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Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene

Lectionary: 395/603

Reading 1EX 14:5-18

In the past few days, we have been following Moses leading the people of Israel out of Egypt. After the Passover and the death of their first born, Pharaoh had expelled the Israelites. So they left immediately. Now….

When it was reported to the king of Egypt
that the people had fled,
Pharaoh and his servants changed their minds about them.
They exclaimed, “What have we done!
Why, we have released Israel from our service!”

Because of the hardness of Pharaoh's heart against God, God in turn hardened his heart against the Israelites in order that God might show what happens to those who reject Him.

So Pharaoh made his chariots ready and mustered his soldiers
six hundred first-class chariots
and all the other chariots of Egypt, with warriors on them all.
So obstinate had the LORD made Pharaoh
that he pursued the children of Israel
even while they were marching away in triumph.

So, Pharaoh gathered his troops, six hundred chariots carrying many warriors and pursued the Hebrews.

The Egyptians, then, pursued them;
Pharaoh’s whole army, his horses, chariots and charioteers,
caught up with them as they lay encamped by the sea,
at Pi-hahiroth, in front of Baal-zephon.

And Pharaoh caught up with the Hebrews by the Red Sea.

Pharaoh was already near when the children of Israel looked up
and saw that the Egyptians were on the march in pursuit of them.

The Israelites saw the great army that was pursuing them.

In great fright they cried out to the LORD.

And cried out to the Lord in fear.

And they complained to Moses,
“Were there no burial places in Egypt
that you had to bring us out here to die in the desert?

Many, also, lost faith and complained to Moses.

Why did you do this to us?
Why did you bring us out of Egypt?
Did we not tell you this in Egypt, when we said,
‘Leave us alone. Let us serve the Egyptians’?
Far better for us to be the slaves of the Egyptians
than to die in the desert.”
But Moses answered the people,
“Fear not! Stand your ground,
and you will see the victory the LORD will win for you today.
These Egyptians whom you see today you will never see again.
The LORD himself will fight for you; you have only to keep still.”

But Moses great faith in God prevailed.

Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me?
Tell the children of Israel to go forward.
And you, lift up your staff and, with hand outstretched over the sea,
split the sea in two,

Then, God told Moses to split the sea in two so that the Israelites could escape through it. As though Moses could do it by his own power.

that the children of Israel may pass through it on dry land.
But I will make the Egyptians so obstinate
that they will go in after them.
Then I will receive glory through Pharaoh and all his army,
his chariots and charioteers.
The Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD,
when I receive glory through Pharaoh
and his chariots and charioteers.”

And Pharaoh and the soldiers would follow the Israelites into the sea and be drowned. Strangely, God did not say that He did this in order for the Hebrews to know that He is God. But in order to show the Egyptians that He is God.

Responsorial PsalmEX 15:1BC-2, 3-4, 5-6

R. (1b) Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
I will sing to the LORD, for he is gloriously triumphant;
horse and chariot he has cast into the sea.
My strength and my courage is the LORD,
and he has been my savior.
He is my God, I praise him;
the God of my father, I extol him.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The LORD is a warrior,
LORD is his name!
Pharaoh’s chariots and army he hurled into the sea;
the elite of his officers were submerged in the Red Sea.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.
The flood waters covered them,
they sank into the depths like a stone.
Your right hand, O LORD, magnificent in power,
your right hand, O LORD, has shattered the enemy.
R. Let us sing to the Lord; he has covered himself in glory.

Let us raise our voices in praise of God. He is our Saviour and has brought us out of the slavery of sin. Let us raise our voices in praise of our God. With one mouth let us sing joyful songs of thanksgiving.

GospelJN 20:1-2, 11-18

On the first day of the week,
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early in the morning,
while it was still dark,
and saw the stone removed from the tomb.

St. Mary Magdalene, loved our Lord so much, that she risked harassment by the Roman guards and approached the Tomb where our Lord was laid. There, she found the stone cover was moved.

So she ran and went to Simon Peter
and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them,
“They have taken the Lord from the tomb,
and we don’t know where they put him.”

So, she ran and informed the Apostles, St. Peter and St. John. They ran to the tomb and found it as she said. Then they left.

Mary stayed outside the tomb weeping.

But Mary remained.

And as she wept, she bent over into the tomb
and saw two angels in white sitting there,
one at the head and one at the feet
where the Body of Jesus had been.
And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?”
She said to them, “They have taken my Lord,
and I don’t know where they laid him.”

As she turned again to look in the tomb, she saw a vision of two angels. And they asked her, "Why are you weeping?" She, as yet did not understand what had happened and said, "They have taken my Lord."

When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus there,
but did not know it was Jesus.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?
Whom are you looking for?”
She thought it was the gardener and said to him,
“Sir, if you carried him away,
tell me where you laid him,
and I will take him.”

When she turned around, she saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him.

Jesus said to her, “Mary!”
She turned and said to him in Hebrew,
“Rabbouni,” which means Teacher.
Jesus said to her,
“Stop holding on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.
But go to my brothers and tell them,
‘I am going 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 then reported what he told her.