On July 22 each year (except on Sundays) we commemorate the feast of St. Mary Magdalene. This woman has been designated as the Apostle to the Apostles. Yet in the history of Christianity she has long been mischaracterized as a reformed prostitute (e.g. The Chosen) or as Jesus’ lover (e.g. The Last Temptations of Christ). There is no evidence in Scripture for these reputations. Quite probably this “prostitute” label was attached to her by some misguided, pious churchmen who assumed that any woman with “demons” was a sinner and had to be guilty of sexual transgressions.
Whatever facts we can gather from the Gospels are few. Matthew, Mark and John only mention Mary of Magdala, among other women, in relation to the crucifixion, burial and resurrection of Jesus. All the male disciples had fled. It seems helpful to remember that women, from birth, were legally considered property of some man. Their main task was child-bearing (especially sons) and child-raising. Of course they would work domestically to help support the household through housework, baking, handiwork or field work, etc. So, it would be very difficult for these evangelists to see women as more than this. Luke, as often happens, is the exception.
Mary was from the town of Magdala, home to a prosperous fish processing industry on the western side of the Sea of Galilee. Since she was (Luke 8:2-3) one of the women who accompanied Jesus and contributed financially to his ministry, she most likely had made her money in that successful local business. Luke, alone, mentions that Mary had been possessed by seven demons. Whatever her difficulties had been, they seemed to have been considerable – which accounts for the number seven. To say Mary had had seven demons is to indicate that she had big problems – possibly some type of mental illness and/or epilepsy. She felt as if she owed her well being and her life to Jesus. Luke doesn’t mention Mary by name at the cross, just says that those women who had accompanied Jesus from Galilee were there.
While all the Gospels refer to Mary among the women who went to the tomb on the first day of the week (our Sunday), John (John 20:1-18) gives her a special shoutout and a speaking part. In this Gospel, Mary goes to the tomb by herself before daybreak, discovers the stone covering the entrance rolled away, and runs to tell Simon and the “beloved disciple” (us?). They run to the tomb and find it as Mary reported. Simon and the other disciple can’t understand what this means and return to their hiding place.
While the others leave, Mary stays, weeping out her grief. She bends down and has a vision of angels who ask her why she’s weeping. Mary responds, “They’ve (someone has) taken my Lord away, and I don’t know where to find him.” Mary straightens, turns and sees a man standing nearby. He, too. asks, “Why are you weeping? Who is it that you are looking for?” Mary thinks this is the caretaker for the garden where the tomb is and states, “Sir, if you have taken him, tell me where you put him. I will go and take him off your hands.” It is Jesus who says just her name, “Mary” in that way only he did. Mary, confused and overjoyed at the same time, cries out, “Rabbouni” (my Master).
Jesus responds, “Don’t hang on to me. I have a mission for you. Go back now to the community and tell them for me that I am on my way back to my Abba and your Abba, the One alone who is God.” Don’t hang on to me. Don’t cling to me. Let me go. Do what I ask. Give this consolation to the brothers and sisters gathered together. Mary does this.
How much of our spiritual life and growth hinges on our ability to let go, to not cling or hang on to the past! We need to let go of the ideas, understandings, and ways of doing things that no longer are helping us to move on, to move forward. Prayers, devotions and other religious practices can become habits, which may hinder us from exploring new ways that might lead to maturing in our faith.
We are invited to continually look for Jesus who goes before us. Our mission from Jesus is to be ready to announce to those around us the Good News with the renewed energy that comes from encountering the Risen One as we go about our days. We need to be open. We need to keep our hands, hearts, minds, agendas flexible. We need to listen, when we are seeking, for the One who knows us, and calls us, by name.