Pope Francis highlighted Mary Magdalene’s transformative encounter with the risen Christ as a model for personal conversion during a jubilee year audience at the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Saturday.
“The jubilee is for people and for the Earth a new beginning; everything must be rethought within the dream of God,” the pope told pilgrims gathered for the morning audience Feb. 1.
The encounter was one of a series of Saturday jubilee audiences of 2025, following a first meeting with pilgrims and a heart-to-heart with journalists.
A biblical model of transformation
Drawing from the Gospel of John’s account of Mary Magdalene at the empty tomb, Francis emphasized how she “turned around” multiple times before recognizing the risen Jesus — a detail the pontiff said was carefully chosen by the evangelist.
“The Risen One is not on the side of death but on the side of life,” the Holy Father explained. “He can be mistaken for one of the people we encounter every day.”
The pope connected Mary Magdalene’s spiritual journey to the broader meaning of conversion, noting that entering “the new world” often requires changing perspective more than once.
Francis emphasized how Mary Magdalene recognized Jesus only when he spoke her name, suggesting that personal encounter is essential for authentic conversion.
“From Mary Magdalene, whom tradition calls ‘the apostle of the apostles,’ we learn hope,” the pope said, adding that the journey of faith requires a “constant invitation to change perspective.”
The pope concluded his catechesis with a challenging question for the faithful: “Do I know how to turn around to see things differently? Do I have the desire for conversion?”
Francis warned that an overconfident and proud ego prevents recognition of the risen Jesus, noting that even today, “he appears in ordinary people who easily remain behind us.”
Following the Paul VI Hall’s main audience, the Holy Father greeted pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Basilica via video link. After warmly welcoming them, he thanked them for their presence and led them in praying the Our Father.
This article was originally published on Catholic News Agency.
