Have you ever meditated with the Scriptures by pondering the point of view of a character in the story? During Holy Week, it has become a tradition for me to ponder the Last Supper, Passion, Death, and Resurrection of the Lord through the point of view of Mary Magdalene, the apostle to the apostles and my closest saint friend. While the Scriptures don’t give us details, John’s Gospel makes three things clear: she stayed at the foot of the cross (John 19:25), she sought the Lord first on Sunday morning (John 20:1), and she declared the risen King to the disciples (John 20:18).

She stayed. How disorienting it must have been to go from seeing Jesus’ triumphant entrance into Jerusalem to, just days later, witnessing Jesus be crucified as a criminal with soldiers casting lots and crowds jeering at Him and his followers. Yet Mary Magdalene, along with the Blessed Mother and John the Beloved, stayed at the foot of the cross, uniting their suffering to his and knowing that their place was with Him. When things in my life are challenging or my spiritual life feels dry, is my first inclination to stay at the foot of the cross, give my suffering to the Lord, and trust it will bear fruit?

She sought. Jesus set Mary Magdalene free and in return, she gave everything to Him whom her soul loved. In her despair over his death, her first response was to be close to the Lord, so she did not wait but sought Him “early, while it was still dark.” In times of despair and in times of great joy, is my first response to seek the Lord? Do I choose to just be close to the Lord, regardless of the circumstances?

She declared. Jesus met Mary Magdalene in the garden, called her by name, and gave her a mission to announce the Good News to his disciples. Jesus meets each of us where we are, calls us by name, and gives us the same mission. Have I allowed myself to be transformed and obedient to this mission, boldly declaring the kingdom?

Maybe your experience of the spiritual life is a bit like mine, and sometimes your answers to these reflection questions are a bold and enthusiastic yes, while, at other times, your answer is more lukewarm. As we continue to journey through these most holy of days, let us ask for Mary Magdalene’s intercession for the grace to stay at the foot of the cross with Jesus, to seek greater closeness with the Lord, and to boldly testify, like she did, that we have seen and experienced the risen Lord.