In the Church's Calendar today,
the 22nd of July

is the feast of Saint Mary Magdalene,
one of Jesus's most loyal followers.

Mary Magdalene not only travelled
with Jesus, accompany him during his

earthly ministry, but also she witnessed
the crucifixion and the resurrection.

Displayed in the Chapel

of Saint Mary Magdalene in the Cathedral
here in Chichester

is Graham Sutherlands famous painting
depicting the moment described in St.

John's Gospel when standing outside
the tomb, Mary mistake's Jesus

for the Gardener before
eventually realising who he is.

And he responds with the words,
do not touch me.

I've always found it interesting
that Graham Sutherland painted such bright

colors in this painting,
not only because he lived and worked

in the south of France,
where the light was naturally bright,

but also because
it had to be seen from the Baptistry

right down at the west
end of the Cathedral.

In the Baptistry

 of course, hangs Hans Feibusch's
 painting of the Baptism of Jesus.

So to me, moving from

one end of the cathedral,
from the Baptistry up to the St.

.
Mary Magdalene Chapel at the east end

helps me to reflect on the journey
that Jesus took from the outset of his

ministry to its climax
and the resurrection.

And walking from one end of the Cathedral
to the other in that way

one also passes, of course, the Chichester
panels depicting the raising of Lazarus as

if to remind us of what Jesus achieved
during that journey of his ministry.

The journey, as I say,

on which Mary Magdalene was one
of his most loyal companions.

There are two aspects of Mary Magdalene's

commitment to Jesus that can help us
on our own journey of faith.

The first is what I see as her gratitude.

It's a certain amount of pure legend
of course surrounding Mary Magdalene.

But we know from Luke's Gospel,
Chapter 8

that she was one of the women who had been
cured of evil spirits and infirmities.

In modern parlance,
I would suggest that that means Mary had

endured some genuine psychological trauma
from which Jesus healed her

and that her devotion to him

and her gratitude to him was
as a result of that healing.

It is sometimes easy to forget to show

gratitude, not least in our prayer life
and through expressions of generosity,

kindness and forgiveness
towards other people.

I believe that all prayer should
begin with gratitude: thanksgiving to God

for what he has done for us before
we move on to pray for other things.

The second point here lies in Jesus's

words: do not touch me.
Which more accurately means: Do not cling

to me. From which Sutherland's painting,
of course, gets it's name:

Noli me Tangere.

Mary has to learn
that the days of clinging are over.

She cannot recreate the past through
physical contact with the Lord.

Things have moved on and real faith

and real love often means
letting go and moving on.

That's what we need to learn
over and over again

as Christians, just as parents have to let

go of their children when they become
adults and let them fly free,

having nurtured them and sometimes
indeed clung to them during childhood.

The real test of their love for them is if

they're prepared to let
them go when they grow up.

Letting go doesn't mean abandonment.

Mary Magdalene had to let go of Jesus,
but in his risen life he would be with her

always, as he is for us
and as good parents always are when their

child has grown into adulthood
and indeed may need help or guidance.

Not letting go of a child

and clinging onto them when they grow up
can cause psychological damage.

Not letting go in faith
can stunt our spiritual growth.

It's not always easy,
but to let go is most certainly liberating

and can open up new vistas
and even adventures in faith.

So Mary Magdalene then was a beloved

disciple of Jesus who knew her
need of Jesus and his healing.

May we all increasingly come to know

that need of him and become
increasingly grateful to him.