A Believable Saint for Everyone to Know

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There is no credible proof of her ancestry nor of the claims that she was a prostitute before meeting Christ. Some, like the writer of the popular streaming series titled, The Chosen, have embellished the theory that her alleged sexual depravity made her vulnerable to possession of the devil.

There is no factual, scriptural basis for these hagiographic stories though they are interesting as stories to say the least. And this does not deny that there was a woman who was a prostitute and who was forgiven and became a follower of Christ. But was she Mary Magdalene? The jury of scholars is still out on this one. Likewise, a swirl of debate surrounds Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Is she the Magdalene? And is she the woman who washed the feet of Jesus before his passion and death? 

The fact is that there is no evidentiary proof of exactly who Mary Magdalene was before she is mentioned as a disciple of Christ. Legends and hagiography surrounding her life, grew over centuries, including the bestselling novel, The DaVinci Code of only a few years ago. Margaret Starbird, author of The Woman with the Alabaster Jar, writes that in the sixth century, “…Pope Saint Gregory I proclaimed that Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany were the same person: ‘We believe that the one that Luke calls a sinner, that John names ‘Mary’ is the same out of whom, according to Mark, ‘seven devils were expelled.’” (p.29) There you have it. The Pope spoke and we believed although there are layers of scholarship still being peeled back about the authenticity of Mary Magdalene’s life and mission.   

All we know for sure is that Mary Magdalene, referred to as the Magdalene, because she came from the village of Magdala, the lovely town near Nazareth, was a follower of Jesus and the first messenger of his resurrection. 

For me that is enough. Consider this: A woman would have assumed immeasurable personal risk following a young man whose itinerant lifestyle and questionable message was gaining stride. She stayed in the mix with the others who would have been predominantly men. Like them she learned from his teachings but undoubtedly would have drawn the attention of authorities who observed her with suspicion more than the men. She risked staying at the cross as he was dying and later approaching the guarded tomb hoping to apply the ointments of a burial. 

Mary Magdalene is the saint for all of us who grieve. Reaching to touch him in the garden after the resurrection, she is admonished not to ‘cling’ to him. His new life has begun like our loved ones whom we leave at the grave. We cannot beg their return; we can only try and live their spirit of love. She is the saint for all women serving in non-traditional roles who are brave and committed as they provide the warmth of compassion needed by others despite the challenges of men in power. When such women take the message of hope to others, they are doing what Mary Magdalene did, they are proving that he is risen, he is hope for them. She is the saint for all evangelizers, those who walk excitedly toward others who are seeking faith and they bring to them the teaching of redemption and love and mercy. 

Reflection

Mary Magdalene is called, the Apostle to the Apostles, for her role in bringing to the apostles the news of Jesus’ resurrection. “In 2016 Pope Francis elevated her memorial to a feast day on the Roman calendar, giving her the same level of celebration as the male apostles.” (Give Us This Day, July 2023 p. 231) 

Think about Mary Magdalene’s role in the beginning of our faith and the courage she lived in accepting that faith and being committed to it. I encourage you to read thoughtfully John 20:1-18.

What speaks to you in this passage? What part of Mary Magdalene’s life can you see as a model for your own life in the Spirit?

Finally, pray that you might become an apostle like her—unafraid to carry the message to those who need and want to hear it.

I hope your summer is going along beautifully. Let’s remember the millions who are suffering from powerful heat—and, of course, the many who are suffering the ravages of war.