+ We have very little solid information about Saint Mary Magdalene, and both scholars and Eastern / Western traditions differ on what we do know. I have the sense that she was all of the following: a friend and follower of Jesus, filled with sorrow over her sin (could it have been adultery?), the one who anointed the feet of Jesus with her tears and dried them with her hair, the one that Jesus cast seven devils from, one of those present at the Crucifixion of Jesus and finally the first one to see the Risen Christ.
The three things that are most important are the fact that she is the repentant sinner and was in need of a good spiritual house-cleaning. The driving out of the seven devils represent the dismissal of the seven deadly sins that we are all prone to commit to one degree or another: lust, gluttony, greed, sloth, wrath, envy, pride. We, of course today, have much more benign and politically correct terms for these things. But, in actuality they are what they are. And Jesus then filled her with the seven opposite powers for good (virtues) of chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, humility. We can sense these traits in a person such as we know the Magdalene to be – we can even envision ourselves being such personages – with God's grace and help.
Next, it was important for Mary Magdalene to be present at the Crucifixion because being the repentant sinner, it only makes sense for her to be immediately present to the event that would make real and lasting forgiveness available for everyone: the moment of Christ's death on the Cross.
Lastly it was of extreme importance for her, as repentant, forgiven sinner – already filled with the powers of right-living - to be the first seen by the Risen Christ. Jesus entire mission was to die for our salvation – which means the forgiveness of our sins. Mary represented all of us who now have the opportunity to be forgiven and reconciled with the Church, the Mystical Body of Christ, if we ask for it in the Sacrament of Reconciliation, the Sacrament of Confession for major or mortal sins committed, and at Mass for venial or minor ones committed.
For these reasons – it is reasonable to conclude that Mary Magdalene is the compilation of possibly three different persons in Church history. Or just one whose identity just never got clearly defined at the beginning.
In any event, we ask her to pray for us today – so that we can be freed from grievous sin, filled with wonderful virtuous powers, and witnesses in our own right to the Resurrection of Jesus – because we sense his resurrected presence deep within our hearts as we try to live the life of beatitude that he prescribed for us!
Tell us, Mary, what did you see on the way? I saw the glory of the risen Christ, I saw his empty tomb.
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