The Magdalene

I always found it sad that many radicals try to turn Mary Magdalene into a feminist. They always try to smash her story into the mold of power, authority, and prestige, in order to better suit their cause for rebellion against the Church. In reality, the Magdalene was a humble penitent, conscious of her sins and obedient to Our Lord and His Church. (The skull you see in the above picture, The Repentant Magdalen, painted in 1635 by Georges de La Tour, is a very common feature of all art depicting Mary Magdalene and represents Mary's contemplation of her own mortality and the need to reform herself before her death.) Incidentally, you can spell her name either with or without the "e' on the end.

Speaking of "unlawful appropriation" - too many of my Dad's real estate law books lying around the house - "New Age" people also sometimes try to commandeer Mary Magdalene. And there's a strange notion circulating - apparently picked up from the Da Vinci Code or something - that she was married to Jesus? And had children or something with him? And we should have women priests because of this? Needless to say, it is very disturbing that people are reading fiction and mystery books for their historical information, particularly on as complex a topic as this. It's the historico-critical method of biblical exegesis, without the "historico" part, lol! More like the "Gnostic-critical" method, I would say.

Anyway, in honor of her feast day, July 22, here are verses 20:1-18 of the Gospel according to St. John:

[1] Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came to the tomb early, while it was still dark, and saw that the stone had been taken away from the tomb. [2] So she ran, and went to Simon Peter and the other disciple, the one whom Jesus loved, and said to them, "They have taken the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid him." [3] Peter then came out with the other disciple, and they went toward the tomb. [4] They both ran, but the other disciple outran Peter and reached the tomb first; [5] and stooping to look in, he saw the linen cloths lying there, but he did not go in.

[6] Then Simon Peter came, following him, and went into the tomb; he saw the linen cloths lying, [7] and the napkin, which had been on his head, not lying with the linen cloths but rolled up in a place by itself. [8] Then the other disciple, who reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed; [9] for as yet they did not know the scripture, that he must rise from the dead. [10] Then the disciples went back to their homes.

[11] But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb, and as she wept she stooped to look into the tomb; [12] and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had lain, one at the head and one at the feet. [13] They said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping?" She said to them, "Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him." [14] Saying this, she turned round and saw Jesus standing, but she did not know that it was Jesus. [15] Jesus said to her, "Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away."

[16] Jesus said to her, "Mary." She turned and said to him in Hebrew, "Rab-bo'ni!" (which means Teacher). [17] Jesus said to her, "Do not hold me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to my brethren and say to them, I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God." [18] Mary Magdalene went and said to the disciples, "I have seen the Lord"; and she told them that he had said these things to her.