St. Mary Magdalene

Today is the feast of the "Apostle to the Apostles", faithful follower of Jesus, and the person blessed by being the first witness to his resurrection (see today's Gospel). And yet somehow over the centuries, she was mistakenly confused with the "sinful woman" of Luke 7:36-50, and for much too long was labeled a repentant prostitute! Most artistic representations of Mary of Magdala show her either washing Jesus' feet with her tears (see previous sentence to determine if that's an accurate depiction), or in a pose of deep repentance.

Regarding her past, Scripture only reports (Luke 8:2) that she was healed by Jesus of 'seven demons', which could have been a severe physical or emotional illness, and one might speculate that profound gratitude at this relief first led her to follow Jesus. So, whether it was flawed Biblical interpretation or an effort to downplay the role of women in the early Christian community (or the more modern misinterpretation of her as Jesus' secret wife!) - can you think of a saint more misunderstood by centuries of Christians?!?!

So today in her honor, let's focus on what Mary Magdalene REALLY represents: gratitude for the healing power of God that expresses itself in devotion and faithfulness, willingness to support the ministry of Jesus (by resources and by standing at the foot of the cross), and courage to profess and proclaim her faith and her faith-story.

St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!