The most poignant words in the Bible are addressed to Mary Magdalene by Jesus: “Do not hold on to me.” The scene is Easter Sunday. Mary in her loss and grief goes looking for Jesus and only finds an empty tomb. She encounters this seeming stranger and then realizes it is her dearest friend Jesus. But instead of a happy reunion, a recovery of the good old days when they walked the dusty roads together the Risen Jesus gives her a mission. Go and be an apostle to the apostles. Go and become the first evangelizer. We too are tempted to “hold on to” the way things always have been but God has a new plan for us, a plan that includes us being apostles.
