We live in a world that prizes power—leaders use force, influence, and control to achieve their goals, often with questionable ends. Power can intoxicate us, and many of us feel tempted to control our lives and others. Yet we never truly achieve control. Death reminds us of our limits, especially when we lose those we love. In these moments, we confront our powerlessness and recognize that control is ultimately an illusion.
The Roman Empire used crucifixion to erase people from memory, especially those on the margins of society. By all expectations, Jesus’ name should have been forgotten, just like the others crucified alongside him. Crucifixion symbolized shame and failure, a final display of imperial power. Yet we remember Jesus. This enduring memory suggests that something extraordinary happened—his resurrection. In rising, Jesus overturns the very system that sought to destroy him and exposes the emptiness of worldly power.
The resurrection story shifts our focus from power to agency, most clearly through Mary Magdalene. While the male disciples run, search, and leave without understanding, Mary remains. She sees what they cannot, encounters the risen Jesus, and recognizes him when he calls her name. Jesus entrusts her with the message of the resurrection, giving her the agency to proclaim it to others. In this moment, Mary becomes the first witness and messenger—the “apostle to the apostles.” Her story reminds us that faith is not about gaining power, but about receiving the grace to recognize God’s presence and to respond. When Jesus calls our name, we discover that we are known, loved, and sent to share that truth with others.