Today we celebrate Easter and the greatest event in the history of the world, the resurrection of Jesus Christ. One of the major characters in this story is Mary from Magdala, also called Mary Magdalene.
I have a soft spot in my heart for Mary Magdalene. Her feast day is on my birthday. In 1988, Pope John Paul II deidentified her as a prostitute (undoing what Pope Gregory had done 591) and said that she is the apostle to the apostles. In 2016, Pope Francis elevated her rank from memorial to a liturgical feast and declared her to be an “authentic evangelizer.”
An evangelist is someone tasked to share the gospel. Evangelism isn’t a word that we say very much in my religion. It’s actually hard for me to think of Mary as an Evangelist because I imagine Evangelists to be quite different than her. But as someone who was told to share the good news that Jesus is risen, what else would she be?
Gospel means “good news.” We all like to share good news, don’t we? Whether it’s to announce a new birth, a wedding, a new job, or completing a major accomplishment, it’s fun to be able to share that news with others. I don’t think Mary was any different. She arrived at the tomb experiencing the deepest of sorrows only to have her day become one of the greatest of joys. Who wouldn’t want to let others know?
What happened when Mary and the other women shared the good news with apostles? They didn't believe the women and dismissed them (see Luke 24:10-11). Peter and John decided to go find out for themselves whether the women were telling the truth. They needed to personally visit the tomb.
At this moment, I wonder how the women felt. I imagine it could be similar to how we feel when we excitedly share news with someone—assuming they’ll be as excited as we are—only to be met with skepticism and questions. Yet the men’s skepticism did not discourage Mary. Tradition tells us that she continued her evangelism spreading the Gospel to others. She and the other women were present at Pentacost. She didn’t let the fact that others doubted her stop her from sharing what she knew to be true.
We may not be the first evangelist, but we too can be an evangelist like Mary Magdalene. No matter how our message is received, we can continue to share the good news that Jesus lives and is our Savior. Hallelujah!
Wishing you a great Easter morning,
Heather Ruth Pack
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