Daily Gospel Reflection
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April 10, 2021
When Jesus had risen, early on the first day of the week,
he appeared first to Mary Magdalene,
out of whom he had driven seven demons.
She went and told his companions who were mourning and weeping.
When they heard that he was alive
and had been seen by her, they did not believe.
After this he appeared in another form
to two of them walking along on their way to the country.
They returned and told the others;
but they did not believe them either.
But later, as the Eleven were at table, he appeared to them
and rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart
because they had not believed those
who saw him after he had been raised.
He said to them, “Go into the whole world
and proclaim the Gospel to every creature.”
We are not easily convinced of the truth of the resurrection. I think this is simply a limitation of the human condition. We have a very hard time conceiving of the possibility of a human being dying and rising again to new life. It is difficult to hold transcendence and finitude together in our minds and consider them in the same moment, just like it is difficult to imagine a person who is both fully human and fully divine.
Perhaps, for the disciples in today’s gospel, the difficulty is not just a cognitive issue but also a matter of how we process experiences of profound grief. They’ve only had a few days to come to terms with the fact that their close friend and leader is gone. Everything they hoped for seems to be lost.
When I lose someone close to me, I usually feel the exact same way. It’s almost impossible to believe that the loved one is actually dead (the inevitable denial stage), let alone picture them rising to new life with God. Faith does not prevent grief, but it helps us see what lies beyond it. We are an Easter people and our faith is a resurrection faith. Our faith in Christ’s resurrection is not only a reflection of our hope for the end of our lives, it give us hope and purpose for every day we live on God’s earth.
If Jesus came to us today, like he came to the disciples in this reading, would he find us, “proclaiming the Gospel to every creature?”
Prayer
God of all wisdom and grace, you fill us with unwavering zeal to proclaim the truth of our faith wherever your Spirit leads us. Give us courage and determination to live out our faith even amid this harsh and challenging world. May our lives reflect your radiance as you lead us into your promise of everlasting life. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
Saint of the Day
Magdalene of Canossa was born in 1774 to a very wealthy family in Verona, Italy. When Magdalene was only five years old, her father died in an accident, and she and her siblings were placed under the guardianship of their uncle Girolamo. Their family was an influential group of Italian nobles, and from a young age, Magdalene was brought up immersed in the Italian church. In 1791, Magdalene joined the Carmelites, trying to discern her religious vocation, but soon she left the convent, feeling dissatisfied with the Carmelite way of life.
Magdalene returned home to run the family estate, where her family entertained Napoleon several times. Napoleon and his army upset the social equilibrium of Europe, and many of the vulnerable and poor were left in even more dire situations. Magdalene saw the suffering and cultural upheaval all around her and felt that it was her call to serve the needs of those around her. She continued to study under the Carmelites as she made plans to found a new society.
Using her large inheritance, Magdalene founded the Canossian Daughters of Charity, who ministered to the people living in the slums of Verona. Someone donated an old convent to Magdalene, and then they added convents in Venice and Milan. Pope Leo XII gave his blessing to the new congregation in 1823. A zealous Italian priest, Francesco Luzzi, worked with Magdalene to found the Canossian Brothers of Charity, for men who wished to join in Magdalene's mission of care for the poor.
Magdalene died on April 10, 1835. But her order has thrived, spreading throughout the world, from Italy to India, and has added saints like Josephine Bakhita to its ranks.
Magdalene was beatified by Pope Pius XII in 1941 and canonized over forty years later by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
St. Magdalene of Canossa, who used your great wealth to care for the poor—pray for us!
Image Credit: Our featured image of St. Magdalene of Canossa is in the public domain. Last accessed February 17, 2025 on Wikimedia Commons.
