Mary Magdalene

You carried in your heart love holy Through trials' fire, through persecution's pain, To follow Him who came from Heaven's glory— The Son of Man, to bring all souls salvation's reign. From off your shoulders He removed the burden, And so with all your soul you loved Him true, You walked with Him the path of earthly sorrow, With heart entire to Jesus you stayed true. O Mary! He was not yours to possess. He went to cross to free all death's captives. The mocking crowd could never comprehend this, Those who sought to make your name defamation. You stood beneath His cross with tears suppressed, And felt within your depths His agony, The very torments of the damned's distress, And all the weight of His suffering decree. "He will not die! Can Love itself expire?" Your faithful heart still beat with holy flame— "He'll rise from death, lift up His hands entire... I'll hear again His voice, His gentle name." "It is finished!" across the world it rang, And Jesus' head in death was bowed. In that dark moment, Mary, silence sang— Your whole life stopped, as if beneath a shroud. "Why did this cruel and pitiless creation Reject the Savior's passionate love? Who answers for this bloody desolation?" And from your depths rose cries to Heaven above. His friends removed Him from the cross so bare And laid Him in a tomb, new-hewn in stone. Yet still your lips spoke out your fervent prayer, And through the night you were not left alone. The anxious night seemed like eternity, The Sabbath brought no rest or consolation, Your soul burned like a furnace endlessly— Faith and dark doubt waged their fierce confrontation. Sunday's dawn broke soft in silent grey, The women hurried to the sepulcher with spice, No miracle was expected on that day— Yet hope still dwelt within your sacrifice. The tomb! But Jesus lay not in that place. All trembled in you—every thought grew still: "I dared to hope for miracles of grace— Was my expectation vanity and will?" Then tears like pearls rolled down your cheeks so fair. You wept beside the tomb in deep distress. A voice asked gently: "Why do you despair?" "They took my Lord—do you not know his address? Where is He? Tell me where He's gone from here— I must behold Him!" Then you turned around: "Who speaks? A gardener? Sir, is it clear That you have seen Him? Tell me where He's found!" "Mary!" that voice—so gentle, warm, so dear— Pierced through your heart, and suddenly you saw. "Rabboni!"—like a bird you fell so near, And all your doubts crumbled like brittle straw. "Do not cling to Me, for I must rise To meet My Father in His dwelling place. Go tell My brothers—tell them the glad sighs That I am living, full of Heaven's grace. Tell them I go before them to prepare A place in My Father's house on high, The way to life eternal waits us there— The gates of Heaven open to the sky!" I believed in Jesus—I always knew: He could not die! Love never passes away! Forever now, O Jesus, I am true— You opened Heaven's door for me that day!