Go into the whole world and proclaim the gospel to every creature.
We have seen the apostles throughout the Easter mystery grow in their faith,
for we have seen them return to their fishing,
and today's first reading gives us a glimpse of what the apostles would become after the Feast of Pentecost,
for they would go then about preaching the gospel, fishing for souls,
and they would have great rewards for their efforts and reap many souls for the Lord.
We see that the apostles, once they came to fully understand, to know,
or as in today's gospel reading we learn,
once they came to truly believe all the things that the Lord had taught them,
then they would wait patiently for that anointing of the Holy Spirit,
and then they would give no sway whatsoever to the thoughts of men,
and so they would stand up to the Pharisees and scribes,
and oh, how the Pharisees and scribes show themselves to be so hard of heart,
and yet they had no reason to be so hard of heart,
for they particularly would have known,
especially through the conversion of the first one we read about in today's gospel.
Often it is not reflected upon enough.
Why does St. Mary Magdalene play such an important role in the post-Easter phenomenon,
after the resurrection of our Lord?
Why does she hold such a prominent spot?
Because it was fitting that the Lord would appear to her and give to her so many graces,
for she was a woman of God.
She was a great sinner, and so we learn that the great sinner became the great lover of God,
and so our Lord chose St. Mary Magdalene to have such a prominent spot,
so that none of us would die of despair.
And why is it that the Pharisees and scribes should have known through the example of St. Mary Magdalene?
For tradition tells us St. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute in the courts of Herod,
that is, in the high courts of the Roman leaders,
and also,
of the Pharisees and the scribes.
And indeed,
by the time the Lord had touched her life,
she who was formerly considered one of the most beautiful women in the world,
was now beginning to experience the ravages of leprosy,
because of the profligate life she had lived.
And from her,
the Lord would cast out seven demons and restore to her her beauty.
And so,
Mary Magdalene was assigned to each and every one of the Pharisees and the scribes,
many of them,
who had formerly sinned with her,
all of them knowing that she was a sinner,
and that some of their colleagues indeed were indulging themselves in a sinful lifestyle with St. Mary Magdalene.
And so she takes a prominent role so that all of us understand it is the mission of the Apostles,
the mission of the Apostles is the same mission of our Lord and Savior to come and to touch the heart of each individual human person,
every sinner that walks the earth,
that is each and every one of us,
because we are all sinners.
And so we have much to be thankful for during this Easter season,
and most especially after the Apostles have been anointed with the Holy Spirit.
For from that time until the end of time,
they will truly go forth,
proclaiming the gospel to every creature,
bringing salvation and repentance to all St.
Mary Magdalene,
the worst of sinners,
or as it were,
the greatest of saints.
For,
even,
if one were to live their life like St.
Teresa of Lisieux,
it takes the grace of God and hence the teachings of the Apostles.
And so let us be thankful that the Lord has truly made it easy for each and every one of us to find him,
for he has established one church by which his truth is known,
and he has earmarked that church with many special signs in order that all souls may come to the love of God.
And most especially,
those miracles that he worked,
during the time of the Apostles and those miracles,
he continues to work through his church.
And let us always be on guard about any miracles that are worked outside of the church.
For St.
Mary Magdalene had several miracles provided for her.
The casting out of the seven demons,
the restoration of her body,
ravaged by her sinful life,
restored to its former beauty,
as a sign and as a witness of the one true church.
And so,
St. Alphonsus de Liguori points out to us,
that God does not work two miracles outside of his church.
And so,
each and every time we hear of a claim of a miracle being outside,
worked outside the mystical body of Christ,
we must be very leery to discern it,
according to the principles by which our faith teaches us.
Can Christ witness to error,
St. Alphonsus says,
and St. Alphonsus answers that question,
as we all know that he cannot.
And so,
God does not work miracles outside of the context of his mystical body,
for if he were to do so,
he would be witnessing to untruth.
That is,
he would be giving the divine seal on a lie.
And so,
we must be very careful in this day and age,
in which many are claiming to have miracles being worked outside of the mystical body of Christ.
But if we look at them closely,
then we will discern they are not two miracles.
There is no suspension of the laws of nature.
Or some or any other phenomenon.
And so,
let us truly rejoice that the Lord has not made it difficult for us to find his church,
for all those signs and all those wonders that are worked in order that souls may see
where they may find the one true Christ,
are worked within the mystical body of Christ.
She is,
as St. Isaiah prophesied,
she would be a light shining on a mountaintop,
and that light shines in the darkness of this world,
in the darkness,
of error,
and in the darkness of sin.
And so,
let us be thankful that we have been incorporated into her body,
and let us strive as the Apostles strove,
and as St. Mary Magdalene and all repenters strive to do,
let us strive to bring that light to all souls,
so that all may find the one true safe haven in this world,
and all may be incorporated into the mystical body of Christ,
in order that all may be brought into the kingdom of our Lord's Father,
at the end of time.