Morning Prayer: St. Mary Magdalene: What Scripture Actually Says, What Tradition Discerns, and What Culture Gets Wrong
Today’s Mass is consecrated to St. Mary Magdalene , a woman whose name carries centuries of devotion, misunderstanding, projection, and—finally—rediscovery. She is one of the most important disciples in the New Testament, yet her identity has been repeatedly distorted by secular portrayals and even by earlier Christian preaching. A clear-eyed look at scripture reveals someone far more compelling than the caricatures. 1. Why is Mary Magdalene a saint? She is a saint because she was: A faithful disciple of Jesus A witness to His crucifixion when most others fled A witness to His burial The first witness to the Resurrection The first to proclaim the Resurrection to the apostles , earning her the ancient title apostola apostolorum —the apostle to the apostles. Holiness in the Christian tradition is not about perfection but about fidelity. Mary Magdalene’s fidelity is absolute: she stays when others run, she seeks when others hide, she proclaims when others doubt. 2. What does script...