DAILY REFLECTION BY REV FR AWOYEMI EMMANUEL, ILORIN DIOCESE, NIGERIA

 HOMILY FOR MONDAY, 16TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME

FEAST OF ST. MARY MAGDALENE

[SONGS OF SONGS 3:1-4ab;  JH 20:1-2. 11-8]

Today, we celebrate one uncommon personality who has become very important especially when we look at her life, it is hard to find someone with such kind of zeal fidelity, and enthusiasm for Christ. We know Mary Magdalene to be someone in whom Jesus cast out seven demons in her. However, after that encounter, she became an exceptionally faithful follower of Jesus. She is among those women who assisted Jesus and the apostles as they traveled and preached the Good News. She never left the sight of Jesus, and she did not even till the passion of Christ. She was at the foot of the cross. Finally, she was made an apostle of the apostles because she first experienced Christ after his resurrection and was made to take the Good News to the Apostles.

The Gospel presents the witness of Mary Magdalene. This is indeed a story that should inspire everyone. She was possessed by seven demons from her storyline but was delivered. Many of us are possessed by demons. Some of these demons may be anger issues, others are fornication, lying, fighting, quarreling, gossip, etc. However, we continue to have our healing from Jesus every day at the reception of the Blessed Sacrament. This is why we must do our best not to go back to these demons. Mary Magdalene became a very close follower of Jesus and her Fidelity won her the greatest gift she could ever imagined. She was the first, that experienced Jesus after his resurrection. She became the apostle of the apostles. 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, Mary Magdalene gave her all to the service of Jesus and his apostles which brought her the greatest gift. We are all encouraged to be of service to the Church. This in turn will make us uniquely experience God and we might become a message to someone who is seeking God through our deeds and service action. When this happens, we become an apostle to the people of God.

PAX VOBIS

Rev. Fr. Awoyemi Emmanuel,
Catholic Diocese of Ilorin, Kwara State,

Nigeria
awoyemiemmanuel@gmail.com