Feast of St. Mary Magdalene
The name her parents gave her, Mary, was chosen carefully. It connected her to her community, to generations of faithful women, including Miriam in Exodus, who played a central role in salvation history. Her name means “wished-for-child,” “belovedness,” and also “bitterness.” I imagine her parents chose her name not for the last meaning in this list, but because she was wished for and beloved from the moment her mom knew she was pregnant. As she grew and encountered Jesus, she became one of His faithful followers. She and other women were among the early disciples, learning from him, witnessing miracles, and being sent to tell good news. She is among the beloved of Christ, as are we.
Mary is not her only name, though. Jesus has a habit of giving his beloved disciples nicknames. He sees in them who they are and what they are capable of. He calls James and John “Sons of Thunder”; Simon “Peter,” the Rock; and Mary “Magdala,” which means “Tower.” Many scholars note that there was no place simply called “Magadala,” in Jesus’ time, and it is more likely that this was another of Jesus’ nicknames for those who are dear to him. Like a tower that stands tall on the edge of town, where people look out and are the first to see, Mary is the first to witness the Risen Christ. Like a tower, where news is proclaimed loudly for all to hear, Mary, whom the Church names Apostle to the Apostles, is sent to proclaim the Resurrection.
But before she proclaims Good News, Mary Magdala, Apostle to the Apostles, goes to all the hard and bitter places with Jesus. She is among the few who stay and are at the foot of the cross at his crucifixion. She goes to the tomb to anoint his body. She models for us how we are to accompany the beloved; we go to the bitter places with them. We go to hospitals to visit the sick, we sit in grief with those who have lost children before they are born and named, we go to detention centers to pray and bear witness to the bitterness of our cruel immigration system.
Like Mary Magdala, when we go to the bitter places, even those places where hope feels lost, we are often surprised and encounter the living God there, speaking our name and accompanying us on the journey. There, we encounter the hope of the Resurrection. And from there we are sent to proclaim the Good News.
—Kelly Adamson