John 20:1-2, 11-18; Feast of St. Mary Magdalene

Today, as we celebrate today the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, I would like to talk not just about the moment she recognized the Lord, nor about the title we’ve given her—“apostle to the apostles”. I would like us to consider the deeper story of how her identity and mission unfolded slowly in her heart, a heart that stayed close to the Lord, because that too, I believe, is how our identity and mission as disciples unfold.

Mary didn’t become a saint in a single moment. Her journey was long and sometimes unclear. But what is constant in her story is love— a deep, persevering love that stays even when everything seems lost. And because of that, the Lord trusted her with something new. Her identity changed. She was no longer just the one who followed. She became the one who was sent.
That’s how God works with us too. He doesn’t always reveal everything at once. Our vocation, our mission, our place in the larger story—it often unfolds slowly. Sometimes through sorrow, sometimes through waiting, sometimes through small acts of fidelity. We don’t always feel like we’re being prepared for something great. And yet, somehow, in the quiet, God is shaping us. I think this is what Ads and Paulus are already feeling as they prepare for the vows. There is no finality in the profession of vows – it is a continuation of the unfolding of our identity and mission as Jesuits. But this is not yet a vow mass, so let us just stay up to there.

But this is true. Many of us don’t walk through life with great clarity and vision. Most of us are slow learners; we slowly learn who we are. We slowly discover how God wants to use our lives. And sometimes, like Mary, we find ourselves in in-between places—not yet seeing clearly, not yet knowing what’s next—but still choosing to stay near to the Lord. And that’s what is important.

For when we do stay close to Jesus in the in between, something shifts. It may not always be dramatic. It may just be a name whispered in prayer, a peace that comes from nowhere, a gentle call to take the next step. But in that moment, something deep awakens in us—something like recognition. Something like mission.

Mary Magdalene reminds us that we don’t need to be perfect to be chosen. We don’t need to be certain to be sent. What we need is to stay close. To love through confusion. To wait through silence. And to listen when He speaks our name.

So today, let us learn from the example of Mary Magdalene— she was missioned to be an apostle to the apostles not because she had all the answers, but because she stayed with the questions. Not because she saw clearly from the start, but because she didn’t walk away. And in doing so, she received a mission larger than she could have imagined. Maybe God is doing the same with us—quietly, patiently, lovingly—until the moment comes when we hear our name, and know it’s time to go.