special place in my heart because she inspires me to be faithful to Jesus. This is the distinctive note of my life as a lay Carmelite – intimate friendship with Christ – to have a childlike simplicity and trust in Jesus’ love. It was Mary Magdalene's great love for Jesus that kept her standing at the foot of the cross, weeping and grief-stricken, until he died. It was her love for Jesus that drove her to his tomb at the first light of the dawn in order to anoint his body.

 

And as we all know, as a reward for this great love and faithfulness, she is the privileged person to whom Jesus first appeared on the first Easter Sunday morning; she was the very first witness of the resurrection. As a lay Carmelite it is my motto in life to journey with Jesus to seek his face like Mary Magdalene! Listen to his voice like Mary Magdalene and journey with him from the cross to the resurrection like Mary Magdalene – that’s what Easter is for me – a deep encounter with the risen Jesus like Mary Magdalene!

 

That’s the precise reason why even my religious name is Jubilee Cardozo of St. Mary Magdalene!