July 22, St. Mary Magdalene

My soul is thirsting for you, O Lord my God. — Psalm 63:2

Mass Readings: Jeremiah 2:1-3,7-8,12-13 / John 20:1-2,11-18 

The Skull of Mary Magdalene 

I once visited an American seminarian friend studying in Europe. Driving around France, we came upon an old church. We stopped to pray, and then noticed stairs to a dark basement. We put a few francs in a meter to turn a light on and, to our surprise, found a reliquary that claimed to contain the skull of Mary Magdalene. We were stunned, but later learned of the legend that Mary traveled to France after the Resurrection, spread the word of God, and died there. 

We should not have been startled, however, to find a skull in a church. Catholic spirituality, after all, has something very tangible, very material about it — think rosary beads, bread, holy water, stained-glass windows. It is through material things, the Church is teaching us, that we can find the spiritual, the divine. 

Prayer: God of creation, teach me Your truths through the work of Your hands.