He indeed died for all, so that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.
Consequently, from now on we regard no one according to the flesh; even if we once knew Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know him so no longer. (2 Corinthians 5:15-16 NABRE)
The death of Christ produces a whole new order and a new mode of perception. We should strive to perceive the spiritual nature of others, not their physical nature. The natural mode of perception, characterized as “fleshly,” is replaced by a mode of perception proper to the Spirit.*
In the predawn hours of the third day after his crucifixion, Mary Magdalene was the first to encounter the risen Jesus. She was the first to experience him alive despite his certain death. Jesus, who overcame death itself, in his rising, offers us hope. The great promise of his resurrection is that life is more than what we know physically, and that we can participate in this fullness of life with him, in God's presence, for eternity.
Perhaps we can change our perception because of what he did. Perhaps we can begin to see others, not as physical creatures with a spiritual dimension, but as spiritual creatures with a physical dimension.
Today, I will continue to see Jesus in each person I meet.
Saint Mary Magdalene, patron of penitents and perfumers, pray for us.
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