Mary Magdalene stayed outside the tomb weeping. 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.”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.” 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 went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.
REFLECTION
“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 went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and then reported what he had told her.
Mary Magdala was called, "the Apostle to the Apostles." She was the first to be commanded by Jesus to bring the Good News of His resurrection to His Apostles. This was true Mary Magdala was “sent” by Jesus but she was not one of the chosen 12 Apostles. The Apostolic tradition is carried on by priests who become Bishops.
Pope Francis was the 265th successor of St. Peter, who was the first Pope of the Catholic Church commissioned by Jesus Christ. He was Pope Francis was empathetic and compassionate to the poor and marginalized people of the world. He saw the face of Christ in them and he prayed, blessed, and cared spiritually for them.
As the Pope, Pope Francis spread the Gospel, which is Jesus' message to the world. Apostle means "one who is sent." When Jesus said to Peter after His resurrection, "Do you love me... feed my lambs...feed my sheep" (John 21: 15-17), he commissioned Peter to care for those who would follow His teachings.
Let us continue to pray for the repose of the soul of Pope Francis and to pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the Cardinals to choose the next successor of St. Peter for the Catholic Church.
Here are the prayers for the repose of Pope Francis.
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