Saint Mary Magdalene, July 22

Collect:
Almighty God, whose blessed Son restored Mary Magdalene to health of body and mind, and called her to be a witness of his resurrection: Mercifully grant that by thy grace we may be healed of all our infirmities and know thee in the power of his endless life; who with thee and the Holy Spirit liveth and reigneth, one God, now and for ever. Amen.

First Lesson: Judith 9:1, 11-14
Judith threw herself down prostrate, with ashes strewn upon her head, and wearing nothing over the sackcloth. While the incense was being offered in the temple of God in Jerusalem that evening, Judith prayed in to the Lord in a loud voice.

"Your strength is not in numberrs, nor does your power depend upon stalwart men; but you are the God of the lowly, the helper of the oppressed, the supporter of the weak, the protector of the forsaken, the savior of those without hope.

"Please, please, God of my forefather, God of the heritage of Israel, Lord of the heaven and earth, Creator of the waters, King of all you have created, hear my prayer! Let my guileful speech bring wound and wale on those who have planned dire things against your covenant, your holy temple, Mount Zion, and the homes your children have inherited.

"Let your whole nation and all the tribes know clearly that you are the God of all power and might, and that there is no other who protects the people of Israel bu you alone.@quot;

Second Lesson: 2 Corinthians 5:14-18
For Christ's love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.

So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.

Psalm: 42:1-7

1. As the deer longs for the water-brooks, *
   so longs my soul for you, O God.
2. My soul is athirst for God, athirst for the living God; *
   when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3. My tears have been my food day and night, *
   while all day long they say to me,
   "Where now is your God?"
4. I pour out my soul when I think on these things: *
   how I went with the multitude and led them into the house of God,
5. With the voice of praise and thanksgiving, *
   among those who keep holy-day.
6. Why are you so full of heaviness, O my soul? *
   and why are you so disquieted within me?
7. Put your trust in God; *
   for I will yet give thanks to him,
   who is the help of my countenance, and my God.

Gospel: John 20:11-18
Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.

They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize that it was Jesus.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means Teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, `I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Collect & Psalm from the Book of Common Prayer
Other excerpts from the New International Bible