Well, the July 22nd feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene has rolled around yet again. For my celebration this year, I present this blog post to provide some commentary on John 20:1-18, the resurrection appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene and to explore the iconography of Noli me tangere in Western art, from the 11th through the 17th centuries that is associated with this meeting of Mary Magdalene with the Risen Jesus. Eighteen images, some of the many Noli me tangere paintings, illuminated manuscripts, and frescos in the art world, are included and discussed. The phrase “noli me tangere” is...
The gospel this morning is the beautiful and familiar story of the disciples that meet Jesus on the road to Emmaus. It is one of my favorite accounts of the resurrection. This blog post explores the Emmaus story, focusing on its four scenes: Encountering Jesus, Jesus Listens and Interprets Scripture, Recognizing Jesus, and Returning to Jerusalem. Encountering Jesus on the Road to Emmaus 13 Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14 and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15 While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself...
Last updated: July 26, 2026 Happy Easter!! On Easter we celebrate the triumph of Christ over death! Ok, yes I know – Easter was a few weeks ago already, and yes, I am often late for these kinds of things. However, we are still technically in the Easter season until Pentecost (right around the corner now), so I figured I should hurry up and just finish this blog post off. This year, I would like to share some really great artistic depictions of the resurrection. The Bible does not contain a description of the exact moment when Jesus actually rose...
Last updated: July 28, 2026 Happy Easter!! Ok, ok I know Easter was a number of weeks ago now, but life is busy and good, and it is sometimes hard to find the time to write. And by the way, it’s totally fine to still say “Happy Easter,” since the liturgical calendar has the Easter season lasting right up until the celebration of Pentecost, which is still 2 weeks away. After my Holy Saturday post on despair, I feel like I cannot go forward now to any other topic before I praise life and resurrection! Anything less would be unbalanced...
Last updated: May 31, 2026 Happy July 22 – Feast Day of Mary Magdalene! Unfortunately, the timing was bad this year for hosting the MM feast day ritual at my house. I am heading off to Santa Fe soon for a long weekend with my family to celebrate my sister Lori’s fiftieth birthday. So this feast day I just thought I would offer a few comments regarding some resources related to MM that you may be interested in. Andy and I recently returned from a trip to Spain, and the last place we visited before coming home was the Prado...
Last updated: June 2, 2026 This year I have tried to enter into the rhythm of Palm Sunday through Holy Week through Easter mindfully. As part of being mindful, I spent some time on Good Friday reflecting on the mysteries of death and resurrection – of the seasons of life. As always, I am impressed with the faith and commitment of the courageous women, who must have beaten down an incredible amount of anxiety and sorrow, as they gathered at the foot of the cross. And as always, I am moved by the mixture of grief and love that sent...
