88 My Monologues & Musings: ‘Raboni’ Mary Magdalene (Lk 8, Jn 20)
Dear Mary Magdalene,
Where to begin?
The mere mention of your name provokes controversies and evokes admiration. Some do marvel at you. Some squirm to think how bad a life you have had.
Yet, Mary, who are you? I
So mysterious are your beginnings, so unassuming is your presence in the ministry of your,"Raboni", right?
Mary, what has become of you after the Resurrection Morning?
Mary, you seem to have mysteriously vanished into thin air after your Rabbi Experience of the First Easter Morning, right?
Dear Mary,
Your name has been much maligned and your reputation has irreparably been damaged.
Mary, you have been branded as a wanton woman of ill repute. You have been condemned as a public prostitute who even got around Jesus the Messiah as his paramour / consort / concubine / lover. Some even hold that you had at least one daughter born of him!
Mary, from the very beginning of the New Testament times you had been painted as a penitent prostitute who became a devout follower of the Lord.
Popes, Princes of the Church, Prelates, and Pundits of the Bible and Theology have preached about you and presented you as a penitent public sinner / prostitute.
Sure, later on Pope's have recanted and tried to rehabilitate your name and reputation.
Yet, they keep on preaching about you as a penitent prostitute which has no Biblical back up at all.
What an injustice!
How inhuman it is!
How unchristian it is!
Some are convinced you are indeed a beauty to behold and men couldn't resist your charm.
They say you are a rare combination of brunette beauty with brain and who easily had men around your little finger.
Some others think of you as a blue blooded blond beauty born with a silver spoon in your mouth.
Well, Mary, it goes on and on...
Personally for me, you are none of the above. I love to go by what is written about you in the Gospel Narratives.
Mary, you were a very severely sick person, possessed by seven demons. This would mean you were a totally sick person, physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually, right?
Mary, you must lost control over your own life. It was quite possible that your were out on the street unaware of your own wanderings and behaviour.
You could have just walked away from your home totally unaware of your own actions and activities, right?
Mary, you could also have been left abandoned on the streets by your kith and kin as you might have increasingly become a burden, a shame, and a problem for your family.
Mary, you could have very well been physically maltreated, emotionally abused, mentally tortured, and sexually exploited, right?
Mary, it is your 'Raboni'
who healed you,
who salvaged from the street,
who restored your all around health,
who rehabilitated you in the society,
Didn't He?
Mary, you must have been from a very rich family as you had enough of financial resources even to support your 'Raboni' and his group of disciples, right?
After having been healed and made healthy, you must have got hold your share of family wealth which was used to support your Raboni and his group.
Mary, your love, admiration and gratitude for Raboni grew by leaps and bounds as he was one who bought you back from total ruin, right?
So you dedicated the rest of your life for your Raboni. You just followed him like a shadow.
Mary, you were one of the fewest of his followers who had the love, the loyalty, and the courage to climb up Calvary and to place yourself at the foot of the Cross, weeping and wailing in silence and throwing your arms around cross.
Mary, the agonizing sight of your Crucified Raboni must have shell shocked you to stone silence.
Mary, prompted by gratitude, you had guts to be with your 'Raboni' as he breathed his last on the Cross.
Mary, though you wanted to give your 'Raboni' a decent burial, compelled by the onset of Sabbath and its restrictions you had to stop with the minimum.
Mary, weighed down by the inconsolable grief, impatiently you waited to get the Sabbath behind. Then early in the morning, you hurriedly headed to the tomb to anoint the lifeless body of 'Raboni' and give it decent burial to your heart's content.
Mary, nothing could deter you,
no one could stop you,
daringly, you went,
single minded, you set out, didn't you?
Mary, there was no place for fear of anybody and of any sort in your heart, right?
Because, your heart was filled with undying love and full of inexhaustible gratitude and limitless loyalty!
As the lifeless body of your once lively 'Raboni' was found missing, you were lost in grief and were gripped by disappointment.
Mary, you were so lost in confusion, as a result, you couldn't even recognize your 'Raboni', right?
You mistook him for the gardener, didn't you?
But as he called out your name, 'Mary'!
It clicked.
That was the unexpected moment of unalloyed joy!
And you thrillingly responded,
'Raboni' !!!!!!
Mary,
Your life instantly changed for ever!
Your dead spirit is risen!
Your lost hope rekindled for ever!
Mary,
For the rest of your life, these two words kept on ringing in your ears, right, Mary?
'Mary! '.... 'Raboni!'.......
'Mary!'......'Raboni'..........
'Mary!'.....'Raboni!'........
Dear Risen Lord,
Mary may be the one and the only one among your followers
who never ever turned against you,
who never ever betrayed you,
who never ever abandoned you,
who never ever disappointed you,
who never ever deserted you,
who always stood by you,
who always took care of your needs,
who even financially supported you,
who was ever grateful for healing her,
Right, Lord?
No wonder, you did deliberately reward her with the the Unique Privilege of being the First human being who saw you, After your Resurrection.
This honor was not granted to any of your chosen Twelve!
But to Mary! and Mary alone!
Sure, it must have ruffled quite a few 'male' feathers of your disciples.
Dear Risen Lord,
How come that your Mary suddenly vanished into thin air?
Though tempted to pursue and probe into the issues of Vanished Mary, I do not want to distract myself from the bliss of keep imagining the echoing the soft and sweet sounds of :
'Mary!' ......... 'Raboni!' ........
'Mary!' ......... 'Raboni!' ........
'Mary!' ......... 'Raboni!' ........
Let me keep relishing it!!!!
Dear Risen Lord,
Though I am nowhere near Mary in her unflinching faith and unwavering loving loyalty to you, I know you keep calling out my name repeatedly,
But, I have consistently failed to hear and respond!!!!!!
When will I be able to keep claiming you as the 'Raboni' of my life?
And keep on calling you,
'Raboni.. Raboni... Raboni... '
Amen.
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Dear Jesus,
I bring before you:
Everyone of my loved ones.
Everyone of my enemies who were and are.
Everyone who loves as well as hates me.
Everyone whom I love and whom i hate.
Everyone who helps me and who don't.
Everyone whom i have lead astray.
Everyone who is sick and needs healing.
Everyone who is in despair and needs hope.
Every priest who is in need of prayers.
Everyone who has met with me!
Oh, Jesus, My Lord and My God,
I thank You,
I thank the Father,
I thank the Spirit,
For Your Unsolicited gift of life for me!
For Your Uncountable blessings for me!
For Your Unlimited Patience with me!
For Your Untold Forgiveness for me!
For Your Unflinching faith in me!
For Your Unfailing Hope in me!
For Your Unconditional Love of me!
Amen
JoAchen
Easter Monday, 28th March 2016
These Reflections are neither pure scientific exegesis nor are they any highly theological explanations. They are a sort of devotional musings and monologues mainly meant for my personal renewal and spiritual growth. They are a part of my journaling as a Prodigal Priest trying to make my pilgrimage back to the Home of our Heavenly Father. As I keep holding you in my prayers and I request you to include me in yours. Thank you!
