2026-07-22 - Do not cling to the past; go and proclaim the future Author: Fr. Camillus Nwaigwe
22nd of July 2026
(Feast of St. Mary Magdalene)
Song 3:1-4 or 2Cor 5:14-17
John 20:1-2,11-18
Today, the Church celebrates the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, a faithful disciple of Jesus and the first witness of His Resurrection. Sent by the risen Lord to announce the Good News to the Apostles, she is honoured as the "Apostle to the Apostles." Her life reminds us that an encounter with Christ always leads to mission.
One of the most striking statements of the risen Jesus is His instruction to Mary Magdalene: "Do not cling to me; go to my brothers and tell them..." (Jn 20:17). At first glance, these words seem surprising. Why would Jesus prevent someone who loved Him so deeply from holding on to Him? The answer is that Mary was being invited to move from holding on to going forth, from looking back to living the mission ahead.
Mary Magdalene came to the tomb carrying the sorrow of Good Friday. She expected to find the body of Jesus. Her mind was fixed on what had been lost. But the Resurrection changed everything. Jesus was telling her that the relationship they had before His death had now entered a new and greater reality. She could not remain attached to yesterday's experience. She had to become the first herald of tomorrow's hope.
Many of us make the same mistake. We cling to the past—to past successes, past failures, past sins, past hurts, or even past ways of experiencing God. Some cannot forgive themselves for mistakes made years ago. Others remain imprisoned by painful memories or disappointments. Still others live only on memories of "the good old days." But the risen Christ calls us to a new beginning. He does not deny the past; He transforms it into a foundation for a new mission.
The first reading beautifully complements this message. The bride in the Song of Songs searches tirelessly for the one whom her soul loves. When she finds him, her search is fulfilled. Likewise, Mary Magdalene searched for Jesus with tears, but when she found Him, she discovered that love must now become witness. Genuine encounters with Christ never end in private consolation; they always lead to public proclamation.
Mary Magdalene's life is itself a testimony that no past is too broken for God to redeem. Once healed and transformed by Christ, she became the first witness of the Resurrection. God did not define her by where she had been but by what He was sending her to become.
The feast of today leaves us with the following lessons:
✓Do not let your past imprison your future. God's grace is always greater than your failures.
✓Do not cling to old wounds. Forgiveness frees you to embrace God's new plans.
✓Do not live only on yesterday's blessings. God continues to do new things in your life.
✓Every encounter with Christ should lead to mission. Like Mary Magdalene, we are sent to bring hope to others.
May St. Mary Magdalene teach us to release whatever keeps us chained to the past and to courageously proclaim the future that the risen Lord has opened for us. Amen.
God bless you.
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