O
lamp of the world, and bright-shining pearl,
who
by announcing the resurrection of Christ,
didst
merit to become the Apostle of the Apostles,
Mary
Magdalene, of thy kindness,
stand
thou ever before God, who chose thee,
to
entreat him for us.
(The
Dominican Benedictus Antiphon from the Mass of St. Mary Magdalene)
It
was only two years ago that Pope Francis requested that the annual
Catholic observance of Mary Magdalene be made a major feast day,
marking women as the first evangelisers, and putting Mary Magdalene
on a par, liturgically speaking, with the male apostles. She also now
precedes the other eleven saints celebrated on 22nd July.
The
Magdalene was long seen as a threat to male dominance
within the Roman Catholic Church. It was in 591 Pope Gregory first suggested
that she was a prostitute, and not until 1969 did the Roman
Catholic Church admit that there was no textual or other evidence to
support this.
In
the decree issued from the Vatican in June 2016 with Pope Francis'
request, it was stated that Mary Magdalene, 'recognised as one who
loved Christ and who was very dear to him' can now be considered as
'a paradigm of the ministry of women in the Church'. A letter that
accompanied the decree calls for 'a deeper reflection on the dignity
of women'.
Mary
is now widely believed to have been one of the leaders of the early
church. The many references to her in the Gospel of Thomas and other
non-canonical gospels confirm this: in the Pistis Sophia, for example, her name is
mentioned 150 times, compared to just 13 times in the canonical
gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John combined.
The
Magdalene may also have been the 'beloved disciple' referred to in
John's Gospel, and some people believe that she and Jesus were wife
and husband, and that the wedding at Cana-in-Galilee (Kfar Cana/Kafr Kanna) was
their own. There is an actual papyrus, dating
back to the 4th century C.E. and written in Egyptian Coptic script,
which contains this quote: 'Jesus said to them, My wife...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xLioYdt8A5c
The
following simple poem, written back in February, was inspired by some
research about Mary Magdalene in my post-doctoral studies:
The
Magdalene
Who
are you, Dark Lady of the gospels,
you
and the other women, providing for the Lord
as
he roams throughout the Galilee...
Why
are you, Dark Priestess with a jar of nard,
kneeling
to anoint the Bridegroom's feet, preparing Him
for
death, for rising, as you follow to Jerusalem...
When
are you, Dark Sorrow, watching as Love dies,
then
and now bringing your spice of solace,
sitting
shiva with the other Mary at our tomb...
Where
are you, Dark Mystery who disappears;
running
to tell the others, you leave us in a garden
with
angels at our side...
What
are you, Dark Secret of church history:
recovering
demoniac, repentant lady of the night,
for
ages wholly side-lined - or the Holy Grail...
How
are we to find you, beautiful black Magdalene,
Wisdom
for our folly, Sister, Mother, Child,
shining
through our Darkness...
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