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 left everything and followed Him.

Saint Mary Magdalene followed Christ along with other wives healed by the Lord, showing touching concern for 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 together with the Most Holy Theotokos 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 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 the 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, was located small town Magdala, the remains of which have survived to this day. Now in its place stands the small village of Medjdel.

A woman was once born and raised in Magdala, whose name will forever be remembered. gospel story. The Gospel tells us nothing about youth Mary, but Tradition says 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 her 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, the 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 Christ’s closest apostles, Peter and John, lived. 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 towns 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 no 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 say to 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 in the terrible moments of Christ’s crucifixion she was at the foot of His Cross with His Most Pure Mother and John, then there is no doubt that she was with them throughout the immediate time 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 the day of Christ's Holy 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 blessed eggs, says to the brethren: “So we received from the holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very times of the apostles, for Holy Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene was the first to show the believers an example of this joyful sacrifice.”

St. Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene

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.

When Mary began to tell Tiberius that Jesus Christ also escaped from the deadly shackles and was resurrected, the emperor just laughed: “This is as impossible as yours.” white egg turn red." And before Tiberius had time to finish his sentence, the egg in the hands of Mary Magdalene turned completely red...

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. Some of the relics of Mary Magdalene are located in France near Marseille, where a magnificent temple was erected in her honor at the foot of a steep mountain.

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.

MARY MAGDALENE
Troparion, tone 1

Christ, born of the Virgin for our sake, /
Honest Magdalene Mary, you followed, /
The justifications and laws are preserved. /
Also today we celebrate your all-holy memory, /
the resolution of sins / through your prayers is acceptable.

In contact with

Mary Magdalene: biography

Mary Magdalene is a follower mentioned both in Catholicism and in Orthodoxy and Protestantism. Shelters for fallen women are named after her, the image of a repentant sinner is identified with her, and prayers addressed to the icon of Magdalene bestow humility, courage, help in persecution and admonition of non-believers. Mary is traditionally considered the patroness social workers, preachers and teachers. Mary Magdalene was also a favorite subject of Renaissance artists.

Childhood and youth

The biography of Magdalene is full of mysteries and secrets, because the only source pointing to the reality of the life of the legendary follower of Jesus Christ is the Gospel text. Therefore, confirm or deny whether Mary Magdalene historical figure, biographers and scientists cannot to this day.

There is practically no information about the childhood and youth of this heroine. The name of the supporter of the Messiah is mentioned only in some sources - in the Gospel of Luke, where, in the narration of the existence of the Son of God, miraculous healing from demons is mentioned, as well as in the other three manuscripts - John, Matthew and Mark - the woman’s name can be found only in a few episodes.

Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene was born in the Israeli city of Magdala, located on the shores of Lake Gennesaret, in the northern part of the Holy Land.

One can only guess in what family Mary grew up and was brought up, and who her parents were, because the holy scriptures are silent about this. Although Western European legends say that her parents were called Sir and Eucharia, other sources indicate that Magdalene was an orphan and worked in the market.

It is worth paying attention to the name of the disciple of Jesus Christ. Mary comes from the Hebrew language, and Christian tradition translates this name as “lady.” According to traditional biblical beliefs, this was the name of the mother of Jesus Christ, after whom other revered Christian figures were named. And the nickname Magdalene has geographical roots and means “a native of the city of Migdal-El.”

The toponym literally stands for “tower”, and there are reasons for this. The fact is that in the Middle Ages these buildings were a feudal knightly symbol, and, therefore, this noble shade was transferred to personal qualities Magdalene, who was endowed with an aristocratic character.

But there is another assumption regarding the nickname of the Equal-to-the-Apostles Virgin: in the multi-volume religious codex the Talmud there is the expression “magadella,” which translated from Hebrew means “hair curler.”

Meeting with Jesus Christ

Based on the Holy Scriptures, it can be assumed that the first meeting of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene took place in the house of the Pharisee Simon, where the Savior was anointed with myrrh. Confirmation is a sacrament in which the believer, along with specially prepared consecrated oil, is given the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

According to the legend, the woman who appeared to Christ poured water on the head of Jesus from an alabaster vessel, and also washed His feet with tears and wiped them with the hair of her head. Judging by the four Gospels, the disciples of Jesus were unhappy that the visiting guest was wasting expensive oil, which could have been sold and the proceeds given to the poor. The Pharisee also noted that the one touching Christ was a sinner, but Jesus, comparing Simon’s inhospitality and Mary’s efforts, said:

“Therefore I tell you: her many sins are forgiven because she loved much, but he who is forgiven little loves little. He said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.”

But some suggest that the meeting of Magdalene and Jesus took place earlier than in Simon's house. Christ said that she “loved much,” that is, Himself, so it can be assumed that Mary may have been among those who followed the Messiah to Jerusalem. After forgiveness, Magdalene began to be considered Christ’s best disciple, but Mary was not among the 12 apostles in the painting “The Last Supper.”

Magdalene began to follow Christ, serving him and sharing her property, and the messiah trusted this woman with even the most intimate secrets, which is why Magdalene earned the dislike of Christ’s disciples, who demanded that the virgin be removed from His circle.

According to legend, this woman was the only one who did not abandon the Savior when he was arrested, while Peter, the most devoted of the apostles, denied his leader three times after he was taken into custody.

It is known that Mary Magdalene was present at the execution of Jesus Christ along with His mother, mother’s sister and Mary of Cleopas. The follower of the Son of God stood next to Christ, sharing the great maternal suffering of the Mother of God. When the Savior’s heart stopped beating, Mary mourned the Savior, and then accompanied the body of Jesus to the tomb carved by Joseph in the rock.

Byzantine literature indicates that after the crucifixion, Mary Magdalene, along with the Mother of God, went to ancient city Ephesus, to John the Theologian, and helped him in his labors. By the way, it is the Gospel of John that contains the most information about the life of Magdalene.

According to legend, Mary Magdalene returned a day after the death of Christ to that cave to show her devotion to the Savior by anointing His body with aromatic oils and myrrh. But when Jesus’ companion approached the rocky mountain, she discovered that the stone covering the entrance to the cave had been moved and the cave itself was empty.

Desperate Mary in grief went to John and Peter to tell them that the body of the Messiah had disappeared from the burial place. Then the apostles, together with Magdalene, again went to the rocky mountain and saw that the cave was empty. The disciples of Christ left the grotto in grief, while Mary remained next to the tomb, crying and trying to understand the reason for the disappearance of Jesus Christ.

Mary Magdalene raised her tear-stained eyes and saw two angels sitting in front of her. When they asked about the reason for the suffering of the unfortunate maiden, she replied that she was tormented by the unknown. Then the woman looked up and saw Jesus Christ, whom she initially mistook for a gardener and asked to indicate where the teacher’s grave was located. But when the one who came said her name, she recognized the Son of God and threw herself at His feet. Based on the gospel accounts, Jesus answered Mary:

“Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; But go to My brothers and say to them: “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

Christianity

According to biblical legends, the holy virgin became a follower of Jesus Christ after healing from evil spirits and repentance for sins, which is why many admirers Christian traditions There was an idea that Mary Magdalene was a great harlot and sinner.

This identification of Mary with the nameless woman of the Gospels who washed the Savior’s feet can be found in Catholic tradition, however, the fornication of a follower of Christ is not mentioned either in the Menaion or in its akathist. Thus, in Catholicism, Magdalene takes the form of a former harlot, and the Italian painter was able to convey the woman’s emotions in his painting “The Penitent Mary Magdalene.”

According to Catholicism, Mary Magdalene was a representative of the oldest profession, and when she met the Son of God, she abandoned her craft and became his follower.

It is worth noting that Orthodox scriptures speak only about Magdalene’s demonic possession, denying her riotous past. But Mary's life was not sweet, because the virgin was not married and had no children. In those days, such women were looked upon with suspicion, and in order to protect herself from the advances of men, Maria had to pretend to be possessed.

IN Orthodox tradition Mary Magdalene appears as the Holy Myrrh-Bearer Equal to the Apostles (in Protestantism - exclusively as the Holy Myrrh-Bearer). She made an undeniable contribution to the work of preaching. Mary spread the word about Jesus in Italy and one day visited the pagan leader Tiberius.

The woman handed him a gift egg, for lack of anything else, and said “Christ is Risen!” Tiberius stated that resurrection was as impossible as the fact that a donated egg would turn scarlet. However, the egg turned blood red. This is how the Easter tradition was born.

It is believed that Christ’s companion worked a lot in Rome, as evidenced by the book of the New Testament, which contains the collections of the letters of the Holy Apostle Paul.

As for Catholicism, it is said that Mary Magdalene spent the second part of her life in the desert, where she led an ascetic lifestyle and repented of her sins every day. The clothes of the holy virgin had decayed, so the women covered their nakedness long hair, and Mary herself was carried into heaven by angels in order to heal her exhausted old body. But it is worth saying that this plot is borrowed from the description of the life of the Christian saint Mary of Egypt, considered the patroness of confessing women.

Love theories

The personal life of Mary Magdalene is shrouded in a halo of mystery, so it is not surprising that various love theories about the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint appear among historians. For example, some believe that Mary Magdalene was the wife of John the Theologian, while others are sure that the myrrh-bearer was the wife of Jesus Christ, because this woman plays a significant role almost in the very important episode New Testament.

Since church representatives tried to get rid of unofficial books, there is practically no news about who Jesus’ beloved was, and there is an assumption that the lines about the family life of the Messiah in the New Testament were cut out on purpose.

But most scholars are inclined to favor Magdalene. In the Gospel, there is an indicative episode when the disciples of the Son of God were jealous of Jesus for Magdalene because of a kiss on the lips.

Also, in those days, an unmarried woman did not have the right to accompany wanderers on the road, unlike the wife of one of them. Among other things, scientists refer to the fact that after the resurrection Christ appeared to Mary, and not to his disciples. And besides, men who did not have a wife were considered a strange phenomenon, so an unmarried Jesus would hardly have been able to become a prophet and teacher.

Death

In Orthodoxy, Mary Magdalene died quietly and calmly, a woman died in Ephesus, and her relics were transferred to the Constantinople monastery of St. Lazarus.

According to another branch of the Christian movement, while Mary was a hermit in the desert, she was given communion by a priest who accidentally wandered into those parts, who was at first embarrassed by the naked appearance of the woman. According to Catholicism, the remains of the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint are kept in the church of Saint-Maximin-la-Saint-Baume, in Provence.

In memory of Mary Magdalene, many colorful paintings were painted and filmed documentaries. It is noteworthy that on the canvases the disciple of Christ is depicted in individual scenes extremely rarely, whereas she can often be seen in the image of the myrrh-bearer, with a vessel of incense.

Memory

• 1565 – painting “Penitent Mary Magdalene” ()
• 1861 – poem “Mary Magdalene” (Nikolai Ogarev)
• 1923 - cycle of poems “Magdalene” ()
• 1970 – rock opera “Jesus Christ Superstar” (Andrew Lloyd Weber)
• 1985 – song “Maria Magdalena” ()
• 2017 – film “Mary Magdalene” (Garth Davis)

Date of publication or update 11/01/2017

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

The great Equal-to-the-Apostles holy myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene, especially famous in the Christian Church for her fiery, unshakably selfless love for the Lord Jesus Christ, was from the rich city of Magdala at that time, which was located in the Galilee region of Palestine, on the shore of Lake Gennesaret, or otherwise the Sea of ​​Galilee, between the cities of Capernaum and Tiberias. By origin from the city of Magdala, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary is called Magdalene, to distinguish her from other pious women mentioned in the Gospel with the name Mary.

Equal to the Apostles Saint Mary Magdalene was a true Galilean. And a Galilean, a Galilean woman in the preaching and establishment of Christianity means a lot of special things. Christ the Savior Himself was called a Galilean (Matthew 26:69), since He grew up and lived from infancy and then preached a lot in Galilee, and even in the fourth century the Greco-Roman Emperor Julian the Apostate died (in 363) with the words addressed to Christ:

- You defeated me, Galilean!

The first-called Apostles of Christ, who forever remained closest to the Savior, were all Galileans, with the exception of only Judas Iscariot, the traitor who was not a Galilean. When Christ the Savior appeared, after the Resurrection, on a mountain in Galilee to a large crowd (more than 500) of believers, most of them consisted of Galileans who followed the Lord during His preaching throughout Galilee, listened to His teaching, witnessed His miracles and experienced the goodness of the merciful One. Healer Jesus. And how, in general, the Galileans perceived and spread the teachings of Christ more zealously than the Jews of other regions of Palestine, therefore, at the beginning, all the followers of Christ the Savior were called “Galileans” (Acts 1:11).

The Galileans also differed greatly and sharply from the Jews of other regions of Palestine, just as the nature of Galilee was contrastingly different from southern Palestine. In Galilee the nature was cheerful and the population lively and simple; in southern Palestine there is a barren desert and a people who do not want to recognize anything other than the letter and form of the rules. The inhabitants of Galilee readily accepted the ideas of the spirit of the law; Among the Jews of Jerusalem, one routine appearance dominated. Galilee became the birthplace and cradle of Christianity; Judea was withered by narrow Pharisaism and short-sighted Sadducees. The Galileans were ardent, sympathetic, impetuous, grateful, honest, brave - they were enthusiastically religious, loved to listen to teachings about faith and about God - they were frank, hardworking, poetic and loved Greek wise education... And Mary Magdalene, healed by Christ the Savior, showed in their lives there are many wonderful distinctive qualities of their relatives, the Galileans, the first and most zealous Christians.

Regarding the first part of the life of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, all that is known is that she was subject to a serious, incurable illness, and was possessed, in the words of the Gospel, by “seven demons” (Luke 8:2). The cause and circumstances of this misfortune of hers are unknown. But the Holy Gospel and the Fathers of the Church of Christ teach that God’s Providence allows such special grievous suffering in order for “the works of God to appear,” that is, for the special actions of God to appear in relation to people and the special actions performed by God through the Messiah Christ, which is in in the present case, healing from demons, for the glory of God and Christ and for spiritual enlightenment, for the salvation of Mary Magdalene.

According to the teaching of Christ the Savior about such circumstances, it should be assumed that Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons not because of the sins of her or her parents, but the Providence of God allowed this so that the Lord Jesus Christ would reveal the work of the Glory of God, show the great miracle of healing Mary Magdalene, enlightening her mind, attracting her to faith in Christ the Savior and eternal salvation. The reason for the grave suffering of Mary Magdalene from demons, as well as other unknown, incomprehensible to man, actions and allowances of God in relation to people, lies in the world secrets of the wisdom of God, which people cannot comprehend. Without suffering so severely and incurably, Mary Magdalene could either have remained completely aloof from the work of Christ the Savior, or treated the miracles of Christ the God-Man with curiosity and surprise, but without a living and saving faith, and she would not have risen to that highest, nothing unshakable love for the Lord, for which she was consoled by the appearance of the risen Christ the Savior before even all His closest Apostles (Mark 16:9; John 20:16).

But helpless in suffering, the Galilean Mary Magdalene could not be indifferent to the rumor about the Wonderworker, “healing every disease and every weakness in people” (Matthew 9:35). And so she hurries to find this Wonderworker, becomes a self-witness of how “He healed many from sickness and disease, and from evil spirits, and the deaf, and the blind, and the lame, and lepers, and raised the dead” (Luke 7:21,22 ; Matthew 11:5, etc.), - and Mary fervently believes in His omnipotence, resorts to His Divine power, asks for healing for herself and, by faith, receives what she asks for: the tormenting power of evil spirits leaves her, she is freed from enslavement to demons and her life is sanctified by the Divine radiance of her Healer, to whom Mary Magdalene completely devotes herself, like an ardent, grateful Galilean.

From then on, the soul of Mary Magdalene was inflamed with the most grateful and devoted love for her Savior Christ, and she forever joined her Savior, followed Him everywhere to receive His saving instructions and take advantage of every opportunity to serve her Divine Healer. And due to the earthly circumstances of that time, in which Christ placed Himself as the Son of Man, He needed material service to Him and His work. After all, Christ was born in poverty in a cave into which livestock was driven in Bethlehem and His cradle there was a simple manger (Luke 2:7,12,16). His mother could bring only two young doves to the temple of God due to family poverty as a sacrifice for a newborn (Luke 2:24).

In the small Galilean town of Nazareth, Christ lived in poverty until the age of 29, like an adopted member of the family of a simple carpenter. And during the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom of God, in order to ensure that there were as few obstacles as possible in the fulfillment of the great mission of the God-man, Christ left completely aside the relationship with the family of His adoptive son Joseph (Matt. 12:46-50; Mark 3:31-35 ; Luke 8:19-21), in which he was brought up, and all kinds of care for His material well-being and personal property. Therefore, Christ did not have any property except the clothing of the wandering Galilean teacher of the faith, so that, after three years of His public ministry, Christ was valued at only thirty pieces of silver, that is, about 30 rubles, which was then the price in Palestine for the poorest indigent of slaves (Matt. 26:15). On the earth that He came to save, Christ did not own any piece of land, any house.

“Foxes have holes and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place to lay his head (Matthew 8:29),” said Christ Himself.

Without a home or property, the Savior’s ordinary food consisted, like the food of the simplest poor Galilean, of barley bread and fish caught in Lake Galilee and boiled in boiling water there on the shore, and at times from a piece of wild honey, which the inhabitants freely collected. The reproach of the crafty Pharisees that the Son of Man “loves to eat and drink wine” (Matthew 11:19) referred to the fact that Christ did not refuse to share the meal of those who invited Him as a public teacher, since the teachers there enjoyed hospitality (Luke, chapters 5,7 and 10).

And although the Apostles and some followers of Christ owned small property - the Apostle Peter had a house in Capernaum, John had a house in Jerusalem - and other admirers of Christ were engaged in certain trades and they had a common cash drawer (John 12:6; 13:29 ) to pay expenses for basic needs, for assistance to other poor people and for alms to the poor. But even small amounts for emergency needs were not always available to them. So when the Jewish collectors of the paltry temple tax came to the Apostle Peter and said:

“Won’t your teacher give you a didrachm (only about 40 kopecks)?” neither Christ the Teacher nor His disciples had such an insignificant amount!.. (Matthew 17:24-27)

Meanwhile, rumors about Christ and His miracles “spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all the infirm, those possessed by various diseases, and seizures, and the demon-possessed, and the lunatics, and the paralytic, and He healed them. And a multitude of people followed Him from Galilee, and the Decapolis, and Jerusalem, and Judea, and beyond the Jordan" (Matt. 4:25; Luke 6:17; Mark 3:7-8). And among this multitude of all kinds of people from various remote areas there were many poor people in need not only of food, but even of clothing...

So, for all this, many pious women who were healed by Christ from serious illnesses and had wealth from their property, accompanying their Benefactor in His walk preaching the Gospel, “served Him with their substance” (Luke 8:3), that is, in cases of need, paying expenses for the immediate needs of the poor who accompanied them to the Savior and, according to His instructions, provided the necessary benefits to those in need of material assistance. Of such grateful wives, Evangelist Luke calls Mary Magdalene the first (Luke 8:2), because she was the first to set others an example of such grateful service to the cause of the God-man, or she was superior to all others in her zeal in this holy cause. And their unselfish, zealous service to Christ the Savior at a time when “He had no place to lay his head,” and saw coldness, surprise or enmity from most people, was pleasing to the Lord Jesus and greatly consoled Him amid constant labors and frequent insults.

Particularly remarkable was the extraordinary fortitude and extraordinary courage with which Saint Mary Magdalene treated her Savior. And despite all sorts of obstacles and terrible dangers, even in the difficult days and hours of Christ’s cruel suffering, Mary Magdalene showed herself to be more courageous and more devoted than the Apostles, to the point that when almost everyone and the Apostles, despite their promises to die with the Lord, were defeated fear from the enemies of the Lord, “fled” (Matthew 26:56) and hid - Mary Magdalene conquered fear with love and, through the steadfastness of her participation in the Sufferer, she tried to soften the thorny path that He walked to save the world. The cruel suffering of the Savior crucified on the cross was aggravated by the insolent mockery of the Jewish high priests, scribes and elders, who, not content with carrying out their vile vengeance, being near the cross of the Crucified Christ, mockingly expressed shameless and impudent reproaches to the Innocent Sufferer, saying:

– He saved others (from death), but he cannot save himself. Let Him save Himself, if He is the Christ, the King of Israel, let Him now come down from the cross so that we can see and believe in Him (Matt. 27:41-43; Mark 15:31-32; Luke 23:35)…

The Roman soldiers also cursed at him and, approaching, said:

– If You are the King of the Jews, save Yourself (Luke 23:36-37)…

And the thieves who were crucified with Him cursed Him and cursed Him, one said:

– If You are the Christ, save Yourself and us (Matthew 27:44; Luke 23:39)…

And those who passed by from the crowd cursed Him, shaking their heads and saying:

– He who destroys the temple and builds it up in three days, if you are the Son of God, come down from the cross (Matt. 27:39-40; Mark 15:29-30)...

And when in this way the stupidity and savagery of the crowd with the base malice of the Jewish elders surrounded the Crucified Christ, His martyr’s gaze noticed with consolation the tears of pious women, among whom Mary Magdalene was “one of the first” (Matt. 27:55-56; Mark. 15:40; Luke 23-27). In these compassionate tears, a ray of light seemed to flash for the Son of Man among the dark kingdom of sin, and this ray from grateful women consoled the Innocent Sufferer with evidence of the not yet completely corrupted nature of man.

The day of the great redemption by the God-man of fallen humanity was clear. The time was already around noon, and according to the Hebrew name for the times of the day, it was the sixth hour (Luke 23:44; Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:43). But on this clear noon, “the sun fades and there is darkness until the ninth hour, that is, according to the modern name of the hours of the day, until the third hour in the afternoon (Matt. 27:45; Mark 15:33; Luke 23:44). Terrible , a majestic, impressive heavenly sign - the extinction of the sun, the darkness that embraced everything earthly, in the midst of the bright midday light, heavily crushed the blasphemers of the Innocent Christ, brought them into horror and silence. Familiar admirers of the Crucified One, at first standing in the distance and watching (Luke 23:49 ; Matthew 27:55; Mark 15:40), approached the Sufferer, surrounded His cross and of them the Evangelist calls Mary Magdalene again the first (Matthew 27:56; Mark 15:40). Thus, Mary Magdalene is at the feet Christ the Savior is not only a miracle worker, glorified and sung by infants, but also at the feet of Jesus the Nazarene, humiliated, dishonored, shamefully crucified, abandoned even by His Apostles!..

And after the death of Her Healer, Mary Magdalene did not leave Him: she accompanied the transfer of His body by Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus from the cross to the tomb, was at His burial, watched where Christ was laid (Matt. 27:61; Mark 15:47) and when In order to honor, according to the law of God, the already approaching great holiday of Easter, left His buried body, then the fiery grateful love of Mary Magdalene in deep sorrow revealed to her a source of consolation. Love inspired her with the desire to show, on her part, the final possible honor to her Savior, humiliated by the Jews. She buys myrrh and aromas (Luke 23:56) in order to anoint the body of the buried Christ to give Him, according to Jewish custom, possible honor.

This enterprise, which also gave Mary Magdalene the title of myrrh-bearer, belonged to her, since two Evangelists place her again first, among some other wives who followed her in it, and the third - only her alone (Matt. 28: 1; Mark 16: 1; John 20:1) and names in this noble cause.

And so, in the still darkness of the night (John 20:1), the first day of the week, after the mournful Sabbath, amid the danger from the embittered Jews who had already attempted to lay hands on the disciples of Christ, and at a time when the Apostles of the Crucified One with a broken soul locked themselves in their indoors, - Mary Magdalene with some pious wives, despising the threatening danger, fearlessly goes to the tomb of the Savior, carrying aromas and ointment (Luke 23:56; Mark 16:1), prepared for anointing the body of Christ, in order to show the last tribute of love to the deceased and veneration. Mary Magdalene did not know about the guards assigned by the Jews to the cave of the tomb of Christ, and about the sealing of the entrance to it by the high priests, since all this happened after the removal of all the admirers of Jesus from the garden (Matt. 27: 62-66) of Joseph of Arimathea. But now, on the way from Jerusalem to the cave of the tomb of Christ, Mary Magdalene remembered that the entrance to that cave was closed by Joseph and Nicodemus with such a large, heavy stone that neither she nor her companions were able to roll away from the entrance. And so, in confusion about this obstacle, the myrrh-bearers say to each other:

– Who will roll away the stone from the door of the tomb for us?.. (Mark 16:3)

Reflecting on this, Mary Magdalene, ahead of the other myrrh-bearers and coming closer to the cave of the tomb, looked and suddenly saw that the stone that troubled her had already been rolled away from the entrance to the cave... (John 20:1; Mark 16:4).

Among the Jews of that time, the stone that blocked access to the coffin of the deceased was considered inviolable, as if consecrated. And the rolling away of the stone from the entrance to the cave of Christ’s tomb showed that something special had happened to the body of the Buried One there. What exactly? – The simpler and most important idea was that the body of Jesus was taken by someone from this cave of Joseph of Arimathea and could have been placed in another place. And this thought, of losing the opportunity to give Him the last honor, so struck Mary Magdalene that she immediately, without entering the cave, ran back to Jerusalem to notify the Apostles Peter and John about what had happened at the tomb of Christ. She was confident that, informed by her, the Apostles would take an active part in searching for the body of Jesus:

“They took the Lord away from the tomb and we do not know where they laid Him,” she says to the Apostles (John 20:2).

And indeed the most zealous Apostles Peter and John immediately went to the tomb. They both ran together; but John ran faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; bending down, he saw the linens lying, but did not enter the cave of the tomb. Simon Peter comes after him, enters the tomb and sees the linen clothes lying and the cloth that was on the head of Jesus, not lying with the linen clothes, but in a separate place - and everything folded in order. Then John also entered, saw, and, silently, believed that Christ had risen; since if someone had transferred the body of Jesus to another place, he would have done it without exposing it, just as if someone had stolen it, he would not have bothered to remove the cloth, roll it up and put it in another place, but took would be the body in the form in which it lay; and myrrh and aloes, used by Nicodemus at the burial of Christ, glue the shrouds very tightly to the body, explains St. John Chrysostom (John 20:3-9)... But the Apostles did not depart with the same feeling from the empty tomb of their Teacher: Peter, instead of faith, only with surprise “he went back, marveling at what had happened” (Luke 24:12)…

When, in such a still vague and weak mood, the Apostles left the empty Tomb of Christ, Mary Magdalene returned to him again. Having reached the Cave of the Sepulcher, she began to cry and, grieving inconsolably, leaned (John 20:11) into the low entrance of the cave to take another look at where her Savior was buried. And there he sees, sitting in a white robe, two angels, one at the head and the other at the feet, where the body of Jesus lay. And they tell her:

- Wife, why are you crying?

Maria answers them:

“They took my Lord away and I don’t know where I laid Him!”

Mary’s grief was so great that she did not realize that it was not people who were speaking to her, but angels who had taken the form of people to alleviate her grief with their bright, solemn, festive appearance at the site of the sad burial of Christ, and she answered them with the same words as she spoke To the Apostles about the disappearance of the body of Christ from the Tomb. And the angels, preparing Mary Magdalene with their solemn bright appearance for the proclamation of the wondrous resurrection of Christ, however, do not tell her, like the other myrrh-bearers, that He is the One whom she is looking for with such zeal. gloriously resurrected, because the Lord was pleased to count Mary Magdalene herself among the direct messengers of the Resurrection of Christ.

And at the time when Mary Magdalene, in her answer to the angels, told them the reason for her crying, Christ the Savior suddenly appeared behind Mary, causing the angels to take a particularly respectful position towards Him; Mary Magdalene, noticing a change in them, turned back and saw “Jesus standing, but did not recognize that it was Jesus” (John 20:14). – The burden of sorrowful thoughts, copious tears prevented her from clearly seeing Him standing behind her, and, obviously, Christ the Savior Himself did not want her to immediately recognize Him, just as He suddenly revealed Himself to the Emmaus travelers (Luke 24:13-32 ), and now Mary Magdalene mistook Him for the gardener (John 20:15) of the garden of Joseph of Arimathea, in which this cave of the Holy Sepulcher was located.

Unrecognized by Mary Magdalene, Christ says to her:

- Wife, why are you crying? Who are you looking for?

Hearing in these words compassionate participation in her grief, Mary responds with a trusting request:

- Master, if you have carried Him out, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him (John 20:15).

How much selfless love and deepest devotion Mary Magdalene expressed in these short and in simple words! She does not call the supposed gardener Jesus Christ by His name, but only says “Him”... She herself revered her Teacher so highly that she believes others should know Him and be interested in Him. She begs the imaginary gardener to reveal to her where the body of Jesus has been taken, since the gardener of this garden must know the secret of the disappearance of this body from the tomb of Joseph. The kidnapping could not have happened without his knowledge, because he was entrusted with this garden. What if Joseph himself, the owner of the garden. would have moved the body to another place, then this also could not have happened without the knowledge of the gardener.

And Mary Magdalene asks this gardener to indicate the location of the body of Christ so that she can take Him:

“I’ll take Him,” she says.

With immeasurable love for the Lord, Mary completely forgets about her weak strength and hopes to take and carry away the body of her Savior herself. Her zeal and love are so great and ardent that she considers herself overly strong. And not receiving a quick answer to her living question, Mary Magdalene, as is typical for a very worried person, again turned towards the angels, wanting, perhaps, to hear something from them about Jesus, or to find out the reason that prompted them to accept especially reverent position. The Lord, touched by the height and power of her love, in a gracious voice already familiar to Mary, calls her by name:

- Maria! (John 20:16)

Now Mary Magdalene heard that voice of her Savior, memorable for the rest of her life, by the power of which He cast out a crowd of demons from her - that heavenly voice that penetrated and revived every soul - that wondrous voice that delighted the souls of His listeners with His heavenly bliss. And Mary now felt the close presence of the Divine Teacher, in Whom lay all her blessings, all her happiness, and unspeakable joy filled Mary’s entire soul. From the completeness of happiness, she could not speak and, turning again to the Lord, with an enlightened gaze she recognized Him and, with delight, exclaimed only one word: “Teacher!” (John 20:16) - threw herself at the feet of Christ the Savior...

In joyful admiration, Mary Magdalene could not yet imagine and realize the full greatness of the Risen Christ. And therefore the Lord, in order to enlighten her thoughts and teach her about the change through the resurrection of His flesh, meekly said to her:

– Do not touch Me (John 20:17), for I have not yet ascended to My Father.

Mary Magdalene enthusiastically expressed her worship of humanity as her Savior and Teacher, and Christ, by forbidding her to touch, elevates, sanctifies her thoughts, teaches her more reverent treatment and makes it clear to Mary Magdalene that the time for the closest spiritual communication with him will come when He completely disappears from the sensual eyes of His disciples and will ascend to heaven to God His Father. And since the other disciples of Christ, with the news of His resurrection, might have thought that now He was with them forever on earth and, perhaps, to fulfill the people’s dreams of a great Jewish earthly kingdom, then Christ the Savior sends Mary Magdalene to warn them against such thoughts and dreams. Now confirming to the Apostles the Resurrection of Christ by her clear contemplation of the Risen One and His speech, she is sent by the Lord to announce to them that Christ will not be on earth for long, that He, with the most glorified body, must soon ascend to God the Father. But so that the news of this removal would not lead them into confusion and sorrow, the Lord commands Mary Magdalene to tell His disciples that His Father, to Whom He ascends, is also their Father, graciously calling them His brothers:

- Go to My brethren and tell them: I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God... (John 20:17)

Having said this, Christ became invisible. And the joyful, happy Mary Magdalene goes and proclaims everything (John 20:18) that happened to her to the Apostles of Christ, and with delight consoles their sorrow with wondrous words:

- Christ is risen!

That is why, as the first sent from the Lord Himself, the evangelist of the accomplished Resurrection of Christ, Mary Magdalene is recognized by the Christian Church as “Equal to the Apostles.”

Here is the brightest feature of the entire wondrous service of Mary Magdalene to the Church of Christ. On the morning of the Resurrection of Christ, she was honored to see the risen Lord, the first of all His disciples and disciples (Mark 16:9; John 20:14-17) and the first, by the direct command of the Lord, was made a messenger, a preacher for them of His Resurrection.

The Apostles preached the Resurrection of Christ to the whole world: Mary Magdalene preached the Resurrection of Christ to the Apostles themselves - she was an Apostle for the Apostles!.. The Holy Fathers of the Church see in this circumstance the special mystery and wisdom of God's providence.

“The wife,” teaches Saint Gregory the Theologian, “received the first lie from the mouth of the serpent, and the wife, from the mouth of the Risen Lord Himself, was the first to hear the joyful truth, so that whose hand dissolved the drink of death might also give the cup of life...

Sanctified by the contemplation of the Risen, victorious Christ, triumphing over death, the fiery Mary Magdalene, even without words, was a complete, decisive witness of the Resurrection of Christ. But the Teachers, Apostles and everyone who were with them in the house of John the Theologian did not believe her gracious news about the Resurrection of Jesus. They “were sad and wept, and when they heard that Christ was alive and that she had seen Him, they did not believe” (Mark 16:10-11; John 20:18). - Why?..

Mary Magdalene enjoyed the complete undoubted trust of the Apostles. In addition, among the other myrrh-bearers, who also informed the disciples of Christ and the resurrection of their Teacher from the dead, which was communicated to them at the Holy Sepulcher by angels (Luke 24:9-11, 4-8; Matt. 28:5-7; Mark ch. 16 ), - there were the mother of the Apostle John the Theologian, and the mother of the Apostle James, and Martha and Mary, the sisters of Lazarus, with other pious wives, who all also enjoyed the complete trust of the Apostles; but they “did not believe them, considering their story to be a dream”... (Luke 24:9-11; Mark 16:1; Matthew 28:1) – So great was the despondency of the small society of Christ’s disciples... – After the Jewish high priests took and crucified their Teacher Jesus, and the Apostles fled and hid, they suddenly lost everything, all their personal and national hopes; their faith in Jesus the Messiah, in His power and glory was eclipsed; with the loss of faith, the courage of the spirit was also lost; They were also oppressed by the consciousness of their unfulfilled duty to Christ the Teacher, whom they cowardly left alone in the hands of their enemies and fled (Matt. 28:56; Mark 14:50), and, having no support either within themselves or outside themselves, they They were thinking more about preserving their own safety “for fear of the Jews”... (John 20:19) Before the death of Christ, they all “hoped that He, their Teacher, was the Messiah who would deliver Israel” (Luke 24: 21), will open the glorious earthly kingdom of Israel, but His shameful death on the cross completely destroyed these hopes and dreams.

In the eyes of all the people of that time, crucifixion was the most terrible and shameful death, it was a sign of a terrible “curse” according to the law of Moses (Deut. 21:23; 1 Cor. 1:23), and in the souls of Jesus’ disciples after His crucifixion faith remained in Him only as a Prophet, “Who was mighty in deed and word before God and all the people”... (Luke 24:19) – The thought that the true Messiah, Christ, the Son of God could to die as a man and as Jesus actually died on the cross. And although they saw Jesus’ miraculous resurrection of the daughter of Jairus (Mark 5:41), the son of the widow of Nain (Luke 5:11-17) and Lazarus (John 11:44), Jesus Himself died, like the other prophets , then He can rise only with all people on the last day; and before this, the miracle-working prophets themselves were resurrected, there was never an example... - Peter and John, who saw the tomb of Christ, could not report anything except that it was empty.

Only all the women reported the vision of angels and the Risen One... A painful, deeply difficult situation... And now the more ardent Apostle Peter again goes to the Holy Sepulcher, without giving himself an account, not knowing why he went, since he himself had already seen the empty place where Christ was buried. But now he soon returned and with delight announced to his disciples: “Christ has truly risen!.. I myself saw Him: He appeared to me on the way (Luke 24:33; 1 Cor.15:5).

Now, it seemed, there were enough eyewitnesses of the Risen One to assure the truth of the Resurrection of Christ, and many disciples joyfully believed, but still not all. And Mary Magdalene with the other myrrh-bearers, shining with happiness and despising all the dangers from the frantic enemies of Jesus Christ, could not remain calm in one place and moving from house to house, from one disciple of Christ to another, in purity, simplicity, depth and strength of love for They enthusiastically repeated the joyful gospel countless times to their Healer and Teacher:

And gracefully, quickly, from the seed of the smallest of all grain seeds, the huge tree of the Church of Christ began to grow. A small handful sincerely devoted to Christ The Savior of the disciples and disciples, of whom the most zealous was the holy myrrh-bearing Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, triumphed over the arrogant wisdom of paganism, ruled entire kingdoms with their kings, and carried the Divine teaching of Christ from one end to another - throughout the entire universe of the earth (Acts 1:8), repeating the solemn words of the first gospel of St. Mary Magdalene:

- Christ is risen! Truly risen!..

Here, Christians, are the most important features of the life of the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene, which are not subject to any doubt, since they are attested to by the very word of God in the Holy Gospel. – Why are they preserved and offered by the Church, why are they read? – Isn’t it for the glorification of St. Mary Magdalene? - Oh no! Saints living in the glory of heaven, in the high and eternal glory They do not need the glory of God, nor the insignificant glory of men. But by such recollection of their earthly life, deeds and virtues, we ourselves are given instruction and encouragement to a godly life and to soul-saving deeds. Through the holy Apostle of Christ Paul, the Lord commands us:

– Remember your teachers who preached the Word of God to you; and, considering the end of their lives, imitate their faith (Heb. 13:7).

And so the Holy Church of Christ preserves for us and offers to our attention sketches of the lives of holy people for our self-examination, self-improvement and salvation through imitation of the faith and spirit of these saints of God, so that we do not become lazy, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises of God... (Heb. .6:12) – The Holy Myrrh-Bearer Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene selflessly fulfilled the first and main commandment of Christ the Savior: “she loved the Lord with all her heart, with all her soul, with all her mind and with all her strength” (Mark 12:30-33; Matt. 22:37-40). The realization by Saint Mary Magdalene under all circumstances of such true, complete love for the Lord serves as a vital model for the love of every Christian for God our Savior. And following the example of Saint Mary Magdalene, all of us, Christians, must have and show selfless love for God, with all our hearts, with all the desires, aspirations and strengths of our souls and with all our understanding, with all our cognitive abilities, we must cleave completely to the Lord our Savior. The strength of our love for God must be such that no one and nothing can separate us from this love: “neither life nor death, neither height nor depth, no creation, nor angels, nor principles, nor powers, nor the present, nor future" (Rom. 8:38-39).

Since the time of the appearances of the Risen Christ the Savior described by the holy Evangelists and the fiery sermon of St. Mary Magdalene about the Resurrection caused by these appearances, the surviving New Testament books do not provide any more details about the activities of Equal-to-the-Apostles St. Mary Magdalene and information about her further life is now the subject of legend. The legends about her subsequent life of several local Christian churches vary greatly according to the area from which they come; in essence, however, everywhere these legends report the zealous equal-to-the-apostles activity of Saint Mary Magdalene. And the difference in these traditions depends on which or which of the holy women of the Gospel these churches mean under the name of the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene? Some Christian churches in the West and also the Fathers of the Church with learned theologians combine into one or two persons the three evangelical wives: the sinner who repented in the house of Simon the Pharisee, wet the feet of Christ the Savior with her tears, wiped them with her hair and anointed them with precious ointment (Luke 7). :37-38; Mark ch. 14; Matt. ch. 26), - then also Mary of Bethany, sister of Lazarus (Luke 10:39; John 11:28), - and also Mary Magdalene, who was freed Christ the Savior from seven demons (John chapters 11, 12, 19 and 20; Mark 16:3; Matthew 27:7).

But the Eastern Greek-Russian Orthodox Church now, as before, recognizes all these three personalities mentioned in the Gospels with different signs as different, special, without wanting to found historical information on arbitrary, only probable interpretations. As a result, the tradition of the Eastern Greco-Russian Orthodox Church reports that, after the Gospel appearances of the Risen Christ before His Ascension and after, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene stayed with Most Holy Theotokos and the Apostles and was an active accomplice of the first successes of the spread Christian faith first in Jerusalem. But, full of zeal, ardent faith and zealous love for the gospel of God, she then preached in other countries, everywhere proclaiming heavenly grace, joy and salvation to all who believed in the Savior of the world, Christ the Risen.

Having visited, by the way, Italy, the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene found an opportunity to appear to the emperor Tiberius reigning at that time and presented it to him, according to generally accepted Eastern custom, an egg painted red, while saying:

- Christ is risen!

The emperor was not surprised by the poverty of the offering to Saint Mary Magdalene, who first appeared to him, because he knew the ancient custom, in general in the East and also among the Jews, when appearing for the first time to superiors, or on a solemn occasion to acquaintances or patrons, to present a gift as a sign of respect , with some known, or with a special, special, symbolic meaning. Examples of this are found in Jewish Old Testament history (Gen. 43:11; 1 Kings 10:2), and also represent the gifts presented by rich wise men to the born Jesus Christ in Bethlehem of Judea. And poor people in similar circumstances brought various fruits from their area or bird eggs as gifts.

So, following in part this ancient custom and with the purpose of offering the egg in red and the previously unheard words “Christ is Risen!” - to arouse the curiosity of the suspicious Emperor Tiberius, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene began her passionate sermon about the Resurrection and the teaching of Christ the Savior by explaining the meaning of such an offering. With great inspiration and conviction, she told the emperor about the life, miracles, crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus Christ and a direct, simple-minded presentation of the extremely unfair, biased trial of Jesus Christ by the embittered members of the Jerusalem Sanhedrin and the connivance of the cowardly Roman ruler of Judea, Pilate of Pontus, to condemnation to crucifixion Jesus Christ, brought upon them the wrath of the emperor. Tiberius brought them to trial, by which Pilate was deprived of power and exiled to Gaul, to the city of Vienna, where, according to one legend, depressed by remorse and despair, he took his own life. According to another legend, sentenced to death by the court, Pilate repented, turned to Christ in prayer, and was forgiven by the Savior, as a sign of which, after cutting off his head, it was accepted by an angel.

Together with Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, according to legend, Lazarus' sisters Martha and Mary went to Italy; and Pilate, having learned about this and fearing that Christians would expose his illegal actions, himself sent Emperor Tiberius a report about Jesus Christ, in which he testified about the beneficial life of Christ, about His healing of all kinds of diseases, injuries, even the resurrection of the dead and about His other great miracles . Pilate claimed that, having examined the accusations of the Jews, he found no guilt in Jesus Christ; He struggled a lot to deliver Him from the hands of the seditious Jews, but could not achieve His deliverance and gave Jesus up to their will, for the sake of the people's outcry and the seditious accusation of Pilate himself by the Jews... And after the crucifixion of Jesus by the Jews, terrible signs occurred in nature, and many people who had died were resurrected when On the third day, Jesus resurrected, and Pilate, as a witness, overcome with great fear, reported to the sovereign Caesar about everything that had happened to Jesus Christ, Who became an object of faith, like God...

After such evidence from the Roman ruler of Judea and from the admirers of Christ the Savior, Emperor Tiberius, according to legend, having himself believed in Christ the Savior, proposed to canonize Jesus Christ among the Roman gods, and even when the Roman Senate rejected such a proposal, Tiberius by royal decree threatened to punish anyone who dared to insult believers in Jesus Christ.

Thus, with her zealous, fearless preaching about Christ the Savior, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, along with other pious Christians, prompted the pagan ruler of Judea to testify in writing to the universal event of the Resurrection of Christ before the pagan world and prompted the pagan emperor himself, the then worldwide Roman Empire, to recognize the greatness and Divine power of Christ Savior, making all this easier for the spread of Christianity.

Christians of that time, having learned about the meaning and power of the impression made by the offering of Saint Mary Magdalene to the Emperor Tiberius of a red egg with the words: “Christ is Risen!” - they began to imitate her in this and, when remembering the Resurrection of Christ, began to give red eggs and say: - Christ is Risen!.. Truly Risen!..

So little by little this custom spread everywhere and became universal among Christians all over the world. And the egg at the same time serves as a symbol, or a visible sign, of the resurrection of Christ and the resurrection of the dead and our rebirth into the future life, which we have as a guarantee in Christ’s Resurrection. Just as a chick is born from an egg and begins to live a full life upon being freed from the shell, and the vastest circle of life opens up to it, so we, at the second coming of Christ to earth, having thrown off with our earthly body everything corruptible on earth, by the power of Christ’s Resurrection we will be resurrected and we will be reborn for another, higher, eternal, immortal life. The red color of the Easter egg reminds us that the redemption of humanity and our future new life acquired by the outpouring of the most pure blood of Christ the Savior on the cross.

Thus, the red egg serves as a reminder to us of one of the most important tenets of our Divine faith.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene continued to preach the gospel of the Risen Christ for a long time in Italy and in the city of Rome, both during the first visit to Rome by the Apostle Paul and after his departure two years from there. In addition to tradition, evidence of this can be seen in the characteristic greeting of Saint Mary by the Apostle Paul in his message from the Greek trading city of Corinth to the Christians who were then in Rome (Rom. 28:6). Saint John Chrysostom teaches about this that, giving each believer appropriate praise, the Apostle Paul greets Saint Mary, Equal-to-the-Apostles, as having already worked hard and devoted herself to apostolic deeds. Her labors, mentioned here by the Apostle, were the exploits of the Apostles and Evangelists, and therefore equal to the Apostles; She served, adds Saint Chrysostom, both with money and fearlessly exposed herself to dangers and made difficult journeys, sharing with the Apostles all the labors of preaching.

From Rome, according to Church tradition, Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles, arrived in the city of Ephesus, then especially famous in Asia Minor. In Ephesus, according to tradition and the testimony of many holy fathers and church writers, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene helped the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in evangelistic works, remaining there until her peaceful death, and she was buried in Ephesus.

The incorrupt, glorified relics of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, in the ninth century under Emperor Leo VI, the philosopher, were solemnly transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople and placed in the church of the monastery of Saint Lazarus. This is the tradition of the Orthodox Eastern Christian Church.

But it cannot be decisively asserted that the relics of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, remained entirely in Constantinople forever. They could have been moved by the believers themselves to another place for fear of victorious attacks by the Turks; they could easily have been taken west to Rome, from Constantinople, when the Italians with the crusaders of the fourth campaign took possession of it at the beginning of the 13th century, since then the relics of the saints of many southeastern regions were carried away and divided according to different cities Western European countries.

The Roman Catholic Church claims that the relics of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles, with the exception of her head, rest in Rome, near the Lateran Palace of the Popes in the main temple of St. John Lateran, under the altar, which Pope Honorius III, who himself buried her relics there, consecrated in honor of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles. And besides, with the open relics of this saint, the Roman Catholic Church has venerated since 1280 the relics, divided into parts, in France in Provage near the city of Marseille, where over those relics in a secluded valley, at the foot of steep mountains, a majestic temple was erected in the name of St. Mary Magdalene . Orthodox Greek-Russian Eastern Christian church and the Western Roman Catholic, as well as the Anglican, churches celebrate the memory of St. Mary Magdalene, Equal-to-the-Apostles, July 22; in some local churches this is the most sacred holiday.

This is all that is known so far about the saint. Equal to the Apostles Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene is undoubtedly true, handed down to us by the Holy Gospel, and probable according to the traditions of local Christian churches, for which, as well as for all, the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was, by direct command from Christ the Savior, the first of the people to preach the saving Resurrection of Christ.

“The Resurrection of Christ is for all of us,” the great saint of the Church teaches, “a source of reflection, contemplation, surprise, joy, gratitude, hope, always full, always new, no matter how long ago, no matter how often we draw from it; it is eternal news!.. And is it necessary to found faith, to arouse hope, to ignite love, to enlighten wisdom, to awaken prayer, to bring down grace, to destroy disaster, death, evil, to give vitality to life, to make bliss not a dream, but a reality, glory is not a ghost, but an eternal lightning of eternal light, illuminating everything and not striking anyone?.. - For all this there is enough power in one miraculous word: “Christ is Risen!”

Let us, Christians, respond to such a miraculous gospel of the great messenger of our Savior Himself, Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, with enthusiasm: truly, truly Christ is Risen!

Troparion, tone 1:

For Christ's sake, who was born of the Virgin, the honorable Magdalene Mary followed you, preserving the justifications and laws: and today we celebrate your all-holy memory, the resolution of sins through your prayers is acceptable.

Kontakion, tone 3:

The glorious one stood at the cross of Spasov with many others, and the Mother of the Lord was compassionate, and shedding tears, offering this in praise, saying: that this is a strange miracle; support all creation to suffer as it pleases: glory to Thy power.

Mary Magdalene in Orthodoxy is a person revered as a saint equal to the apostles. She was the myrrh-bearer who followed Christ until His Crucifixion. Mary Magdalene became the one before whom the resurrected Messiah first appeared. It is mentioned not only in Orthodoxy, but also in Catholicism and Protestantism. The saint is considered the patroness of preachers and teachers, and her image was admired by the masters of the Renaissance.

The role of Magdalene in Christianity

The description of her activities is outlined in only a few fragments. The veneration of this woman is different in the traditions of Catholicism and Orthodoxy. For the latter, she appears exclusively as a myrrh-bearer, cured of demonic obsession. The Catholic Church speaks of Mary as an extraordinary beauty and a repentant harlot, the sister of the resurrected Lazarus. In addition, the Western tradition adds colossal mythical material to the Gospel texts.

Icon of the Holy Myrrh-Bearer Mary Magdalene

The Equal-to-the-Apostles saint was born and raised in a city called Magdala. Today, in its place stands the small village of Medjdel. IN scriptures There is no narrative about Magdalene’s youth, but it is said that Jesus Christ healed her from the invasion of seven demons. This radical turn in her destiny encouraged the woman to follow in the footsteps of the Great Teacher and Savior.

• Mary was the inseparable companion of the Son of God during the period when He and the apostles chosen by Him preached Christianity in the populated areas of Judea and Galilee.
• Together with Magdalene, other pious women served Christ: Joanna, Susanna, Solomiya, etc. These myrrh-bearing women shared the labors of the apostles, spreading the good news of the coming of the Savior.
• Mary Magdalene was the first to follow Christ when He was led to Golgotha. Luke claims that the myrrh-bearing women wept when they saw Jesus suffering, but He consoled them and reminded them of the Kingdom of God. Mary was together with the Mother of God and John at the Cross at the time of the Crucifixion of the Messiah.
• Magdalene showed faithfulness to Jesus not only during the period of His exaltation, but also in the days of complete humiliation. She attended the funeral of God's Son and saw with her own eyes how His body was carried into the tomb. Further, the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint witnessed the closing of this cave with a large stone.
• Mary, faithful to God's law, along with the other myrrh-bearing women, coincided with the Easter holiday, remained in complete peace. On the first day of the week, the faithful disciples planned to come to the tomb and anoint the body of Christ with incense. The Myrrh-Bearers reached the burial place at sunrise, and Mary arrived while the darkness of the night still reigned.

Additional articles:

The Equal-to-the-Apostles saint saw that the stone that covered the entrance had been rolled away. In fear, she rushed to the apostles Peter and John, who lived closer than the others. Arriving at the place, they were surprised to see the folded shroud and shrouds. The apostles left the cave without saying anything, but Magdalene remained and cried, yearning for her Lord.

Mary Magdalene and angels in the Holy Sepulcher

Wanting to make sure that there really was no body, she approached the coffin. Suddenly, a divine light shone in front of the woman, and she saw two angels in snow-white robes.

• When she answered the question of the Heavenly messengers about the cause of her grief and turned in the other direction, the Risen Christ appeared at the entrance of the grotto. However, the disciple did not recognize God's Son until He spoke to her. This voice initially became a great ray of light for Mary after her healing from a demonic illness. She said with tremendous joy: “Teacher!” In this exclamation, respect and love, grandiose reverence, recognition and tenderness merged together.
• Magdalene threw herself at the feet of Christ to wash them with tears of divine joy, but Jesus did not allow himself to be touched, for the Son had not yet “ascended to the Father.”
• After everything she had seen, Mary went to the apostles and reported the news that everyone was eagerly awaiting. This is how the first sermon about the divine Resurrection of the Savior took place.
• When the apostles dispersed throughout the world to tell people about the great teaching of the Savior, the brave Mary Magdalene went with them. The saint, in whose heart the fire of love for the Lord did not subside, was on her way to pagan Rome. She announced the Resurrection, but few people accepted the preacher’s words as truth.

Walking in Italy and death

Scripture states: the first disciple of Christ appeared in the palace of Emperor Tiberius and presented him with a red egg - a symbol of the Resurrection. She told the story of the innocently condemned Christ, who performed miracles and was executed due to the evil slander of the high priesthood.

Red egg - a symbol of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ

She reminded that salvation from the vanity of the world comes through the blood of the pure Lamb, and not through gold or silver items.

• Mary continued to spread the good news in Italy. Her work was praised by the Apostle Paul in his Epistle to the Romans, recognizing her extraordinary courage and selfless devotion to the Almighty. Scripture says: Magdalene, already in old age, left Rome after the first trial of Paul. The saint equal to the apostles went to Ephesus to help the Apostle John in preaching. Here she quietly and peacefully left this mortal coil.
• Her incorruptible relics were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople in the 9th century. Some researchers suggest that the remains were transported to Rome during the Crusades. The relics were placed in the Church of John Lateran, which was soon renamed and consecrated in honor of the Venerable Mary Magdalene herself.
• Some of the remains are located in France, near Marseille, as well as in the monasteries of Mount Athos and Jerusalem. A huge number of pious pilgrims come to venerate the relics of the saint.

Interesting articles:

Orthodox church in honor of the saint

The church is located in an area called Gethsemane, in East Jerusalem. Nearby is the tomb of the Venerable Virgin Mary. This church was erected by the Orthodox community of Palestine with funds imperial family and was consecrated in 1888. Since 1921, the remains of the Great Martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara have been kept here.

The Church of St. Mary Magdalene is part of the Gethsemane complex Orthodox monastery

• The idea of ​​construction and the choice of location on the slope of the Hill of Olives belonged to Archimandrite Antonion. The first stone of the Church of Mary Magdalene was laid in 1885. In 1934, an Orthodox women's community was organized on the territory, the abbess of which was nun Maria, who was of Scottish origin.
• The monastery houses the Hodegetria icon, which became famous for its miracles in 1554. The remains of the Great Martyrs Elizabeth and Barbara are located in separate crayfish. Here parishioners worship the miraculous image of Mary Magdalene.
• The seven-domed Jerusalem Temple was built of white stone and designed in the style of Moscow architecture. The bell tower is small in size, and the iconostasis is made of marble with bronze ornaments.

Icons and images of Mary Magdalene

Images of the Equal-to-the-Apostles saint set an example for believers greatest love and devotion to the Almighty Father. The holy faces of Magdalene indicate the true path and require patience and spiritual fortitude from a person.

• Orthodox iconography depicts Mary with easter egg red, as well as with a vessel in which myrrh is concentrated.
• Often on canvases she is shown together with the Virgin Mary and John the Evangelist next to the crucifix. The saint can be seen on icons with a plot demonstrating the position of Christ in the tomb. In the Orthodox tradition, she is depicted among the myrrh-bearing women who came, who saw the emptiness in the cave and the angels of the gospel.
• The scene of Christ's appearance after the Resurrection is a rare occurrence for the Russian church. It can only be seen in examples of later icons of the Greek style.
• Before the holy face they ask for the acquisition true faith and getting rid of harmful habits and flattering temptations. Prayers in front of the image relieve physical and mental illnesses.

In Catholicism, Mary Magdalene appears as a "repentant harlot" who in the end life path she retired to a desert area and indulged in severe asceticism, regretting her sins. Her robe fell apart from wear and tear, and her hair miraculously covered her entire body. After divine healing, she was taken up by angels into the Kingdom of Heaven. This legend had a huge influence on Western art.

• Many works where Magdalene is the main character are made in the “Vanitas” (Vanity) genre. A skull is displayed next to the woman, symbolizing awareness of frailty and understanding of the importance of the true path. Additional attributes are a whip and a crown of thorns. The scene is a cave in France: here the saint reflects, reads Scripture or repents, looking up to heaven.
• In Western European iconography, Magdalene is depicted washing the feet of the Messiah and wiping them with her luxurious hair.
• In the Catholic tradition, the myrrh-bearing wife is depicted with her hair flowing and holding a vessel with fragrant oils.
• In other variations, she is supported above the ground by winged angels. This plot has been found in Western art since the 16th century.
• Very rarely in Catholicism and Protestantism Mary's last communion and death are depicted.
• In some paintings, she mournfully hugs the leg of the Savior crucified on the cross of Golgotha. On the icons of “lamentation” she holds the feet of the Savior and mourns the loss.

This woman showed divine love for her Teacher, remained devoted to Him forever and carried good news along with the apostles. In the Orthodox tradition, Mary Magdalene is considered a saint, cured by Jesus Christ from the disease of the “seven demons”, and following Him until the Resurrection. Orthodox texts say little about her, but various legends involving the Equal-to-the-Apostles disciple have gained popularity in Catholicism.

Video about the life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene