This week, July 22 is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene, called the “Apostle to the Apostles”. The word “Apostle” is from the Greek word meaning “messenger” or “one who is sent”. The Gospels tell us that out of the many disciples who came to Jesus and followed him and learned from him, he chose twelve to be Apostles, those he sent out as we heard in last Sunday’s Gospel. These twelve include Simon Peter and his brother Andrew; James and his brother John; Matthew the tax collector; Philip; James the son of Alphaeus; Simon; Jude; Bartholomew; Thomas; and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus. While we tend to just think of these twelve as apostles, others in the Church have also been given this title. After Judas betrayed Jesus, Matthias was selected to take his place, and is honored as an apostle. Barnabas, a companion and co-worker of Paul, is also honored as an apostle. Sometimes Luke the Evangelist is listed as an apostle, and sometimes you will even find Cleopas and his companion, the ones whom Jesus appeared to and conversed with on the road to Emmaus, also counted among the apostles.  

But Mary Magdalene stands out among them all, not only because she is a woman, but because she is the Apostle to the Apostles! The Gospels agree that Jesus first appeared to Mary Magdalene after his resurrection, and she was the one entrusted to be his messenger to share this good news with the apostles. For this moment after her encounter with Jesus and before she told the apostles, Mary Magdalene was the Church; she was the only one who knew the fullness of the Paschal Mystery! This makes her a figure of solitary importance and holiness in the Church who not only deserves our honor and praise but is surely a powerful intercessor for us and the Church.

Unfortunately, Mary Magdalene has had some bad press over the centuries. Many mistakenly believe that Mary was a woman of ill repute, or the woman caught in adultery, or some other public sinner, but the gospels give no testimony to this. The Gospel of Luke says that Jesus healed her of physical and spiritual illness. Scenes from the scriptures make clear Mary Magdalene’s intense devotion to Jesus. With the new freedom brought by her healing, she became one of a group of women who were Jesus’ disciples and who walked with him on his missionary journeys. In doing this, these women went against the customs of the time. Women had never been permitted to study with a rabbi! Mary continued to stay close to Jesus even when he was crucified, standing at the foot of the cross and helping to prepare his body for burial. This took great courage. Early on Sunday morning, Mary went to weep at the tomb and saw that the stone had been rolled away from the tomb. She turned around and saw someone that she thought was the gardener but when he spoke, he said her name, “Mary!” and she instantly recognized him as the Lord and fell at his feet and said “Rabboni!” I have always been touched by this tender moment of recognition; Mary recognizes her friend with just a simple word from his mouth. May we all recognize the voice of the Lord when he calls our name!

The Feast of St. Mary Magdalene is an occasion for all of us to renew our discipleship to the Lord and to resolve to follow him more closely. It is also an opportunity to extol the work and ministry that women give to our Church. I have been blessed by the close collaboration of so many wonderful women – vowed religious and lay women – in my work as a priest, and I am grateful to God for the blessings they bring to my life, to the life of our parish, and to the life of the Church. May St. Mary Magdalene inspire them all to continue to preach Jesus Christ, risen from the dead! St. Mary Magdalene, pray for us!