“Mary Magdalene came early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre.”
— John 20:1, Douay-Rheims
FROM THE LITTLE STATION
On Commercial Street in Atchison, Kansas
Good morning, friends.
The lamps are glowing in the windows of the Little Station on Commercial Street. The town is still quiet. The first light has not yet climbed over the roofs and steeples of Atchison.
And this morning, before the streets awaken, we go in spirit to another place that was still and dark.
A garden.
A sealed tomb.
A woman walking alone before sunrise.
Today the Church celebrates the Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene: the faithful disciple who stood near the Cross, came searching for Jesus in the darkness, and was sent by the risen Lord to announce the news that changed the world.
She came looking for a body.
She found the living Christ.
She came prepared to mourn.
She departed as a messenger of joy.
The great movements of God often begin this way—not with trumpets in the public square, but with one faithful soul walking through the darkness because love refuses to remain at home.
Wherever you are this morning—at the kitchen table, behind the wheel, preparing for work, waking before the household, or listening in the silence of a room known only to you—you are welcome here.
This is Chesterton Radio Morning Prayer, a quiet beginning from the Little Station on Commercial Street.
Let us begin.
I. OPENING VERSE
O Lord, open thou my lips.
And my mouth shall declare thy praise.
O God, come to my assistance.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen. Alleluia.
II. INVITATORY
Invitatory Antiphon
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Psalm 94
A Call to Praise and Worship
Come, let us praise the Lord with joy:
let us joyfully sing to God our Saviour.
Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving;
and make a joyful noise to him with psalms.
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
For in his hand are all the ends of the earth:
and the heights of the mountains are his.
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
For the sea is his, and he made it:
and his hands formed the dry land.
Come, let us adore and fall down:
and weep before the Lord that made us.
For he is the Lord our God:
and we are the people of his pasture
and the sheep of his hand.
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Today if you shall hear his voice,
harden not your hearts:
As in the provocation,
according to the day of temptation in the wilderness:
Where your fathers tempted me,
they proved me,
and saw my works.
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Forty years long was I offended with that generation,
and I said:
These always err in heart,
and these men have not known my ways.
So I swore in my wrath
that they shall not enter into my rest.
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Invitatory Antiphon
Come, let us adore Christ,
who appeared first to Mary Magdalene.
III. MORNING HYMN
Before the Morning Light
Before the morning touched the sky,
While earth beneath the darkness lay,
A faithful woman sought the Lord
And hastened to the tomb at day.
She came with sorrow in her heart,
With love that would not turn aside;
She sought the One whom death had claimed,
The Master who was crucified.
But Christ, whom neither stone nor grave
Nor sealed and guarded door could hold,
Stood living in the garden there,
The Shepherd seeking from the fold.
He spoke her name—and in that word
The night was broken by the dawn;
Her grief became the Church’s joy,
For death was conquered, Christ had won.
Then send us, Lord, as she was sent,
To speak the news that hope imparts:
The tomb is empty; Christ is risen;
The morning shines in faithful hearts.
All glory to the Father be,
And to the Son who rose again,
And to the Spirit, Breath of Life,
One God, forevermore.
Amen.
IV. MORNING PSALMODY
The psalmody appointed for this feast is taken from Sunday, Week I, the great morning psalmody of thirst, praise, creation, and resurrection.
First Antiphon
Jesus said unto Mary:
Woman, why weepest thou?
Whom seekest thou?
Psalm 62
The Soul Thirsting for God
Mary Magdalene went into the garden seeking the Lord whom she loved.
Every soul that truly seeks Christ begins with this same holy thirst.
O God, my God,
to thee do I watch at break of day.
For thee my soul hath thirsted;
for thee my flesh, O how many ways!
In a desert land,
and where there is no way,
and no water:
So in the sanctuary have I come before thee,
to see thy power and thy glory.
For thy mercy is better than lives:
thee my lips shall praise.
Thus will I bless thee all my life long:
and in thy name I will lift up my hands.
Let my soul be filled as with marrow and fatness:
and my mouth shall praise thee with joyful lips.
If I have remembered thee upon my bed,
I will meditate on thee in the morning:
Because thou hast been my helper.
And I will rejoice
under the covert of thy wings:
My soul hath stuck close to thee:
thy right hand hath received me.
But they have sought my soul in vain;
they shall go into the lower parts of the earth:
They shall be delivered into the hands of the sword;
they shall be the portions of foxes.
But the king shall rejoice in God:
all they shall be praised that swear by him:
Because the mouth is stopped
of them that speak wicked things.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
First Antiphon
Jesus said unto Mary:
Woman, why weepest thou?
Whom seekest thou?
A Quiet Word Before We Continue
“My soul hath thirsted.”
Mary Magdalene understood those words.
She did not come to the tomb because she had solved the mystery of suffering. She did not come because she expected the stone to be moved or the grave to be empty.
She came because she loved Christ.
Sometimes faith is no more complicated than that.
It is rising before dawn.
It is walking through the darkness.
It is returning to the place where hope appears to have died.
It is continuing to seek the Lord even when we do not yet understand what He is doing.
Mary thought that she was searching for Jesus.
But in the garden, Jesus was already searching for Mary.
And the whole distance between sorrow and resurrection was crossed when He spoke one word:
Her name.
The Lord who called Mary in the garden knows your name as well.
He knows the sorrow you carry quietly.
He knows what you have lost.
He knows the unanswered question that followed you into this morning.
Remain near the garden.
Continue seeking.
The dawn may be nearer than it appears.
Chesterton Radio Morning Prayer will continue in Part II with the Canticle of Creation, the final psalm of praise, the short reading, and the morning responsory.CHESTERTON RADIO MORNING PRAYER
CROMO v3.1 — Part II of III
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
IV. MORNING PSALMODY (Continued)
Second Antiphon
Mary remained standing outside the tomb weeping.
The Lord called her by name, and her sorrow was turned into joy.
Canticle
Daniel 3:57–88, 56
Let All Creation Bless the Lord
The risen Christ is not only Lord of the garden, but Lord of all creation. As morning spreads across the earth, the whole world is invited to join the song.
Bless the Lord, all ye works of the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye angels of the Lord, bless the Lord:
O ye heavens, bless the Lord.
O all ye waters that are above the heavens, bless the Lord:
O all ye powers of the Lord, bless the Lord.
O ye sun and moon, bless the Lord:
O ye stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
O every shower and dew, bless the Lord:
O all ye spirits of God, bless the Lord.
O ye fire and heat, bless the Lord:
O ye cold and heat, bless the Lord.
O ye dews and hoar frost, bless the Lord:
O ye frost and cold, bless the Lord.
O ye ice and snow, bless the Lord:
O ye nights and days, bless the Lord.
O ye light and darkness, bless the Lord:
O ye lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
O let the earth bless the Lord:
let it praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye mountains and hills, bless the Lord:
O all ye things that spring up in the earth, bless the Lord.
O ye fountains, bless the Lord:
O ye seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
O ye whales, and all that move in the waters, bless the Lord:
O all ye fowls of the air, bless the Lord.
O all ye beasts and cattle, bless the Lord:
O ye sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord:
praise and exalt him above all for ever.
O ye priests of the Lord, bless the Lord:
O ye servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
O ye spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord:
O ye holy and humble of heart, bless the Lord.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, with the Holy Ghost:
let us praise and magnify him for ever.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven:
and worthy of praise, and glorious, and highly exalted for ever.
Second Antiphon
Mary remained standing outside the tomb weeping.
The Lord called her by name, and her sorrow was turned into joy.
Reflection
One of G. K. Chesterton’s great themes was that the world is not merely a machine but a gift.
The modern temptation is to look at creation and ask only, How does it work?
The Christian first asks, Who gave it?
That is why the Canticle from Daniel never grows old. It invites every created thing—not merely people—to join the praise of its Creator. Sun and moon. Rivers and seas. Frost and fire. Birds and cattle. Mountains and fields. All creation becomes a vast cathedral choir.
Mary Magdalene encountered the risen Christ in a garden.
That detail is no accident.
The Resurrection begins not in a palace or courtroom but in a garden, reminding us of another garden where humanity first walked with God. Easter is the beginning of creation restored.
Every sunrise is a quiet reminder that God delights in making all things new.
The same Lord who called Mary’s name continues His work today—not only renewing souls, but renewing the whole creation until the day when heaven and earth are made new.
As this Wednesday begins, perhaps pause for a moment.
Notice the light coming through the window.
Listen for the birds before traffic drowns them out.
Feel the coolness of the morning air.
These are not interruptions to prayer.
They are invitations to it.
Third Antiphon
Go to my brethren and tell them:
I ascend unto my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.
Psalm 149
The Joy of God’s Holy People
Sing ye to the Lord a new canticle:
let his praise be in the church of the saints.
Let Israel rejoice in him that made him:
and let the children of Sion be joyful in their king.
Let them praise his name in choir:
let them sing to him with timbrel and psaltery.
For the Lord is well pleased with his people:
and he will exalt the meek unto salvation.
The saints shall rejoice in glory:
they shall be joyful in their beds.
The high praises of God shall be in their mouth:
and two-edged swords in their hands:
To execute vengeance upon the nations,
chastisements among the people:
To bind their kings with fetters,
and their nobles with manacles of iron:
To execute upon them the judgment that is written:
this glory is to all his saints.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Third Antiphon
Go to my brethren and tell them:
I ascend unto my Father and your Father,
to my God and your God.
V. SHORT READING
2 Corinthians 5:17–18 (Douay-Rheims)
If then any be in Christ a new creature, the old things are passed away. Behold all things are made new. But all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Christ.
Meditation
Mary Magdalene’s story is one of the greatest testimonies to grace in all of Scripture.
She is not remembered because of who she once was.
She is remembered because of Whom she met.
The Gospel does not leave us imprisoned in our past.
Christ does not merely improve people.
He makes them new.
That is the promise offered to every Christian this morning.
Whatever yesterday contained—success or failure, joy or regret, courage or weakness—today begins under the light of the Resurrection.
Christ still calls His disciples by name.
And every time He does, another chapter begins.
VI. SHORT RESPONSORY
V. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia.
R. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. He appeared to Mary Magdalene.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.
R. The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia, alleluia.
At the Little Station on Commercial Street, the sun has now climbed above the rooftops.
Shopkeepers are unlocking their doors.
The first customers are arriving.
Somewhere, someone is pouring the day’s first cup of coffee.
The world is waking.
And so are we.
In Part III, we will join the whole Church in the Gospel Canticle of Zechariah, offer our intercessions, pray together the Our Father, and ask the Lord to make us, like Saint Mary Magdalene, faithful witnesses of the risen Christ in the ordinary moments of this day.
CHESTERTON RADIO MORNING PRAYER
CROMO v3.1 — Part III of III
Wednesday, July 22, 2026
Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene
VII. GOSPEL CANTICLE
Antiphon
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples:
“I have seen the Lord.” Alleluia.
The Canticle of Zachary (Benedictus)
Luke 1:68–79 (Douay-Rheims)
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel;
because he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people:
And hath raised up an horn of salvation to us,
in the house of David his servant:
As he spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets,
who are from the beginning:
Salvation from our enemies,
and from the hand of all that hate us:
To perform mercy to our fathers,
and to remember his holy testament,
The oath, which he swore to Abraham our father,
that he would grant to us,
That being delivered from the hand of our enemies,
we may serve him without fear,
In holiness and justice before him,
all our days.
And thou, child,
shalt be called the prophet of the Highest:
for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord
to prepare his ways:
To give knowledge of salvation to his people,
unto the remission of their sins:
Through the bowels of the mercy of our God,
in which the Orient from on high hath visited us:
To enlighten them that sit in darkness,
and in the shadow of death:
to direct our feet into the way of peace.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.
Amen.
Antiphon
Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples:
“I have seen the Lord.” Alleluia.
VIII. REFLECTION
The first Christian sermon was only four words long.
“I have seen the Lord.”
Mary Magdalene did not begin with an argument.
She did not present a philosophical proof.
She did not attempt to explain every mystery of the Resurrection.
She simply bore witness to an encounter.
Chesterton often observed that Christianity advances less by cleverness than by contagious joy. A man who has found fresh water does not need an eloquent speech to convince another thirsty traveler. He simply points toward the spring.
That remains the Christian vocation today.
Most of us will never stand behind a great cathedral pulpit.
Few of us will write famous books or preach to thousands.
But every one of us can live in such a way that someone asks, “What gives you hope?”
The answer need not be complicated.
“I have seen the Lord.”
Perhaps not with our physical eyes.
But in answered prayers.
In forgiven sins.
In unexpected providence.
In the laughter around a family table.
In the quiet strength to endure suffering.
In the beauty of creation.
In the Holy Eucharist.
In the words of Sacred Scripture.
And sometimes, as Mary discovered, simply in hearing Him call our name.
The world is not starving for louder Christians.
It is starving for joyful witnesses.
IX. INTERCESSIONS
Let us praise Christ, who called Saint Mary Magdalene by name and sent her to proclaim His Resurrection.
Response:
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For the Holy Catholic Church throughout the world,
That she may proclaim with courage and joy that Christ is truly risen,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For our Holy Father, our bishops, priests, deacons, religious, and all who preach the Gospel,
That their lives may reflect the hope they proclaim,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For those burdened by grief, loneliness, anxiety, or despair,
That they may hear Christ speak their names with tenderness and mercy,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For missionaries throughout the world,
Especially those serving far from home,
That they may bring the joy of the Gospel to every nation,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For our families,
That our homes may become places of forgiveness, hospitality, laughter, and prayer,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For all who work with their hands today—
Mechanics and machinists,
Engineers and craftsmen,
Teachers and farmers,
Nurses and physicians,
Police officers and firefighters,
Truck drivers and factory workers,
Office workers and business owners,
Mothers and fathers,
Students and retirees—
May every honest task become an offering pleasing to God.
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
For those who have died,
Especially those with no one to pray for them,
That they may behold forever the face of the risen Christ,
Lord, make us faithful witnesses of Your Resurrection.
X. THE LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father,
who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name.
Thy kingdom come.
Thy will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Amen.
XI. CONCLUDING PRAYER
Let us pray.
O God, whose Only Begotten Son entrusted Mary Magdalene before all others with announcing the great joy of the Resurrection, grant, we beseech Thee, that through her prayers and example we may proclaim the living Christ and one day behold Him reigning in Thy glory.
Who liveth and reigneth with Thee in the unity of the Holy Ghost, God, world without end.
Amen.
XII. BLESSING
May the Lord bless us,
protect us from all evil,
and bring us to everlasting life.
Amen.
XIII. CLOSING THOUGHT
Before the bells ring for the noon Angelus...
Before meetings begin...
Before the headlines compete for your attention...
Carry one sentence with you today.
Not a slogan.
Not a strategy.
A testimony.
“I have seen the Lord.”
Perhaps no one else will hear you say those words aloud.
But let them shape the way you greet the cashier.
The patience you show in traffic.
The honesty with which you do your work.
The kindness you extend to someone who expected none.
The forgiveness you offer before it is requested.
The hope you refuse to surrender.
Christianity has always spread one witness at a time.
One conversation.
One act of charity.
One life quietly transformed by grace.
Mary Magdalene walked away from the garden carrying the greatest news in history.
Today, the Lord entrusts that same joyful news to us.
Go in peace.
Christ is risen.
And the morning has only just begun.
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Until tomorrow morning...
May God bless you.
And remember—
The Open Door is always on.