Father Chris Axline Video Chat - July 19, 2024

St. Mary Magdalene Catholic Church (Gilbert, AZ) Podcasts

Happy Feast of St. Mary Magdalene!

Hello St. Mary Magdalene,

Thanks for tuning into this week’s video with me, Fr. Chris. There’s a lot going on this weekend as we are celebrating our patronal feast day this weekend so you’ll hear some beautiful prayers during the Mass centering on Mary Magdalene and her role as the “Apostle to the Apostles” as the Church refers to her. She is given this title because, as the first person to see Christ Resurrected from the dead, she is sent to the Apostles to proclaim the Good News. In Greek, the language in which the New Testament was written, Apostle comes from “Apostelos” which means “to be sent” so, she, as the “Apostle to the Apostles” can literally mean “the one sent to the ones who are sent.” This same Greek root is the origin of the term “apostolate” meaning the area in which we’re sent to bring the Gospel. How blessed then, that we, spiritual sons and daughters of St. Mary Magdalene rejoice in her being the first person to see the Risen Lord. This patronage too is commemorated in our sanctuary artwork with the Latin phrase “Vidi Dominum” which means “I have seen the Lord” the same message she gave to the Apostles 2,000 years ago. We have the great joy then in sharing this vision of the Risen Lord especially in the Eucharist, the source and summit of our faith. How providential then that the national Eucharistic Convention is currently underway in Indianapolis on this same weekend. Indeed, the Eucharist is the venue through which we too can see the Risen Lord just as Mary Magdalene did. In honor of this, I want to share with you several resources that I have read and recommend in order to foster a deeper love of Christ present in the Eucharist. First, is this wonderful book “St. Mary Magdalene: Prophetess of Eucharistic Love” by Fr. Sean Davidson. In 200 pages this book offers scriptural, historical, and theological perspectives on Mary Magdalene and the radical way in which her encounter with Christ inspired her to change her life and how we, modeling her repentance, can allow Christ to change our life as well. I have about 20 copies of this book which I am happy to give away, if you would like one please email me and I will be happy to leave you a copy. Second, I would like to recommend Pope St. John Paul II’s 2003 encyclical “Ecclesia de Eucharistia” (Church of the Eucharist) where the late holy father inspirationally writes on the Eucharist and its centrality in the life and mission of the Church and of every Catholic. It’s about 20 pages so it can easily be read during prayer times in the adoration chapel. Third, is Pope Benedict XVI’s 2007 Sacramentum Caritatis. This 40 page post-synodal exhortation offers spiritual and practical insights on the Eucharist and how we can prepare our souls spiritually to receive Christ. It can be technical and/or practical at times since it’s also addressing questions on topics like proper reception of Holy Communion, and active participation in the liturgy. Fourth, and lastly, is the USCCB’s 2021 document “The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church.” This 30 page document offers practical and spiritual insights oriented towards a deeper appreciation and entry into the great gift of the Eucharist. There are some phenomenal quotes from saints in here that afford many opportunities for prayerful contemplation of Christ present in the Eucharist. These writings from the USCCB, Benedict XVI, and JPII are all available online and are linked in the description of this video! In conclusion, I also want to say thank you to everyone who stepped up at my recent adoration appeal. We went from over 40 hours with no adorer down to less than 10! That is awesome and it means that perpetual adoration can continue. Now, it is incumbent upon all of us, however, to maintain our commitments in order to ensure a prayerful space to encounter Christ while simultaneously ensuring safety for all adorers and the Blessed Sacrament! Have a wonderful feast day weekend and may our Eucharistic Lord draw you ever more deeply into His infinite, eternal love!

Document links: 1. Ecclesia de Eucharistia (JPII): https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_20030417_eccl-de-euch.html

2. Sacramentum Caritatis (B16): https://www.vatican.va/content/benedict-xvi/en/apost_exhortations/documents/hf_ben-xvi_exh_20070222_sacramentum-caritatis.html

3. The Mystery of the Eucharist in the Life of the Church (USCCB): https://www.usccb.org/resources/7-703%20The%20Mystery%20of%20Eucharist,%20for%20RE-UPLOAD,%20JANUARY%202022.pdf

God bless,

Fr. Chris

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