Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene: devout follower of Christ, even through his suffering and death; the first person to whom the Risen Lord appeared; and first to be sent to tell the Good News as an Apostle to the Apostles.
For Resurrectionists, St. Mary Magdalene is the Patron Saint of our lay associates, the Apostles of the Resurrection. The following is an excerpt from the Apostles’ handbook:
“I have seen the Lord” is the motto of the Apostles of the Resurrection. These are the words St. Mary Magdalene announced to the apostles after being commissioned to do so by the Risen Lord. St. Mary Magdalene, according to the Gospel of John, was the first to encounter the Risen Lord, the first to speak with the Risen Lord, the first to be called by name by the Risen Lord, the first to be commissioned by the Risen Lord, the first to announce the Resurrection to the world – it is for this reason that St. Mary Magdalene was formally proclaimed by the Vatican as the “Apostle to the Apostles”. The joint mission of the Resurrectionists and the Apostles is to follow in the footsteps of St. Mary Magdalene, to announce Christ’s Resurrection to the world by what we say and do in our lives, to announce and proclaim that we too “have seen the Lord.”
The Apostles and vowed Resurrectionists gather for Mass today to celebrate St. Mary Magdalene, and also to welcome two new Apostles who will be making their Promises.
If you are feeling called to learn more about the Apostles of the Resurrection, you can access the Handbook by clicking here.
You are always welcome to speak to any Resurrectionist or Apostle as well, or contact our Provincial Office at [email protected].