Mary Magdalene gets her feast

[rug]

St. Mary Magdalene is shown meditating on the crucifix in this painted wooden sculpture that is part of The Sacred Made Real exhibit in 2010 at the National Galley of Art in Washington. (CNS/Nancy Wiechec)

Elizabeth A. Elliott | Jun. 10, 2016

The July 22 memorial observance of St. Mary Magdalene has elevated to a major feast in the Roman Catholic liturgical calendar, Vatican Radio announced today. Pope Francis signed the decree June 3.

“Pope Francis has taken this decision precisely in the context of the Jubilee of Mercy to highlight the relevance of this woman who showed great love for Christ and was much loved by Christ,” Archbishop Arthur Roche, secretary for the Congregation for Divine Worship, wrote in an article an article explaining the change’s significance, according to Catholic News Service.

While most liturgical celebrations of individual saints during the year are known formally as memorials, those classified as feasts are reserved for important events in Christian history and for saints of particular significance, such as the Twelve Apostles.

Roche wrote: “It is right that the liturgical celebration of this woman has the same level of feast given to the celebration of the apostles in the general Roman calendar and highlights the special mission of this woman who is an example and model for every woman in the church."

http://www.ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/mary-magdalene-gets-her-feast

I've always liked the way Webber and Rice considered her.

[beemer27]

1. Bout Time !!

The early Church fathers painted Mary Magdalene as a bad woman. I know not why they did this-perhaps to show how superior men were, perhaps to focus more on the Apostles, perhaps just because they didn't like her. The reason is not as important as the effect it had on the way we were taught and what we were taught. The Bible says that demons were driven from her, it does not label her as a bad person. She was close to Jesus, and is mentioned often. It is clear to me that she was a major player in the Life of Christ, and the early Church. While the Catholic church is lavish with praise for Mary the Mother of Jesus, it relegates Mary Magdalene to very minor role in the formation of the early Church. This attitude has affected Church policy and how the Hierarchy is composed and run. Slowly we are realizing the women do not have a second class role in the Church. In fact, without women, much of the Church as we know it would not exist. They do a lot of the work, much of the training, and have much more influence than most people realize.
Recognizing Mary Magdalene as one of the important players of the Church is long overdue.

[rug]

2. Amen.