Today is July 22, the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene.
We read at today’s Mass, “Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, ‘I have seen the Lord,’ and then reported what he told her” (Jn 20:18).
The Church calls St. Mary Magdalene the Apostle to the Apostles. She was the first to see the Risen Christ and the first to proclaim the Resurrection. Early Dominicans cherished her witness, seeing in her a model for their own preaching mission. She stands as a powerful reminder that the heart of our Christian life is the announcement of Christ’s victory over death.
Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati surely loved Mary Magdalene as well. As a lay Dominican, Pier Giorgio understood his own life as an apostolate — a mission of witnessing to Christ in the world. He spoke of three apostolates: witness, charity and what he called the apostolate of persuasion.
Apostolate of persuasion
The apostolate of persuasion means living in such a way that your life itself draws others toward Christ. It is not just about words or service; it is about joy and integrity. When people saw Pier Giorgio — his friendships, his mountain climbing, his service to the poor — they wanted to live as he did.
Pier Giorgio once wrote, “Persuade unfortunate people to follow the ways of God, strewn with many thorns, but also many roses, by living your life in healthy pastimes.” His faith wasn’t hidden away or forced. It was radiant and inviting.
On this feast of Mary Magdalene, we can ask ourselves: Does my life proclaim the joy of the Risen Christ? Do others see in me a reason to believe?
Let us pray,
O God, whose Only Begotten Son entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection, grant, we pray, that through her intercession and example we may proclaim the living Christ and come to see him reigning in your glory. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever. Amen.
