Maria Magda. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles

Life Mary Magdalene, shrouded in many myths and legends, still
causes desperate debate among historians of religion and theologians. Who is she, this mysterious woman, who was she to Christ, why was her image deliberately distorted, and who benefited from attributing to her the past of a harlot. This review answers these controversial questions.

In the Orthodox and Catholic faiths, the interpretation of the image of Mary Magdalene is radically different: in Orthodoxy she is revered as the holy myrrh-bearer, cured by Jesus of seven demons, and in the tradition of the Catholic Church she is identified with the image of the repentant harlot Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus. Although it is reliably known from the Bible that the Holy Scriptures do not directly say anywhere that Magdalene was a harlot at any period of her life.

Mary Magdalene - evangelical harlot

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This is Roman Catholic Church either by accident or intentionally, in the person of Pope Gregory the Great, she came up with a nickname that was offensive to Magdalene - “harlot” and identified her with the gospel sinner.

Mary Magdalene - Equal-to-the-Apostles Holy Myrrh-Bearer

However, the Orthodox Saint Dmitry of Rostov spoke out against considering Mary a corrupt woman, who argued his opinion as follows: “If Magdalene had a tarnished reputation, Christ’s opponents would not fail to take advantage of this. But with all their hatred of the Savior, the Pharisees never convicted Him of having a former harlot among the apostles.”

The Orthodox Church was inclined to see in Mary one of the women healed by Christ who was possessed by demons. This liberation became the meaning of her life, and in gratitude the woman decided to devote her entire life to the Lord. And according to the Orthodox tradition, unlike Catholicism, Mary is considered a symbol of the personification of a Christian woman and is revered as the Holy Myrrh-Bearer Equal to the Apostles.

Mary Magdalene - the best disciple of Christ and the author of the Fourth Gospel

Among the Savior's disciples, Mary occupied special place. She was revered for her sincere and ardent devotion to Christ. And it is not at all by chance that the Lord awarded Mary the honor of becoming the first witness to see him resurrected.

Not only that, most Bible scholars today claim that the Fourth Gospel was created by an unknown follower of Jesus, referred to in the text as the Beloved Disciple. And there is an assumption that this was Mary Magdalene, who was one of the first founding apostles and leaders of the early Christian church.

But over time, her image became a banal victim of the struggle for church power. By the 4th-5th centuries, even imagining a female leader had already become heresy, and they decided to overthrow Mary Magdalene. “This topic has become part of a constant internal church struggle between supporters of the authority of the Church and defenders of personal revelation of God.”

Mary Magdalene - wife of Jesus Christ and mother of his sons

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The image of the Gospel Magdalene was widely popularized by the masters of Italian painting, especially Titian, Correggio, and Guido Reni. By her name"кающимися магдалинами" стали называть женщин, после развратной жизни одумавшихся и вернувшихся к нормальной жизни.!}

According to the traditions of Western art, Mary Magdalene has always been depicted as a penitent, half-naked exile with her head uncovered and her hair flowing. And all works of art on this topic are so similar that most of us are still convinced of its great sinfulness.

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In 1850, the first version of this painting was acquired by Nicholas I for the Hermitage museum collection. Now it is in one of the Italian cabinets of the New Hermitage.

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Based on the Bible, from the first reading we will indeed find few places where Mary Magdalene is mentioned.

Gospel of Matthew

Evangelist Matthew, narrating the events that took place during the crucifixion of Christ, mentions Mary among other women who stood and watched from afar what was happening. Matthew notes that these women followed and served Jesus (Matt. 27:55,56). Later in the same chapter we see Mary sitting at the Holy Sepulcher on Friday evening. In the next chapter we read: “And after the Sabbath had passed, at dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.” Matthew, describing the events of Sunday morning, reports that when the women came to the tomb, they found it empty. An angel standing at the tomb told them that Christ had risen and ordered them to tell the disciples about it. “When they went to tell His disciples, behold, Jesus met them and said: Rejoice! And they approached, grabbed His feet and worshiped Him. Then Jesus says to them: Do not be afraid; Go, tell my brothers, so that they go to Galilee, and there they will see me” Matt.28:9,10. This is the last mention of Mary Magdalene in the Gospel of Matthew.

Gospel of Mark

Evangelist Mark also mentions Mary Magdalene looking from afar with other women at the scene of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ, as well as how His body was laid in the tomb (Mark 15:40,47). In the next chapter, Mark also reports that Mary Magdalene, Mary of James, and Salome bought spices to go and anoint Him early in the morning on the first day of the week. But when they arrived, they found the tomb empty and an angel who conveyed the good news that Jesus had risen and commanded him to tell the disciples about it. In trepidation and horror, the women ran from the coffin and did not say anything to anyone, because they were afraid. But Mark, among all the women, especially singled out Mary Magdalene. And not by chance. “Rising early on the first [day] of the week, [Jesus] appeared first to Mary Magdalene, from whom he cast out seven demons” Mark 16:9. Two points can be noted from this text. Firstly, the first person to whom Christ appears after His resurrection was Mary Magdalene. And she told His disciples, but they did not believe that He was alive and that she had seen Him. Second, Jesus had previously cast seven demons out of Mary. According to the Nyström dictionary, the word “Demon” (from the Greek Daimon or Daimonnon) means evil spirit, who serves his main boss, the devil, “the prince of demons” (Matthew 9:34). John writes in his first letter: “Whoever commits sin is of the devil, because the devil sinned first. For this reason the Son of God appeared, to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8). So, in Mary there were seven demons who controlled her way of thinking, way of life. And this image was far from God's principles set forth in His Word, His law. This suggests that she was full of sin. But Christ, having power over unclean spirits (Mark 1:27), can free us from these spirits and their leader, just as He freed Mary. Jesus wants to do this, but by force, without our will, without our choice, He cannot free us from sin. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” 1 John. 1:9. “Though your sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they will be as white as wool.” Isa. 1:18.

Having received forgiveness and liberation from many sins, Mary was filled with special, reverent feelings for her Liberator. Her reciprocal love motivated her to follow and serve Christ. The same love prompted her to be nearby in the hour of suffering on the Savior’s cross. The same love led her to the tomb both on Friday at burial and on the first day of the week (Sunday) early in the morning. Mary personified the image of a woman who was the first to bring joyful news to the disciples, and in them to all humanity, about the resurrection and life. This joyful news of new life, which is now available to every person who accepts Christ by faith as their Savior, sounds from the pages of the Word of God to everyone.

Gospel of Luke and John

Evangelist Luke, like Matthew, describes events related to Mary Magdalene. The Apostle John in his Gospel especially emphasizes the meeting and conversation between Mary and Christ after His resurrection. At first, Mary did not recognize Jesus, mistaking Him for a gardener, but hearing her name pronounced by Christ, she realized that the risen Teacher was standing before her. He did not allow Him to be touched, saying that He had not yet ascended to His Father. And further He asks to inform His disciples about this, calling them brothers.

The Bible does not specify many individuals, mentioning them under different names. For example, we cannot accurately identify at least two students who different evangelists are named differently: in Matthew’s list there are “...Lebway, surnamed Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite...”, Mark mentions “... Thaddeus, Simon the Canaanite...”, and Luke speaks of “... Simon , called the Zealot, Judas of Jacob..." At the same time, the grouping of disciples in twos is presented in such a way that it seems as if Simon the Zealot is more likely Levway Thaddeus, rather than Simon the Canaanite. And Simon the Canaanite must be Judas Jacob. Different names in one person - not uncommon among the peoples of the Middle East of biblical times. And sometimes only the Jewish or Christian tradition helps (or maybe prevents) us from determining who is who.

Speaking of Mary, we can find that several women with this name are mentioned in the Gospels. It is interesting to first trace the other Mary, whom Mark calls differently: first he has “Mary the mother of James the less and of Josiah” (Mark 15:40), then there is “Mary of Josiah” (Mark 15:47), and finally she appears to us as “Mary of Jacob” (Mark 16:1). The first text and the surroundings of this Mary allow us to understand that this is one and the same woman, and she is named not after her father or her husband, but after her sons. And we find all this in one narrative, which shows how the evangelists treated the naming of their heroes.

What do we know about Mary Magdalene, and what do we know about Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus? Firstly, Magdala is located on the shores of Lake Galilee, not far from Capernaum and Bethsaida, where the first disciples of Christ were from. Martha and Lazarus lived in Bethany, which was located near Jerusalem, which is very far from Magdala. It seems that this circumstance should immediately negate the commonality of these two names - Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany. However, let's not rush, because it is not difficult to find a simple explanation for this, if we take into account two circumstances: (1) The Lord cast out seven demons from Mary Magdalene (Mark 16:9; Luke 8:2), after which she and the others were healed and Purified, she followed Jesus through the cities and villages. (2) The Bethany woman was a sinner who poured precious ointment on Jesus in Simon's house (Luke 7:37-50; Matt. 26:6,7; Mark 14:3). And in In. 11:2 and John 12:1-3 directly states that Mary, the sister of Lazarus, “anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped His feet with her hair.” Of course, it can be assumed that there were two women who performed such a good deed towards Jesus in different time. But most likely we're talking about about one woman. Then, we see that “both” Marys – Mary Magdalene and Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus, had an unenviable sinful past. Both Marys received great forgiveness from the Lord, and therefore followed Him. Is this why another nameless sinner, forgiven by Christ, is traditionally associated with Mary Magdalene? (John 8:11).

The woman taken in adultery and brought to Christ, Mary, from whom seven demons were cast out, the woman who anointed Jesus with precious ointment, Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, who also anointed Jesus with ointment - traditionally Christians saw in all these women the same person. “Preachers, theologians, artists, poets and singers attributed all these events to Mary Magdalene, who, according to Christ, should be proclaimed everywhere (Matt. 26:13; Mark 14:9). And although these words were spoken about Mary from Bethany, throughout the world, even among non-Christians, it is Mary Magdalene who is known as a great sinner, forgiven by the Lord” (V. Yunak).

“According to human concepts, Mary was a hopeless sinner, but Christ saw good inclinations in her soul, her good traits. The Plan of Salvation opened up great opportunities for humanity. These possibilities were to be realized in Mary. By His grace she became a partaker of the Divine nature. Fallen, once possessed by unclean spirits, she came to know the Savior better, communicating with Him and serving Him. It was Mary who sat at His feet and learned from Him. It was Mary who poured the precious ointment on His head and washed His feet with her tears. Mary stood at the cross and accompanied His body to the tomb. Mary came to the tomb first after His resurrection. Mary was the first to proclaim the resurrection of the Savior.

Jesus knows the condition of every soul. You may say, “I am a sinner, a great sinner.” Quite possible. But the worse you are, the more you need Jesus. He will never turn away from a single weeping, lamenting soul. He, of course, does not reveal to everyone everything that He can reveal, but He commands every trembling person: “Take courage!” He willingly forgives all who come to Him to receive forgiveness and deliverance from sin.

Christ could have commanded the angels of heaven to pour out the bowls of His wrath upon our world to destroy all who are filled with hatred of God. He could erase it dark spot with Your Universe. But He doesn't do this. Today He stands in the Heavenly Temple at the altar of incense, offering to God the prayers of all who thirst for His help.

Jesus protects those who seek refuge in Him from accusations and strife. Neither man nor angel can condemn such people. Christ makes them partakers of His divine-human nature. These people stand beside the great Redeemer of sin in the light that comes from the throne of God. “Who will accuse God’s elect? God justifies them. Who condemns? Christ (Jesus) died, but also rose again: He is also at the right hand of God, He also makes intercession for us” (Rom. 8:33, 34)” (E. White “ Desire of Ages").

Today there are many church legends around the name of Mary Magdalene. However, you need to understand that there is no documentary evidence confirming the existence of the events described in history, much less the participation of Mary Magadlina in them. All these legends arose in Christianity centuries after the life of Mary herself. Perhaps we are only seeing a kind of “exploitation” of her famous name.

Evgeniya, I wish that you, reflecting on who Mary Magdalene was, would focus on what Christ did for her (gave great forgiveness), what her reaction was to this (love, following Him, service, readiness to carefully listen). I also ask you to pay attention to the fact that no matter what sinners we are, by coming to Christ we can receive forgiveness, salvation and new life!

Andrey Tolstobokov

Here => others

One of the most famous female figures in Orthodoxy is Mary Magdalene, with whom there is a lot of reliable information and speculation from various researchers. She is the main one among, and she is also considered the wife of Jesus Christ.

Who is Mary Magdalene?

A devoted follower of Christ who was the myrrh-bearer is Mary Magdalene. A lot of information is known about this saint:

Mary Magdalene is considered equal to the apostles, and this is explained by the fact that she preached the Gospel with special zeal, like the other apostles.
The saint was born in Syria in the city of Magdala, which is why the nickname known throughout the world is associated.
She was next to the Savior when he was crucified and was the first to exclaim “Christ is Risen!”, holding in her hands Easter eggs.
Mary Magdalene is the myrrh-bearer, since she was among those women who, on the morning of the first day of Saturday, came to the Tomb of the risen Christ, bringing with them myrrh (incense) to anoint the body.
It is worth noting that in Catholic traditions this name is identified with the image of the harlot who repented and Mary of Bethany. Associated with it a large number of legends.
There is information that Mary Magdalene is the wife of Jesus Christ, but there is not a word about this in the Bible.

What did Mary Magdalene look like?

There is no clear description of what the saint looked like, but traditionally in Western art and symbolism she is represented as young and very beautiful girl. Her main pride was long hair and she always has them loose. This is due to the fact that when the girl poured the ointment on Christ’s feet, she wiped them with her hair. More often than usual, Mary Magdalene, the wife of Jesus, is depicted with her head uncovered and a vessel of incense.

Mary Magdalene - life

In her youth, it would be hard to call the girl righteous, since she led a depraved life. As a result of this, she was possessed by demons who began to subjugate her. Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene was saved by Jesus, who cast out demons. After this event, she believed in the Lord and became his most faithful disciple. There is a lot connected with this Orthodox figure important events for believers who are described in the Gospel and other scriptures.

Appearance of Christ to Mary Magdalene

Holy Scripture tells about the saint only from the moment she became a disciple of the Savior. This happened after Jesus delivered her from seven demons. Throughout her life, Mary Magdalene maintained her devotion to the Lord and followed him until the end of his earthly life. IN Good Friday together with the Mother of God she mourned the dead Jesus. When figuring out who Mary Magdalene is in Orthodoxy and how she is connected with Christ, it is worth pointing out that she was the first to come to the tomb of the Savior on Sunday morning to Once again express your loyalty to him.

Wanting to pour incense on His body, the woman saw that only the burial shrouds remained in the coffin, but the body itself was missing. She thought it had been stolen. At this time, Christ appeared to Mary Magdalene after the resurrection, but she did not recognize him, mistaking him for a gardener. She recognized him when he addressed her by name. As a result, the saint became the one who brought the good news to all believers about the resurrection of Jesus.

Children of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene

British historians and archaeologists, after their research, announced that the saint was not only faithful companion both the wife of Jesus Christ and the mother of His children. There are apocryphal texts that describe the life of Equal-to-the-Apostles. They tell us that Jesus and Mary Magdalene had a spiritual marriage, and as a result immaculate conception she gave birth to a son, Joseph the Sweetest. He became the founder of the royal house of the Merovingians. According to another legend, Magdalene had two children: Joseph and Sophia.

How did Mary Magdalene die?

After Jesus Christ was resurrected, the saint began to travel around the world to preach the Gospel. The fate of Mary Magdalene brought her to Ephesus, where she assisted the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian. According to church tradition, she died in Ephesus and was buried there. The Bollandists claimed that the saint died in Provence and was buried in Marseille, but this opinion has no ancient evidence.

Where is Mary Magdalene buried?

The grave of the Equal-to-the-Apostles is located in Ephesus, where John the Theologian lived in exile at that time. According to legend, he wrote chapter 20 of the Gospel, in which he talks about his meeting with Christ after his Resurrection, under the guidance of the saint. Since the time of Leo the Philosopher, the tomb of Mary Magdalene has remained empty, since the relics were transferred first to Constantinople and then to Rome to the Cathedral of John Lateran, which was later renamed in honor of Equal-to-the-Apostles. Some parts of the relics are also located in other churches in France, Mount Athos, Jerusalem and Russia.

The Legend of Mary Magdalene and the Egg

Traditions are associated with this holy woman. According to existing tradition, she preached the Gospel in Rome. In this city, Mary Magdalene and Tiberius, who was the emperor, met. At that time, the Jews observed an important tradition: when a person first comes to famous person, then he must definitely bring him some kind of gift. Poor people in most cases brought vegetables, fruits and eggs, with which Mary Magdalene came.

One version says that the egg taken by the saint was red, which surprised the ruler. She told Tiberius about the life, death and resurrection of Christ. According to another version of the legend “Mary Magdalene and the Egg,” when the saint appeared to the emperor, she said: “Christ is Risen.” Tiberius doubted this and said that he would believe it only if the eggs turned red before his eyes, which is what happened. Historians doubt these versions, but the people have beautiful tradition with a deep meaning.

Mary Magdalene - prayer

Thanks to her faith, the saint was able to overcome many vices and cope with sins, and after her death she helps people who turn to her in prayer.

Since Mary Magdalene conquered fear and unbelief, those who want to strengthen their faith and become more courageous turn to her.
Prayer requests in front of her image help to receive forgiveness for sins committed. Women who had an abortion ask her for repentance.
Prayer to Mary Magdalene will help protect yourself from bad addictions and temptations. People turn to her with problems to get rid of them as quickly as possible.
The saint helps people receive protection from magical influences from outside.
She is considered the patroness of hairdressers and pharmacy employees.

Mary Magdalene – interesting facts

With this famous female figure V Orthodox faith There is a lot of information involved, among which several facts can be highlighted:

Saint Mary Magdalene is mentioned 13 times in the New Testament.
After the church declared the woman a saint, relics from Magdalene appeared. These include not only relics, but also hair, chips from the coffin and blood. They are distributed throughout the world and are found in different temples.
IN famous texts There is no direct evidence in the Gospels that Jesus and Mary were husband and wife.
The clergy claim that the role of Mary Magdalene is great, since it was not for nothing that Jesus himself called her his “beloved disciple,” because she understood him better than others.
After the appearance of various films related to religion, for example, The Da Vinci Code, many people had various doubts. For example, there are a huge number of people who believe that famous icon“The Last Supper” next to the Savior is not John the Theologian, but Mary Magdalene herself. The Church assures that such opinions are absolutely groundless.
Many paintings, poems and songs have been written about Mary Magdalene.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, one of the myrrh-bearing women, was honored to be the first of people to see the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. She was born in the town of Magdala in Galilee. The inhabitants of Galilee were distinguished by their spontaneity, ardor of character and selflessness. These qualities were also inherent in Saint Mary Magdalene. From her youth she suffered from a serious illness - demonic possession (Luke 8:2). Before the Coming of Christ the Savior into the world, there were especially many demoniacs: the enemy of the human race, foreseeing his imminent shame, rebelled against people with ferocious force. Through the illness of Mary Magdalene, the glory of God appeared, and she herself acquired the great virtue of complete trust in the will of God and unshakable devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord cast out seven demons from her, she, leaving everything, followed Him.

Saint Mary Magdalene followed Christ along with other women healed by the Lord, showing touching care about him. She did not leave the Lord after His capture by the Jews, when the faith of His closest disciples began to waver. The fear that prompted the Apostle Peter to renounce was overcome by love in the soul of Mary Magdalene. She stood at the Cross with Holy Mother of God and the Apostle John, experiencing the suffering of the Divine Teacher and communing with the great grief of the Mother of God. Holy Mary Magdalene accompanied the Most Pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was transferred to the tomb in the garden of Righteous Joseph of Arimathea, and was at His burial (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47). Having served the Lord during His earthly life, she wanted to serve Him after death, giving the last honors to His Body, anointing it, according to the custom of the Jews, with peace and aromas (Luke 23:56).

Early in the morning on the third day after the Crucifixion, Saint Mary Magdalene, ahead of the other myrrh-bearing women, came to the tomb with aromas and saw that the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb cave had been rolled away (John 20:1; Mark 16:4). Then she returned to Jerusalem in confusion and called the apostles Peter and John: “They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him” (John 20:2). The apostles Peter and John hurried to the tomb and became convinced that it was empty: the Body of Christ had disappeared, and the shrouds with which it was wrapped lay separately from the cloth that covered His head. Being in spiritual confusion, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb in inconsolable grief; she did not think about what had happened, but her thoughts and heart were with Christ. And when she looked into the coffin again, she saw two Angels there in a white robe who asked her: “Wife, why are you crying?” Saint Mary's suffering was so great that she, without hesitation, told the Angels about her misfortune the same thing that she would have told people. Suddenly the appearance of the Angels became especially reverent; Saint Mary Magdalene involuntarily turned back and saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him (John 20:14). The Lord did not immediately reveal Himself to her so that she could get used to His appearance. After the Savior’s compassionate appeal to her, “Wife, why are you crying? Who are you looking for? - Saint Mary, mistaking Him for a gardener, felt hope. She made a trusting request to the One who appeared: “Sir, if you carried Him out, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him” (John 20:15). And this was enough for Christ to let her recognize Himself. He called her by name, and she threw herself at His feet, exclaiming: “Teacher!” The Lord meekly pulled away from her in order to enlighten her thoughts and help her understand that He had risen in the transformed flesh: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father” (John 20:17). Christ sent Saint Mary with a message from Him to the disciples, and the blessed wife, rejoicing, announced to the Apostles about what she had seen - “Christ is risen!” As the first evangelist of Christ's resurrection, Saint Mary Magdalene is recognized by the Church as equal to the apostles. This gospel is the main event of her life, the beginning of her apostolic ministry.

The apostles at first did not believe the testimony of Mary Magdalene. After the humiliation of the Lord on the Cross, they could not maintain the height of faith in Jesus as the Messiah: they now perceived Him only as a prophet (Luke 24:19). Only after the testimony of the holy Apostle Peter, to whom the Risen Lord appeared, the apostles were confirmed in their faith in the Risen Christ the Savior. Saint Mary Magdalene tirelessly preached the Resurrection of the Lord.

According to legend, she preached the gospel not only in Jerusalem. Saint Mary Magdalene went to Rome and saw Emperor Tiberius (14-37). The emperor, known for his hardness of heart, listened to Saint Mary, who told him about the life, miracles and teachings of Christ, about His unrighteous condemnation by the Jews, and about the cowardice of Pilate. Then she brought him a red egg with the words “Christ is risen!” This act of the sleeping Mary Magdalene is associated with the Easter custom of giving each other red eggs (egg, symbol mysterious life, expresses faith in the coming general Resurrection). Tradition claims that Tiberius was touched by the preaching of Saint Mary. He proposed to the Roman Senate to include Christ in the host of Roman gods, but the Senate rejected this proposal.

Then Saint Mary went to Ephesus (Asia Minor). Here she helped the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in his preaching. Here, according to Church tradition, she reposed and was buried. In the 9th century, under Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher (886-912), the imperishable moshis of Saint Mary Magdalene were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople. It is believed that during crusades they were taken to Rome, where they rested in the temple in the name of St. John Lateran. Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) consecrated this temple in the name of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. Some of her relics are located in France, in Provages near Marseille, where a temple dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene was also erected. Parts of the holy relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene are kept in various monasteries of Holy Mount Athos and in Jerusalem. Numerous pilgrims of the Russian Church who visit these holy places reverently venerate its holy relics.

On the shores of Lake Gennesaret, between the cities of Capernaum and Tiberias, there was a small city of Magdala, the remains of which have survived to this day. Now in its place stands only the small village of Medjdel.

A woman was once born and raised in Magdala, whose name will forever go down in gospel history. The Gospel does not tell us anything about Mary’s youth, but Tradition tells us that Mary of Magdala was young, beautiful and led a sinful life. The Gospel says that the Lord cast out seven demons from Mary. From the moment of healing, Maria began a new life. She became a faithful disciple of the Savior.

The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene followed the Lord when He and the apostles passed through the cities and villages of Judea and Galilee preaching the Kingdom of God. Together with pious women - Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod's steward), Susanna and others, she served Him from their estates (Luke 8:1-3) and, undoubtedly, shared evangelistic works with the apostles, especially among women. Obviously, Evangelist Luke means her, along with other women, when he says that at the moment of Christ’s procession to Golgotha, when, after the scourging, He carried a heavy Cross on Himself, exhausted under its weight, the women followed Him, crying and sobbing, and He consoled their. The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene was also on Calvary at the time of the Lord’s crucifixion. When all the Savior’s disciples fled, she fearlessly remained at the Cross along with the Mother of God and the Apostle John.

The evangelists also list among those who stood at the Cross the mother of the Apostle James the Less, and Salome, and other women who followed the Lord from Galilee itself, but everyone names Mary Magdalene first, and the Apostle John, besides the Mother of God, mentions only her and Mary of Cleopas. This indicates how much she stood out from among all the women surrounding the Savior.

She was faithful to Him not only in the days of His glory, but also at the time of His extreme humiliation and reproach. She, as the Evangelist Matthew narrates, was also present at the burial of the Lord. Before her eyes, Joseph and Nicodemus carried His lifeless body into the tomb. Before her eyes, they blocked the entrance to the cave with a large stone, where the Sun of Life had set...

Faithful to the law in which she was brought up, Mary, together with the other women, remained at rest the entire next day, for the day of that Saturday was great, coinciding with the Easter holiday that year. But still, before the onset of the day of rest, the women managed to stock up on aromas so that on the first day of the week they could come at dawn to the grave of the Lord and Teacher and, according to the custom of the Jews, anoint His body with funeral aromas.

It must be assumed that, having agreed to go to the Tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week, the holy women, having gone to their homes on Friday evening, did not have the opportunity to meet each other on the Sabbath day, and as soon as the light of the next day dawned, they went to the tomb without together, and each from her own home.

Evangelist Matthew writes that the women came to the tomb at dawn or, as Evangelist Mark puts it, very early, at sunrise; Evangelist John, as if complementing them, says that Mary came to the tomb so early that it was still dark. Apparently, she was looking forward to the end of the night, but without waiting for dawn, when darkness still reigned all around, she ran to where the body of the Lord lay.

So Mary came to the tomb alone. Seeing the stone rolled away from the cave, she hurried in fear to where the closest apostles of Christ lived - Peter and John. Hearing the strange news that the Lord was taken away from the tomb, both Apostles ran to the tomb and, seeing the shrouds and the folded cloth, were amazed. The apostles left and did not say anything to anyone, and Mary stood near the entrance to a dark cave and cried. Here, in this dark coffin, her Lord lay lifeless just recently. Wanting to make sure that the coffin was really empty, she approached it - and then a strong light suddenly shone around her. She saw two Angels in white robes, sitting one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus was laid. Hearing the question: “Woman, why are you crying?” - she answered with the same words that she had just spoken to the Apostles: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they laid Him.” Having said this, she turned around, and at that moment she saw the Risen Jesus standing near the tomb, but did not recognize Him.

He asked Mary: “Woman, why are you crying, Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that she saw the gardener, answered: “Sir, if you brought Him out, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him.”

But at that moment she recognized the voice of the Lord, a voice that was familiar from the very day He healed her. She heard this voice in those days, in those years when, together with other pious women, she followed the Lord through all the cities and villages where His preaching was heard. A joyful cry burst from her chest: “Rabbi!”, which means Teacher.

Respect and love, tenderness and deep reverence, a sense of gratitude and recognition of His superiority as a great Teacher - everything merged in this one exclamation. She could say nothing more and threw herself at the feet of her Teacher to wash them with tears of joy. But the Lord said to her: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brothers and tell them: “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

She came to her senses and again ran to the Apostles to fulfill the will of the One who sent her to preach. Again she ran into the house, where the Apostles were still in confusion, and announced to them the good news: “I saw the Lord!” This was the world's first sermon on the Resurrection.

The Apostles were supposed to preach the gospel to the world, but she preached the gospel to the Apostles themselves...

Holy Scripture does not tell us about the life of Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Christ, but there is no doubt that if terrible moments Since the crucifixion of Christ, she was at the foot of His Cross with His Most Pure Mother and John, then there is no doubt that she remained with them all the near future after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Thus, Saint Luke writes in the book of the Acts of the Apostles that all the Apostles unanimously remained in prayer and supplication with certain women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Sacred Tradition tells that when the Apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to preach to all corners of the world, Mary Magdalene also went with them to preach. A brave woman, whose heart was full of memories of the Risen One, left motherland and went to preach to pagan Rome. And everywhere she proclaimed to people about Christ and His teaching, and when many did not believe that Christ had risen, she repeated to them the same thing that she said to the Apostles on the bright morning of the Resurrection: “I saw the Lord.” With this sermon she traveled all over Italy.

Tradition says that in Italy, Mary Magdalene appeared to Emperor Tiberius (14-37) and preached to him about the Risen Christ. According to Tradition, she brought him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: “Christ is Risen!” Then she told the emperor that in his province of Judea, Jesus the Galilean, a holy man who performed miracles, strong before God and all people, was innocently convicted, executed at the slander of the Jewish high priests, and the sentence was confirmed by the procurator Pontius Pilate appointed by Tiberius.

Mary repeated the words of the Apostles that those who believed in Christ were redeemed from a vain life not with corruptible silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as an immaculate and pure Lamb.

Thanks to Mary Magdalene, the custom of giving each other Easter eggs on Easter Day Christ's Resurrection spread among Christians all over the world. In one ancient handwritten Greek charter, written on parchment, stored in the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia near Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki), there is a prayer read on the day of Holy Easter for the consecration of eggs and cheese, which indicates that the abbot, distributing the consecrated eggs, says to the brethren : “So we accepted from the holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very times of the apostles, for the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was the first to show the believers an example of this joyful sacrifice.”

Mary Magdalene continued her evangelism in Italy and in the city of Rome itself. Obviously, it is she who the Apostle Paul has in mind in his Epistle to the Romans (16:6), where, together with other ascetics of the preaching of the Gospel, he mentions Mary (Mariam), who, as he puts it, “has labored a lot for us.” Obviously, they selflessly served the Church both with their own means and their labors, exposing themselves to dangers, and shared the labors of preaching with the Apostles.

According to Church tradition, she stayed in Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul there and for another two years after his departure from Rome after his first trial. From Rome, Saint Mary Magdalene, already in old age, moved to Ephesus, where the holy Apostle John worked tirelessly, who, from her words, wrote the 20th chapter of his Gospel. The saint ended there earthly life and was buried.

Her holy relics were transferred in the 9th century to the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople and placed in the church of the monastery in the name of St. Lazarus. During the era of the Crusades, they were transferred to Italy and placed in Rome under the altar of the Lateran Cathedral. Part of the relics of Mary Magdalene is located in France near Marseille, where above them at the foot steep mountain A magnificent temple was erected in her honor.

The Orthodox Church sacredly honors the memory of Saint Mary Magdalene - a woman called by the Lord Himself from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

Once mired in sin, she, having received healing, sincerely and irrevocably began a new, pure life and never wavered on this path. Mary loved the Lord, who called her to a new life; She was faithful to Him not only when He, having cast out seven demons from her, surrounded by enthusiastic people, walked through the cities and villages of Palestine, gaining the glory of a miracle worker, but also when all the disciples left Him out of fear and He, humiliated and crucified , hung in agony on the Cross. That is why the Lord, knowing her faithfulness, was the first to appear to her, rising from the grave, and it was she who was vouchsafed to be the first preacher of His Resurrection.