Mary Magdalene

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The exact nature of Mary’s past life remains open to speculation, for all Scripture says about it is that she was known to be a sinful woman from whom seven demons went forth. Seven is the number that expresses completion or totality, and to speak of seven demons may suggest that she was afflicted by all kinds of sinful habits. She had done it all, so to speak. Demonic activity and sinful behavior always go hand in hand, and the more the former is present the more disordered is the latter.

The Fathers of the Western Church, such as Augustine, Gregory the Great and others held that Mary Magdalene was the sister of Martha and Lazarus. There is an ancient tradition that Mary was of very wealthy stock and that her father was a man called Syrus, who owned property all over Israel. Upon the death of their father, her brother Lazarus remained in Jerusalem, while Bethany became the home of Martha, and Mary lived in a family property by the Sea of Galilee, in a coastal town called Magdala. She quickly became the subject of conversation in the town, for she was as beautiful as she was wealthy and such a combination often attracts the worst company.

After several years in this dark world of the rich and famous, however, she was left with nothing but a bitter heart and a troubled conscience.

Somehow I want to express that the Magdalene was trying to find her worth in the wrong way – from the wrong people and it left her…I don’t know…a shadow of herself…

Magdalene began to grow sick of shallow worldly pleasures and longed for somebody to show her true worth.

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John 12

Six days before the Passover, Jesus went to Bethany, where Lazarus was, whom he had raised from the dead. They gave a dinner for him there; Martha waited on them and Lazarus was among those at table. Mary brought in a pound of very costly ointment, pure nard, and with it anointed the feet of Jesus, wiping them with her hair; the house was full of the scent of the ointment.

Then Judas Iscariot - one of his disciples, the man who was to betray him - said, 'Why wasn't this ointment sold for three hundred denarii, and the money given to the poor?' He said this, not because he cared about the poor, but because he was a thief; he was in charge of the common fund and used to help himself to the contributions. So Jesus said, 'Leave her alone; she had to keep this scent for the day of my burial. You have the poor with you always, you will not always have me.'

We may feel that we are not enough…not good enough, beautiful enough, smart enough, that we have not achieved enough…I am not enough. In this scene Mary Magdalene knows she is being watched and judged by all those in the room. To them she doesn’t measure up. But there is one in the room who knows her, he understands her, His eyes behold her heart, not her appearances and not even her past reputation. And Mary is not disturbed by the judgment in the room. In fact, she doesn’t care anymore. In the past she tried to prove her worth through her beauty, through ability to have power over others. All of that ended when she met Jesus. Now she knows her value, her worth. It comes from Him. He made her, He loves her, and He is about to die for her. So she breaks the costly oil and anoints him with her love for his burial.

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Mary was the only one who waited at the Tomb of Jesus.

Gregory the Great writes

When Mary Magdalene came to the tomb and did not find the Lord’s body, she thought it had been taken away and so informed the disciples. After they came and saw the tomb…the disciples went back home, but Mary wept and remained standing outside the tomb. We should reflect on Mary’s attitude and the great love she felt for Christ; for though the disciples had left the tomb, she remained. She was still seeking the one she had not found, and while she sought she wept; burning with the fire of love, she longed for him who she thought had been taken away. And so it happened that the woman who stayed behind to seek Christ was the only one to see him…When our desires are not satisfied, they grow stronger, and becoming stronger they take hold of their object. Holy desires likewise grow with anticipation, and if they do not grow they are not really desires…"Woman, why are you weeping? Whom do you seek?" She is asked why she is sorrowing so that her desire might be strengthened; for when she mentions whom she is seeking, her love is kindled all the more ardently.

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We need to drive home this point – we receive God in the measure of our desire. God makes us persevere in seeking him to increase our capacity to receive him.

What prevents us from persevering in seeking him? It’s the 100s of desires and worries that vie for our attention. What overcomes all of these desires is a greater desire. John of the Cross, in his Living Flame of Love 3:26, says the desire for God is the preparation for union with Him. The questions is: how do we increase our desire for God? 

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The Apostle to the Apostles

John Chapter 20

Jesus said to her, 'Do not cling to me, because I have not yet ascended to the Father. But go and find the brothers and tell them: I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.' So Mary of Magdala went and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord and that he had said these things to her.

To be an Apostle means to be sent. Mary becomes the Apostle to the Apostles because Jesus sends her to them to proclaim the Resurrection!

It’s the Pope’s Bishops and priests duty to take care of things inside the Church.

We are sent, made apostles to evangelize the world!

Where do we begin? I’m not prepared. I am not worthy. Heck I don’t even want to.

I understand…so I’ll give you a three step process

1.  Pray the Rosary Podcast every day

2.  Look around and see who you share life with regularly. Then have a little Courage and Invite them to pray the Rosary with you and ask them to be part of your team and get together consistently.  

3.  Let this be the place where you can invite those who have not yet experienced the love of God.