Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Tuesday of the sixteenth week in ordinary time, July 22, 2025, Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene

Delivered by Gabriela Natani from the Parish of Good Shepherd in the Diocese of Surabaya, Indonesia. Song of Songs 3: 1-4a; Rs psalm 63: 2.3-4.5-6.8-9; John 20: 1.11-18.TAKING PART IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST Our meditation today is entitled:Taking Part in the Love of Christ. Why does the scripture say that love isdemanding? This term “demanding” or insisting requires having a target to beachieved which means one's obligation to act wholeheartedly to make the targetrealized. This is different from being forced, because people who are forced donot understand the target and do not have determination to act. There is onlycompulsion. Today we celebrate the feast of SaintMary Magdalene. She is a Jewish woman and is said to be so close with Jesus.She was the first person and woman to see and meet the risen Jesus. This veryclose relationship can be a learning of love for us. The principle that wedearly hold is the love of Jesus, which is the self-offering for the goodnessand salvation of his neighbors. The act of love demands at the righttime and place. For the most part, perhaps 90 percent conceives the desire andloving motivation that encourage someone to love, while the remaining 10percent maybe contain doubts, fear, shame, confusion, lack of understanding orsimply the expression of "then see what happens". Mary Magdalenerepaid all of Jesus' love in her imperfect condition. The ultimate was when shewas so sad searching for Jesus' body at the tomb, and she was rather difficultto recognize the risen Jesus before Jesus himself called her name. In thissituation, love tends to demand, which in turn affects her so that Maryimmediately recognizes that it is the risen Lord. Mary Magdalene certainly learned a lotabout the love of Christ. In her various actions after following Christ, sherevealed the part of love that she took from her Master. In general she wasloyal to Christ and remained in His company, especially when her teacher diedon the cross, grieved to look for him at the tomb and finally found him. Buther most prominent expereince of love from Jesus Christ is that she had alljoy, encouragement, enthusiasm, truth and sincerity to proclaim to thedisciples, "I have seen the Lord". By doing like this, Mary Magdalenewants to inspire the apostles and all of us and to challenge us: come on, I'vetaken my share of the love of our Teacher, Jesus Christ, so it's your turn totake part in Jesus' love. Don't let His love useless, rejected or taken forgranted. The question to be reflected is: Have I taken part in the love ofChrist and what part of it that is in my life today? Let's pray. In the name of theFather ... Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for the teaching of Your love that areso great for us and open the door for us to take part in Your love. Glory tothe Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit ... In the name of the Father...