Mary Magdalene. Life
Holy equal to the apostles Mary Magdalene was born in the town of Magdala on the shore of the lake of Gennesaret, in Galilee, in the Northern part of the Holy Land, not far from the place where was baptized by John the Baptist. When the Lord cleansed the soul and body from all sins, expelled from her seven devils, she left everything and followed Him.
St. Mary Magdalene followed Christ, together with the other myrrh bearers, showing a touching concern about It. Becoming a true disciple of the Lord, she never left Him. She only left Him when He was taken into custody. The fear that motivated the denial of Peter and forced to flee to other students in the soul of Mary Magdalene was vanquished by love. She stood at the cross with the blessed virgin Mary, reliving the suffering of the Savior and sharing the great tribulation of the mother of God. When a warrior has put an end to sharp spears to the now silent heart of Jesus, the excruciating pain at the same time pierced heart of Mary.
Joseph and Nicodemus removed from the tree the most-pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ. Burning tears poured immeasurable sorrow inconsolable Mother bloody wounds of the Immaculate Son. The precious Body of Jesus was, according to Jewish tradition, wrapped in a thin shroud with the spices.
It was about midnight, and through the dark arch a soothing heaven’s on fire star when Joseph and Nicodemus, having lifted on the shoulders of Inestimable Burden, began to descend from the top of death hill.
In deep silence they passed through the garden and reached the Eastern side of it, adjacent to the rocky foot of mount Moriah.
Here at the stone wall, formed by nature herself, the rocky outcrops of the mountain was carved into the rock a new grave, in which no one had ever been laid. Servants took away the heavy stone, salanave the entrance to the cave, and the light from the lit lights instantly entered under the dark arches of her. In the middle lay smoothly hewn stone. On it and it was the responsibility of disciples the Body of the Unforgettable Teacher. The blessed virgin Mary and Mary Magdalene watched where he was laid.
A heavy stone had been rolled to the door of the sepulchre.
After the Sabbath, on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene came to the tomb very early when it was still dark, to pay his last respects to the body of the Saviour, smearing him, according to custom, the world and the aromas, and saw the stone rolled away from the tomb. With tears she runs to Peter and John and tells them “they have Taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid Him.” They immediately followed her and came to the tomb, saw some linen cloths and linen boards, which was wrapped the head of Jesus, carefully folded, not with the linen cloths, and at the other place lying. “As yet they knew not the Scripture, that He must rise from the dead” (Jn.20:1-10).
Keeps silence, Peter and John returned home, Mary Magdalene, tortured by ignorance and grief, stood by the grave and wept. Weeping, she stooped and looked into the tomb and saw the place where lay the body of Jesus, two angels sitting in white robes. “Woman, why weepest thou?” they ask.
“They have taken away my Lord, and do not know where they have laid Him.” Saying this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing, and knew not that it was Jesus.
“Woman, why are you crying? – says to her Jesus. Looking for someone?”
She, thinking he was the gardener, said to Him: “Sir! If you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him and I will take It.”
“Mary!” suddenly she heard a familiar, dear her voice.
“Teacher!” she exclaimed at its natural Aramaic and rushed to His feet.
But Jesus said to her, “touch Me Not, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brethren and say unto them, Ascend unto My Father and your Father; and to My God and your God”.
Beaming with happiness, restored to new life, Mary Magdalene rushed to the disciples.
“I have seen the Lord! He talked to me!” with blissful delight, shining bright rays glistening with tears in the beautiful blue eyes, told Mary Jesus ‘ disciples about the marvelous phenomenon, which she won. And the joy it has reached such proportions, which reached even her recent grief.
“Christ Is Risen! He is truly the Son of God! I have seen the Lord!…” it was the first good news brought by Mary Magdalene to the apostles, the first in the world preaching the Resurrection. The apostles were to preach the gospel to the world, but she proclaimed it to the apostles themselves:
“Hail from the mouth of Christ broadcast Sunday the first priema;
Rejoice, apostles verbs of joy first announced”.
According to legend, Mary Magdalene preached not only in Jerusalem. When the apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to the ends of the world, she went along with them. Mary, preserved in its flaming love heart every word of the Savior, left his native land and went to preach in pagan Rome. Everywhere she proclaimed to people about Christ and His teachings. And when many did not believe that Christ is risen, she repeated to them what was said in the bright morning of the Resurrection to the apostles: “I have seen the Lord! He spoke to me.” With this sermon she made the rounds of all Italy.
Read also – the myrrh-bearing women: They were not looking for earthly victory of Christ
The legend says that in Italy Mary Magdalene visited the Emperor Tiberias (14-37 years) and told him about the life, miracles and teachings of Christ, and His unjust condemnation of the Jews, the cowardice of Pilate. The Emperor doubted the miracle of the Resurrection and asked for proof. Then she took the egg and feeding it to the Emperor, said, “Christ is Risen!” At these words the white egg in the hands of the Emperor became bright red.
The egg symbolizes the birth of a new life and expresses our faith in the coming General Resurrection. Thanks to Mary Magdalene the custom to give each other Paschal eggs on the day of the luminous resurrection of Christ spread among Christians all over the world. In one ancient Greek manuscript of the Charter, written on parchment, preserved in the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia near Thessaloniki (Thessalonica), placed a prayer read on the day of Holy Pascha for the blessing of eggs and cheese, which stipulates that the Abbot, handing out blessed eggs says to the brethren: “Thus have we received from the Holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very time of the apostles, because the Holy equal to the apostles Mary Magdalene first showed believers the example of this joyful offering”.
Mary Magdalene continued her preaching in Italy and in the city of Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul, and for two years after his departure from Rome after the first court judgment upon him. Obviously, it is referring to the Holy Apostle in his Epistle to the Romans (ROM.16,16), when he mentions Mary (Mariam), who “labored much for us”.
Mary Magdalene extensively served the Church, being exposed to dangers, and sharing with the apostles the labours of preaching. From Rome the Holy, even in his old age, moved to Ephesus (Asia Minor), where he preached and helped the Apostle John in writing the gospel. Here it is, in the tradition of the Church, died and was buried.
Where to venerate the relics of Mary Magdalene
In the X century under the Emperor Leo the Philosopher (886-912) the incorruptible relics of St. Mary Magdalene were moved from Ephesus to Constantinople. I believe that during the Crusades, they were transferred to Rome and buried in the Church of St. John Lateran. Later this temple was consecrated in the name St Mary Magdalene. Part of her relics are located in France, in Prevage, near Marseille. Part of the relics of Mary Magdalene are stored in various monasteries of mount Athos and in Jerusalem. Numerous pilgrims of the Russian Church, visiting these Holy places, reverently worship her Holy relics.
“Hail, Christ’s teachings glorious blagoveschennia;
Rejoice, sinful ties many people to allow;
Rejoice, of Christ, of wisdom, all taught.
Hail, Holy equal to the apostles Mary, Magdalina, so all the best to the sweetest Lord Jesus loved”.
The feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene – July 22 (4 August).
The Exaltation Of Mary Magdalene
We magnify thee, Holy equal to the apostles Mary, Magdaline, and we honor your Holy memory, the whole world uchenymi their prosvetova and to Christ
See also:
- Myrrh-bearing women — the inconvenient witness
- Cake from myrrh