💖 HOMILY - JULY 22 💖

FEAST OF SAINT MARY MAGDALENE 

First Reading - Song of Songs:3:1-4

Gospel - John 20:1-2,11-18

Karl Rahner has been considered a transcendental existentialist who proposed that every person has his or her orientation towards God. This orientation towards God refers to our longing for God, for God completes us through and through. In other words, our intrinsic desire for love comes to its completion in Christ. The readings of the day invite us to ignite the flame of love towards God, and this flame of love will spread to others after being saturated by Jesus.

The first reading taken from the Song of Songs depicts an intense love of a lover for her beloved. The feeling of love is so profound that she goes in search of her beloved when not found with her. She is so overwhelmed by the absence of her beloved that she cares for nothing and looks for him everywhere. At last, there is a joy of finding the beloved. This intense love can be a depiction of the love of Solomon and his beloved, God for His people, and Christ for His Church.

In the gospel, we come across the poetic versions of the Song of Songs dramatized by the search of Mary Magdalene, who becomes the lover in search of her beloved. She comes to the tomb but finds it empty and consequently becomes restless. However, besides the depiction of Mary’s love for Jesus, we should learn from her courage that she evinces in doing so. She goes to the tomb early in the morning, showing her courage. She becomes impatient and restless on seeing the stone rolled aside, showing her care and intimate concern for Jesus. After finding Jesus, she wants to cling to him, showing her deepest love for Jesus, which helped her recognize and find him. Lastly, the commission by Jesus to communicate the message of the resurrection shows that the experience of that union or finding of the beloved should not remain to oneself but must be shared with all.

Dear friends, we love our parents, relatives, friends, and well-wishers. The love we share and receive is necessary for us, for our hearts seek to love and be loved. However, the love we share with others still remains incomplete for us. Sometimes, we feel that the love we receive or share with others doesn't complete our desire to be loved, and we seek it all the more. Why? It is because we are drawn by the love of God who completes us fully. As St. Augustine says: "... Our hearts are made for you, O Lord, and are restless until they rest in you." These words of St. Augustine certainly find a proper place in our lives. It's only God who can saturate us with His love to the fullest degree. However, after experiencing that love of God, it's our duty to share it with others because God's love makes us His apostles, as Mary was made. Let our experience of God's love be shared with all.

May God make us His instruments of love to humanity.