Fra Angelico in cell 1 at the Convent of San Marco titled, “Noli Me Tangere”.
July 22 — For Catholic Homeschooling Mothers
July 22 is a feast day very dear to my heart. On this day in 2006, the Lord, in His mercy, brought our family home to the Catholic Church. Bill and I, who had been married in a Baptist church back in 1998, were sacramentally married in the Church. I was confirmed. Two of our children were baptized. And so, Saint Mary Magdalene became my patron saint. Her feast marks the anniversary of our family’s entry into full communion with Christ’s Church. Every year, this day is a renewal of our vows and our gratitude.
Most importantly, it is a reminder that Jesus truly saves.
As a wife and mother now homeschooling ten children, I often look to Mary Magdalene for strength. There is much we mothers can learn from her.
Mary Magdalene Shows Us the Power of Conversion
Mary Magdalene’s story begins with healing. As Scripture tells us, “seven demons had gone out of her” (Luke 8:2). She knew what it was to be lost, tormented, and enslaved. But more than that, she knew what it meant to be set free by Christ. She followed Him from the beginning of His public ministry to the foot of the Cross, and beyond to the empty tomb.
When we are tired, when we fall, when we feel overwhelmed in our duties—there is a temptation to stay down. But Mary Magdalene shows us that it is not how we begin, but how we respond to Christ’s grace that matters. No matter where we have been, no matter what we have done, Jesus can make us new. That same mercy that restored her is the mercy we depend on every day.
Mary Magdalene Remains When Others Leave
In the Office of Readings for her feast, we hear a beautiful homily by Pope St. Gregory the Great. He reflects on the moment when Mary came to the tomb and found Christ’s body gone. She ran to tell the apostles. They came and saw—but then they left. Mary alone remained. She wept. She searched. And to her, Christ appeared.
St. Gregory writes, “Perseverance is essential to any good deed.”
This is a word for mothers. Others may walk away when things get hard. Others may give up. But the homeschooling mother stays. When no one else sees the point in another day of grammar or laundry or Catechism lessons, she keeps watch. She weeps. She seeks.
And to her, Christ appears.
This is no small thing. It is the reward of perseverance. “Whoever perseveres to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
Mary Magdalene Waits Through the Darkness
Homeschooling is long. Motherhood is often hidden. The results are slow and hard to measure. It feels like planting in tears, year after year. But Mary Magdalene shows us how to wait. She didn’t walk away when it seemed pointless. She remained at the tomb, even though the stone was rolled away and the body was gone. She believed, without understanding. She waited, without seeing.
And then—Jesus said her name.
This reminds us that in our own quiet waiting, Christ is near. Even when it seems He has hidden Himself, He is watching. And when we remain in love and in faith, He will speak to us, too.
Mary Magdalene Brings the Good News
After the Resurrection, Jesus gave her a mission. He told her to go and tell the apostles what she had seen. She became, as the Church calls her, apostola apostolorum—the apostle to the apostles.
This is a great encouragement to us. Mothers are often the first to carry the good news in our homes. We bring the light of Christ into the ordinary moments. We bear witness through our example, our words, and our service. Just as Mary Magdalene ran to tell what she had seen, we too proclaim: “I have seen the Lord!” (John 20:18).
Even if we are not preaching in public, our whole life preaches. It preaches the faithfulness of God.
Perseverance in Our Ordinary Vocation
Pope Gregory reminds us that “the value of a good work is found in perseverance.” That’s a truth we mothers must cling to. We do not need to be famous. We do not need to be perfect. But we do need to persevere. We must not leave our post too soon.
Stay at the tomb. Stay at your post. Weep if you must. But do not walk away. Christ will come.
Mrs. Dania C. Michael, O.P.
Homeschool Support
Classical Liberal Arts Academy
A Mother’s Prayer to Saint Mary Magdalene
Saint Mary Magdalene, beloved friend of Jesus,
you were healed by His mercy,
you remained at His Cross,
and you sought Him in the darkness.
Help me, a weary mother,
to love Christ with that same unshakable devotion.
Help me to remain when others go,
to seek when I cannot see,
to wait when I am tired,
and to rejoice when He calls my name.
Intercede for me,
that I may persevere in every good deed
until the end.
Amen.
Reflection Questions for Homeschooling Mothers
- Do I truly believe that Jesus can transform my heart like He transformed Mary Magdalene’s?
- In what areas of my vocation have I been tempted to give up too soon?
- What does perseverance look like in my daily life right now?
- How can I stay at my “post,” as Mary Magdalene stayed at the tomb?
- How have I shared the good news of Christ’s mercy with my children this week?
Notes
- Gregory the Great, Homily 25 on the Gospels (in the Office of Readings for July 22). https://universalis.com/20250722/readings.htm
- Catechism of the Catholic Church, 1816, on perseverance. https://www.vatican.va/content/catechism/en/part_three/section_one/chapter_one/article_7/ii_the_theological_virtues.index.html
- Luke 8:2; John 20; Matthew 24:13—all quoted from the New American Bible. https://bible.usccb.org/bible
