Who do you picture when you think about a caregiver? I’m going to go out on a limb and say that we, as women, tend to see ourselves as caregivers. We have a sometimes irrational need to make sure our loved ones get everything they need throughout their lives.
The Gospel accounts of Mary Magdalene during the passion, death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus illustrate her desperate need to be a caregiver for Jesus. Especially in John 20:1-18, we see Mary return to the tomb after the sabbath to complete the customary anointing ritual. When she arrived and found that His body was not there, she was devastated. She just could not accept that she would not be able to properly care for Him, even though she believed that He was dead. Even in that moment, she had a need to care for Him.
This reminds me of an event that I witnessed some twenty years ago. In a tragic accident, a family in our parish lost their teenage son. I knew his mother fairly well, in that I coached her daughter in soccer for more than a decade. This is the first time that I ever heard that the grieving family has the option of staying onsite while the casket is lowered into the grave. I became aware of it in this case because my husband was the head landscaper at that time, for the Catholic cemetery where her son was to be buried. and he agreed to take charge, monitoring the lowering of the casket and stopping them periodically to make sure everything moved smoothly.
At first, I couldn’t understand why she chose to take that option. Why would anyone want to do that? Then the day of the funeral came, and I understood. As I saw her there, watching over the whole thing, I understood. She spent his entire life taking care of him whenever she could. Why would she lose that commitment in this moment? She needed to make sure this last event in his life was handled in the best way possible.
Through this lens, with the further clarity of having raised two children myself, I think I understand how desperate Mary Magdalene was early on that first Easter morning. Her relationship with Jesus was so important, and she clearly felt that she was an important caregiver for Him. She could not possibly let this moment pass without making sure everything was done properly and with love.
Jesus, we see how much Mary Magdalene cared for you. Let us also show our love for You in the way we treat people, on Your behalf.
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