Today the Church celebrates the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene who was one of Christ's closest followers and one of the few who remained at the foot of the cross while all the others fled. St. Thomas Aquinas and others have referred to her as the Apostle to the Apostles she was the first to see the risen Lord and took that news to the apostles. According to EWTN, Mary Magdalene is the patron of contemplative life; converts; glove makers; hairdressers; penitent sinners; people ridiculed for their piety; perfumeries; pharmacists; reformed prostitutes; sexual temptation; tanners; women.
Apostle to the Apostles
In 2007, while reflecting on the role of women in the early Church, Pope Benedict XVI examined the life of Mary Magdalene.
The Gospels then tell us that the women, unlike the Twelve, did not abandon Jesus in the hour of his Passion (cf. Mt 27:56, 61; Mk 15:40). Among them, Mary Magdalene stands out in particular. Not only was she present at the Passion, but she was also the first witness and herald of the Risen One (cf. Jn 20:1, 11-18).
It was precisely to Mary Magdalene that St. Thomas Aquinas reserved the special title, "Apostle of the Apostles" (apostolorum apostola), dedicating to her this beautiful comment: "Just as a woman had announced the words of death to the first man, so also a woman was the first to announce to the Apostles the words of life" (Super Ioannem, ed. Cai, § 2519). [Pope Benedict XVI, General Audience, Feb. 14, 2007]
Further Reading
Mary Magdalene has long been confused for the adulterous prostitute described in Luke 7:36-50. Additionally she has been associated with gnostic myths most recently made popular by Dan Brown. Here is some additional reading to help you discover the real Mary Magdalene who has been a popular saint since the early centuries.
- Excerpt from The Da Vinci Hoax entitled The Magdalene: Saint, Sinner or Goddess?
- Audio Interview with Amy Welborn author of Decoding Mary Magdalene
- Mary Magdalene and Peter: Pattern for the Ages by Dr. Marshall
- Learning from the Saint Who was the Apostle to the Apostles by Bert Ghezzi & Brandon Vogt
Apostleship of Prayer Video
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