July 22nd is the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, an important woman in the gospel story whose name has been misrepresented for centuries. Recently, Catholic authors and scholars have been cleaning up the mess and showing respect to this second-most-mentioned woman of the Bible.
Let’s unpack the misconceptions and uncover who she really is and why we should recognize both her piety and fidelity to the Lord.
False Accusations
Here are a few common misconceptions of Mary Magdalene.
The Prostitute
Mary Magdalene has for a long time been assumed to be a prostitute. It’s usually attributed to Luke 7:36-50 where a known sinful woman washes Jesus’s feet. But in Luke 8:2, she is introduced as “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.” The author makes no connection to the sinful woman, so we should presume there’s any relation between the two.
Another Mary
Some also believe she may be another Mary mentioned, but let’s consider the naming conventions at the time and place of the gospel. Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers goes into detail about the way to which women were referred.
In short, only if women had no familial relations (no living husband, relatives, or children), would she be identified with her town of origin. Magdala was a fishing village in Galilee; therefore, we know Mary was a Galilean from there. We can also assume she has no family. If she is from Magdala and has no family, she would be called Mary of Magdala or Mary Magdalene. To compare how women are mentioned, here are some examples:
- Mary the mother of James and Joseph (Matthew 27:56)
- Mary the sister of Martha and Lazarus, also from Bethany, not Magdala (John 11)
- Anna the daughter of Phanuel (Luke 2:36)
The Real Mary Magdalene
The real story of Mary Magdalene is one of Jesus’s saving power—she had seven demons extracted from her—and of fidelity. She is one of the women who followed Jesus and his apostles as mentioned in Luke 8, and so we know she left home to remain with the Lord. She had no ties to children, husband, or any other family and she was so faithful that she was one of the few at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25). In fact, she is the one who saw the empty tomb first and ran to tell the others (John 20:1-2).
Many Catholic scholars and authors began disputing the false accusations of Mary Magdalene. There are articles like those mentioned above and even a movie over the topic. It seems people are finally realizing that Mary Magdalene doesn’t deserve these accusations and her real story is clearing up.
The Easter Egg
There’s a legend that Mary Magdalene evangelized the emperor with an egg, declaring that Jesus has risen. He denied it saying it was no more true than the egg was red. When the egg suddenly turned red in her hand, he conceded. There’s no official document or doctrine backing this story, but there are ancient traditions of early Easter celebrations with red eggs. We don’t know for certain if this story is true, but it would align with a faithful Mary Magdalene and the power of evangelization.
Celebrating the Feast of Mary Magdalene
In 2016, Pope Francis declared July 22nd the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene to remember and honor this faithful disciple. We can remember her for her closeness to the Lord. She stayed at the Cross when few others would. She came to the tomb first. And she evangelized fervently after the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of contemplative life, converts (she was a Galilean), and women among other things.
Can we model these qualities in our own faith journey? Can we use her example, her actual, Biblical example to remain with the Lord in times of trial and steadfast to the Gospel even when all seems lost?
Let’s pray for her intersession and ask the Lord for a more steady heart in the face of adversity and, with an evangelical heart like hers, help to convert more to the love of Christ.
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