Reading and meditation on the Word of God on Wednesday of the 16th week in ordinary time, July 22, 2026, Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, Holy Woman

Delivered by Monika Kimberly 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.PARTICIPATING IN THE LOVE OF CHRIST Our meditation today has the theme: Participating inthe Love of Christ. "Why does the bible say that love is demanding?" Agirl once expressed this to her boyfriend who was always ready to pick her upevery time she went to work and came from work as well. The young man answeredher confidently, "If someone is moved by love, then he is happy to dothings with good ways to achieve a good purpose. He is not forced to dothat." Their relationship grew well and healthty because their motivationis love. Today we celebrate the feast day of Saint MaryMagdalene. This Jewish woman at the time of Jesus was known to be very close toJesus. She was the first person to witness Jesus rose from death. This veryclose relationship should be a lesson for us about love. Our point ofreflection here is the love of Jesus, which is to offer Himself for thegoodness and salvation of His fellow men and women. When its right time and place come, the act of lovedemands. At most, perhaps there is 90 percent of its power encourages someoneto love such as being patient, understanding, kind and generous. The remaining10 percent perhaps shown in doubt, fear, reluctance, confusion, and lack ofunderstanding. Mary Magdalene in that particular moment of her life respondedto the love of Jesus in an imperfect condition, but she continued to followJesus with all her strength and will. The climax  of her spiritual experience was when she wasso tremble in fear to find out that the tomb of Jesus was empty, and she wasrather difficult to recognize the risen Jesus until Jesus revealed Himself toher, then she immediately recognized the risen Lord. Mary Magdalene certainly had learned a lot about thelove of Christ. In various occasions after following Christ, she lived by thatlove she had taken from her Teacher. In general, she was faithful to Jesus, forinstance she was in Jesus' company along the way of the cross until His death,then she grieved over the empty tomb and eventually found Him alive as therisen one. However, another prominent experience of love that strengthened herspiritual life was the biblical prove of her courage and joyfulness inproclaiming to rest of the Lord's followers, as she said "I have seen theLord". In doing so, Mary Magdalene indeed merited her beingan apostle of Jesus who was the true paschal messenger to the first Church inJerusalem, and all of us in this world. Today she gives us a challenge, inthese words: "I had taken my part from the love of our Master, JesusChrist, so now it is your turn. Don't let the precious fragrance of the love ofJesus Christ go in vain without being experienced. There is a simple questionfor our reflection that may help us to experience the closeness with the Lord:Do you experience right now the love of the Lord Jesus Christ? Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... Thank you Lord Jesus Christ for Yourselfand Your teaching on love. Stay with us always and fill us with your love. HailMary, full of grace ... In the name of the Father ...