Sermon Feast of St. Mary Magdalene 2026

Today I thought we would take a look at one of Christ’s disciples that we generally gloss over and pay little attention to, but whose history and controversies have put her front and center in Christian art, culture, and myth. Mary Magdalene. 

Now if I were to ask you to tell me a little about her role in scripture, I wouldn’t be surprised if it took you a minute.  After all there are so many Mary’s in scripture.  It was a very popular name in Jesus’ time and it’s easy to get the various Mary’s confused or to roll them all in to one.  The only Mary I would expect could be immediately differentiated among them would be Jesus’ Mother.  However, today’s Mary’s last name Magdalene immediately sets her apart.

Mary Magdalene's name comes from Magdala, a town located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee. Which means that it is likely that she either came from or lived in that town. Unfortunately, my guess is that when you hear of the word Magdalene you aren’t thinking of a lovely sea side town.  Since the medieval period up to the 19th century the word Magdalene has been synonymous with less picturesque scenes.  Even Mirriam-Webster’s dictionary has the word Magdalene defined as a prostitute, or a reformatory for such women.  Indeed you may have heard of such places as Magdalene Laundries which claimed to be refuges or reformatories for “women of loose morals” .  A lot of nasty history there.

All this being to say that Mary Magdalene’s name and the woman herself has historically had quite a reputation and her name has literally become a byword.  However, as noted there are several Mary’s in the bible…so which one is she and why has her name become so infamous?

First, let’s determine which Mary’s we are not talking about.

Jesus’ mother Mary is one. There was Mary of Bethany the sister of Martha and Lazarus.  Then there is a Mary referred to as “the other Mary,” who many assume is the same as Mary the mother of James and the wife of Cleopas. None of these is to be confused with Mary, the mother of John Mark, who is mentioned just once in Acts 12:12.  Mary Magdalene is also not the “sinful woman” from Luke’s dramatic story of the woman who throws herself at his feet, bathing them with her tears and drying them with her hair. That woman is often believed to be a sex worker, because of the comment of the Pharisee: “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him – that she is a sinner.  However, the bible never says anything about what her sins were, and although feet and hair were considered quite intimate…we are just guessing.

However, that still isn’t Mary Magdalene.  The first encounter we have with Mary Magdalene is in Luke 8

“After this, Jesus traveled about from one town and village to another, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom of God. The Twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been cured of evil spirits and diseases: Mary (called Magdalene) from whom seven demons had come out; 3 Joanna the wife of Chuza, the manager of Herod’s household; Susanna; and many others. These women were helping to support them out of their own means.”

Mary is noted as first among the women who patronized Jesus’ ministry, supporting him financially throughout Jesus’ ministry…likely with ensuring food, shelter and other necessaries an itinerant preacher would require.  Throughout Jesus' public ministry, Mary Magdalene remained one of his most loyal followers. When many of Jesus' disciples fled during his arrest and crucifixion, the Gospels record that Mary Magdalene stayed near the cross along with other women;  And after Jesus died, Mary Magdalene was also there to witnessed his burial.

In fact, Mary Magdalene is mentioned in all the gospels and is always listed first among the names of the women who were disciples.  In the resurrection narratives we find that Mary Magdalene has a unique place not only among the women, but among all the disciples and apostles.  In the Gospel of John, she is the first person to encounter the risen Jesus. At first, she mistakes him for a gardener until he speaks her name. Jesus then instructs her to tell the other disciples that he has risen from the dead.  Matthew, Mark and Luke also have Mary Magdalene first among those who witnessed and proclaimed Christ’s resurrection.  And considering how often the gospels contradict each other or have unique details, the fact that Mary Magdalene is consistent in her role as the First Apostle of the Risen Christ is quite important.

So why, despite the clear biblical account and absolutely no reference to Mary Magdalene's being involved in anything immoral did she get saddled with a reputation as a prostitute?  Writings in the early centuries shows that Mary Magdalene was revered and seen as an important disciple and apostle.   However, we find like many woman since, her reputation was ruined by one man’s words. 

In 591 CE, Pope Gregory I delivered a sermon in which he conflated Mary Magdalene with the unnamed sinful woman who anointed Jesus' feet in the Gospel of Luke, as well as with Mary of Bethany, the sister of Martha and Lazarus. Although these are separate individuals in the New Testament, Pope Gregory combined them into a single figure.  Further he said that the seven demons that were cast out of Mary Magdalene were the seven cardinal sins and that the ointment used on Jesus feet had been used previously to “perfume her flesh in forbidden acts”.  Pope Gregory then continued to use the examples of other mary’s to show her repentant nature and how “she turned the mass of her crimes to virtue, in order to serve God entirely in penance.”  None of this based in scripture, but was of Pope Gregory’s creation.

 From that point, Mary Magdalene became widely known in Western Christianity as a repentant prostitute, even though the Bible never describes her in this way.  This interpretation became increasingly accepted and strongly influenced medieval Christian art, literature, and preaching. Paintings often portrayed Mary Magdalene as a penitent woman living in solitude after Jesus' death as eternal penance for her wickedness.   

It should be noted though that this fiction was never embraced in the Eastern Orthodox Church which is primarily in Eastern and Central Europe as well as into the middle east.  The Eastern branch of the church consistently honoured her as a faithful disciple, a witness to Christ's resurrection, and a saint.

Interest in Mary Magdalene increased during the twentieth and twenty-first centuries as historians examined early Christian writings outside the New Testament. Some non-canonical texts, such as the Gospel of Mary, portray her as a respected disciple who possessed spiritual insight and occasionally came into conflict with other disciples, especially Peter. Although these writings were composed later than the New Testament and are not regarded as historically reliable in the same way as the canonical Gospels, they show that some early Christian communities held Mary Magdalene in particularly high regard. 

 

 

 

In recent decades, many Christian denominations have sought to restore Mary Magdalene's historical reputation and refocus on the Scriptural accounts. In 2016, the Roman Catholic Church elevated the liturgical celebration of Saint Mary Magdalene to the level of a feast, emphasizing her importance as the first witness of the Resurrection and recognizing her role in the early Christian Church.

Despite this popular culture still prefers to see Mary Magdalene in the role of bad girl gone good, rather than as an independent woman Jesus healed of her ills become apostle.  After all, the Pope Gregories tale sells better, as we still see his influence in musicals like Jesus Christ Superstar and various Dan Brown books.

That being said the more scriptural account is not only more likely accurate, but far more relatable and inspiring for our faith.  She was a woman who found healing in her faith in Christ and devoted her life to service and Christ’s ministry.  It was to Mary Magdalane that Jesus appeared in the garden called by name and commissioned as an Apostle.  Not a scandalous and salacious sinner, who was shown the error of her ways and remained penitent the rest of her days, but a woman who had many burdens, much faith and remained devoted from the beginning to the end of Christ’s ministry and then was send out to spread the word of his resurrection.

It is far overdue to give Mary back her reputation and honour her for the faith and ministry that are her due.

The first among the faith-filled independent woman who enabled Christ’s ministry.

The faith and devoted disciple.

The first apostle of the risen Christ. 

Saint Mary Magdalene.