Tuesday in the Octave of Easter
(Acts 2:36-41; John 20:11-18)
Mary Magdalene’s name is not on St. Paul’s list of those to
whom the risen Lord appeared. But Paul
says that Christ appeared to all of the apostles of whom Mary Magdalene should
be included. By command of the Lord
himself in today’s gospel, she is to announce to the disciples that Jesus is
about to ascend to the Father.
Saints like Catherine of Siena have received apparitions of
the risen Lord. We may not have seen
him, but we should not discount the possibility of his speaking to us in our
conscience. Franz Jägerstätter,
the Austrian farmer who refused to take a loyalty oath to Hitler, and Thomas
More were two men whose consciences told to say only the truth.
Like Mary Magdalene, we are called to announce the
resurrection to others. Like
Jägerstätter and More, we are also called to stand by the truth. The Lord wants us to announce the
resurrection by always telling the truth.
