Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, we are graced with two profound readings that invite us to encounter the risen Christ and reflect on the transformative power of His resurrection in our lives through the liturgy of the word in this day’s Holy Mass. In Saint Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, we hear a powerful reminder of the central tenets of our faith—the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. St. Paul emphasizes not just the historicity of Christ's resurrection, but also its personal significance: “For I handed on to you as of first importance what I also received.” The resurrection is not merely an event of the past—it is the foundation upon which our faith stands today.
As we ponder Saint Paul’s words, we must remember that the resurrection is anchored in historical reality; it’s not a myth or folklore. Saint Paul lists witnesses of the risen Christ: Cephas, the Twelve, and even 500 brothers and sisters. Each of these witnesses bore testimony to the fact that Jesus is alive, and they were willing to give their lives for this truth. The veracity of the resurrection is not merely found in ancient texts, but in the lives transformed by this pivotal event. Saint Paul himself is a living testament to the resurrection's power, transforming him from a persecutor of Christians to one of its most passionate apostles.
But how do we experience this risen Christ in our lives today? This leads us to our Gospel reading from Luke, where we meet a sinful woman whose encounter with Jesus vividly illustrates the transformative love of Christ. In a scene that invites us to experience profound humility and compassion, this woman brings an alabaster flask of ointment and, in an act of deep love and repentance, bathes Jesus's feet with her tears. Many scholars believe that given the context of the entirety of the New Testament, this woman was none other than Saint Mary Magdalene herself, on and the same with “Mary of Bethany.”
While the Pharisee Simon judges the woman before him based on her past sins, Jesus sees beyond the surface into her heart. He illustrates a profound truth: those who have experienced God's mercy and love are compelled to share that same love and forgiveness with others. This woman's later love was born from an awareness of her own debt—her own sinfulness—and in recognizing her need for grace, she encounters the risen Christ in a way that radically changes her life having gone through her stages of formation towards becoming one of his most ardent and courageous followers.
Just as the resurrection calls each of us into a new life, we, too, are invited to respond to the love and forgiveness we receive from Christ. When we bring our burdens, our sins, our tears before Him, we encounter the transformative power of His grace. Jesus assures Saint Mary Magdalene, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”
This peace is not just absence of conflict; it is a deep, abiding sense of wholeness that comes from being united with Christ and one which allows us the freedom to continue following him in a way which will be fruitful to the kingdom.
Today, I invite you to reflect on your own relationship with the risen Christ. Are there areas in your life where you struggle to believe in His power to forgive, heal, and transform? Have you experienced His grace, but still find yourself clinging to guilt or shame?
The resurrection assures us that no sin is too great for Christ’s love. Just as He welcomed the one sinful Magdalene and forgave her, He welcomes each of us, inviting us into a relationship marked by grace and love. In doing so, He compels us to become conduits of that same grace which can transform us and those he places on our paths.
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