July 22, 2010
Memorial of Saint Mary Magdalene
Be amazed at this, O heavens, and shudder with sheer horror, says the LORD. Two evils have my people done: they have forsaken me, the source of living waters; they have dug themselves cisterns, broken cisterns, that hold no water. Jeremiah 2:12-13
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 of Magdala went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and what he told her. John 20:17-18
Piety
The Things We Leave Behind by Michael Card
There sits Simon, so foolishly wise proudly he’s tending his nets
Then Jesus calls, and the boats drift away all that he owns he forgets
More than the nets he abandoned that day, he found that his pride was soon drifting away
It’s hard to imagine the freedom we find from the things we leave behind
Matthew was mindful of taking the tax, pressing the people to pay
Hearing the call, he responded in faith followed the Light and the Way
Leaving the people so puzzled he found, the greed in his heart was no longer around and It’s hard to imagine the freedom we find from the things we leave behind
Every heart needs to be set free, from possessions that hold it so tight
`Cause freedom’s not found in the things that we own, It’s the power to do what is right
Jesus, our only possession, giving becomes our delight
We can’t imagine the freedom we find from the things we leave behind
We show a love for the world in our lives by worshipping goods we possess
Jesus has laid all our treasures aside “love God above all the rest”
'Cause when we say 'no' to the things of the world we open our hearts to the love of the Lord and its hard to imagine the freedom we find from the things we leave behind.
Study
There are many ways to “let go” of those things which we are holding onto. We can release them and pick something else up in its place or we can release them and get on with other things in life. Today, we have a look at both reactions.
In the Gospel, Jesus tells Mary to stop holding onto him. When she let’s go, she then must get on with the next job Jesus asks her to do…spread the word of the resurrection to the people. Mary let go.
A different picture of letting go emerges in the first reading from Jeremiah. The people there, like Mary, were preoccupied with the question, “Where is the Lord?” However, rather than seeking an authentic encounter with God, they let go of their belief in God and turned to false idols. Does any other nation change its gods?-- yet they are not gods at all! But my people have changed their glory for useless things. (Jeremiah 2:11).
What a different picture we get of the Lord. Jesus never stops holding on to us. He never trades in His love for us for a newer model, a better looking model, or a super model. He is the dedicated shepherd who will search for us far and wide until we stop holding onto other things and reach back out to hold onto Him.
Action
What have you traded in recently? Did you replace that old, slow computer for a newer, sleeker model? Did you trade in your old, gas-guzzling clunker for a little cash or a new hybrid? Did you get rid of your duty old digital camera for a newer model?
We have to be careful not to get too tied to useless “things.” Many people can use your old clothes, old computers, or other items. Make sure you look into ways of recycling old items by donating them to thrift stores, shelters for the homeless, or other nonprofit organizations and churches.
Sometimes, even if non-profits can not use these items, we can still properly dispose of them by recycling old televisions and computers. Many retail stores will take your old items so they do not clog landfills and pollute the environment.
The more old items you can clean out of your life, the more time you will have to concentrate on living your Fourth Day mission devoted to piety, study and action.
