Today's Scripture Readings
Judith 9: 1, 11-14 (NRSV)
Judith prostrated herself, put ashes on her head, and uncovered the sackcloth she was wearing. At the very time when the evening incense was being offered in the house of God in Jerusalem, Judith cried out to the Lord with a loud voice, and said, "Your strength does not depend on numbers, nor your might on the powerful. But you are the God of the lowly, helper of the oppressed, upholder of the weak, protector of the forsaken, savior of those without hope. Please, please, God of my father, God of the heritage of Israel, Lord of heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all your creation, hear my prayer! Make my deceitful words bring wound and bruise on those who have planned cruel things against your covenant, and against your sacred house, and against Mount Zion, and against the house your children possess. Let your whole nation and every tribe know and understand that you are God, the God of all power and might, and that there is no other who protects the people of Israel but you alone!"
Psalm 42 (BCP., p. 643)
2 Corinthians 5:14-18 (NRSV)
The love of Christ urges us on, because we are convinced that one has died for all; therefore all have died. And he died for all, so that those who live might live no longer for themselves, but for him who died and was raised for them.
From now on, therefore, we regard no one from a human point of view; even though we once knew Christ from a human point of view, we know him no longer in that way. So if anyone is in Christ, there is a new creation: everything old has passed away; see, everything has become new! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation.
John 20:11-18 (NRSV)
Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away." Jesus said to her, "Mary!" She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rabbouni!" (which means Teacher). Jesus said to her, "Do not hold on to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go to my brothers and say to them, `I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'" Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.
Blog Reflection
The Church today, honors a tremendous woman of faith. Other than Mary the Mother of Jesus, there is probably no woman in the Gospels who's name and person is so easily recognized and denigrated at the same time.
There are many sketchy accounts of Mary Magdalene. I believe of all of the accounts of the woman who washed the feet of Jesus seated in the house of Simon the Pharisee, only John actually identifies her as Mary Magdalene. There is some possibility that she was a prostitute who gave up that way of life to follow Jesus more closely. That possibility has been used to dehumanize women on the part of Christians for way too long. It never ceases to amaze me how much Christians of all denominations and sects spend on matters below the belly button.
Could Mary's faith that kept her at the foot of the Cross and/or her unparalleled courage through which she remained weeping at the tomb looking for the Risen Christ that makes many men envious of her relationship of total fidelity to Jesus?
Mary Magdalene shows us just how Jesus turned over the norms of His society. Women were stigmatized, and poor women who resorted to prostitution for some kind of income were considered unclean and unable to participate in local worship. Jesus did more than just change Mary Magdalene's life, He lifted her up from the bottom of the social ladder to be an important character in the story of how God brought salvation to the world through His life, Death and Resurrection.
The month of July 2014 has been a terrible month for women in the United States of America due to the dreadful Hobby Lobby ruling by the Supreme Court. The ruling is not only bad because of what it does to the dignity of women, but also of how it damages the so called "religious liberty" discussion. When "religious liberty" becomes the means by which we strong arm people into policies that violate the religious liberty of others who do not believe or practice in the way we think they should, we have made religion a burden of slavery. At that point, religion is a matter of imprisonment and obligation for the sake of conformity. The Christian Faith loses the argument in "not conforming to the ways of this age, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind" (Romans 12:2). Why would anyone want to belong to such a lousy way of praying and believing?
Mary Magdalene is a magnificent example of how by God's transforming grace, God impacts not only one life in awesome and unpredictable ways, but entire communities. When one person responds by exemplary faith and action to the movement of God's Holy Spirit, that individual can impact human history with endless benefits.
The Episcopal Church is approaching the 40th anniversary of it's decision for women to be admitted to ordained ministry. The wonderful ways that women are taking their places as representing Christ and the Church to preach the Gospel and celebrate the Sacraments, have unleashed countless blessings on the Church and the world. The contributions of women in the ordained ministry, can be likened to the changes brought by Mary Magdalene's prayer, faith and inspiration for change.
*At the resurrection on Easter Day, Mary's experience of Christ calling her by name in the midst of her pain and anguish, gave her first hand knowledge of God's love for her. That love gave Mary the contemplative vision of God in the Risen Christ who spoke to her. *(See: The Mystery of Christ: The Liturgy as Spiritual Experience by Thomas Keating, p.73). The story that she took to those twelve couldn't be believed, because she had been so filled with the experience of God's love, that they just couldn't bring themselves to accept it on word alone. It was not until they each experienced the loving mercy of the Risen Christ for themselves, did they understand what Mary's experience was like. Mary was the Apostle of the Resurrection who made believers out of those 12 men. Her faith continues to inspire millions who attend Easter Day Liturgies all over Christendom.
Mary Magdalene's prayer and life of faith, should inspire us to continue our work to change hearts and minds regarding the marginalization of women, LGBT people and any number of persons in the Church and Society. If we so choose to do our part to raise up many who are bowed down by prejudice and oppression, we can help people to see the real reason why people could Christians. That real reason is because Jesus Christ changes lives to become God's Apostles for inclusive love and welcoming faith communities. Communities that are committed to healing and reconciliation for all people with no exceptions.
Amen.
Prayers
Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene
to health of body and of mind, and called her to be a witness
of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by your grace we
may be healed from all our infirmities and know you in the
power of his unending life; who with you and the Holy Spirit
lives and reigns, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 242).
Almighty God, who created us in your image: Grant us
grace fearlessly to contend against evil and to make no peace
with oppression; and, that we may reverently use our freedom,
help us to employ it in the maintenance of justice in our
communities and among the nations, to the glory of your holy
Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with
you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. (The Book of Common Prayer, p. 260).
No comments:
Post a Comment