Best wishes to all on this, the Feast of Mary Magdalene!

I thought that the following traditional litany, copied from the Catholic Culture website (formatting is mine), would be a fine reading for the day:

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Two fun pieces of Mary Magdalene news for today.

1. True Blood

The popular HBO vampire series, True Blood, had a Mary Magdalene reference this week. A preacher’s wife (Sarah) was seducing one of the main characters while he was in the bathtub, and the following conversation (give or take a few words here and there) took place:

Sarah: “You know, Mary Magdalene showed her love for Jesus by washing his feet and then drying them off with her hair.”

Jason: “Oh yeah?”

Sarah: “Yes.”

Jason: “But, uh, wasn’t she, uh….a hooker?”

Sarah: “No, not at all. See, everybody thinks that, but it’s not in the Bible.”

Jason: “Oh, okay.”

This is the conversation to the best of my recollection. If the character Jason seems a bit dull above, it’s probably not because of my memory…he’s about as smart as a bag of rocks.

The messages sent about MM in this episode are a bit mixed. On one hand, her honor is defended when Sarah sets the record straight on whether MM was a prostitute. On the other hand, she is invoking MM’s patronage as a sexual woman doing favors for a man in the name of love. This, however, is difficult to avoid; even though it’s clear MM probably didn’t deserve the reputation of a harlot, she remains a red-blooded, sensual figure in Western imagination.

In any case, I’m applauding HBO on their excellent timing in making a not-completely-outrageous reference to MM just before her feast day.

2. La Danza de los Zancos

This week zancos, dancers in the Spanish village of Anguiano, La Rioja, whirl on meter-high stilts up and down the cobbled streets as they move an icon of their patron saint, Mary Magdalene, from the village church down to a chapel by the sea. It appears to be a colorful, festive occasion all to honor MM!

The article I’ve linked to above includes a video.

I’ve always been fascinated by the fact that Mary Magdalene is a highly honored patron saint in the city of Kawit in the Philippines. Although I’ve never been there, I’ve spoken to a few people from the Philippines who consider MM their patron saint, including some sisters from a Filipino monastic order devoted to her.

It appears from this article that there is a thriving Kawiteños Filipino community in the San Diego area that holds a cultural celebration every year coinciding with MM’s feast day on July 22nd:

With this celebration, all the Kawiteños always have a chance to renew old acquaintances, acquire new friends and honor their patron saint, Saint Mary Magdalene. As we all say, although the Kawiteños are away from their native land, Saint Mary Magdalene is never forgotten and always stays in their heart, mind and soul.

(For some reason, this post didn’t go through yesterday…so much for making a feast day post!)

For the first time in many years, I don’t have anything special planned for Magdalene’s feast day. It’s a small miracle in itself that I didn’t have to work today–in favor of tomorrow–so I’ve decided to spend some time with my family.

This is a post I started around Easter with the intention of posting today. Only a couple of items, but still a quaint reminder of some folkloric traditions of Mary Magdalene:

“It is said that roses fade on St. Magdalene’s day.”

Beals, Katharine M. “Flower Lore and Legend.” Henry Holt & Co., 1917, pg. 121.

“The following charm was said to be very potent: On the eve of St.
Magdalene three maidens all under twenty-one must be gathered in the bed
chamber of one of the number and together must prepare a mixture of
wine, vinegar, and water in a ground glass vessel. Each maid must take
three sips of the liquid, into which she must dip a spray of rosemary to
be placed in her bosom. They must then all go silently to sleep in the
same bed. One spoken word will break the charm. If the conditions were
carefully complied with the dream of each, it was said, would reveal her
fate.”

ibid., p 237.

Best wishes to all on this Magdalene’s feast day!

This is a short but good article that I found at Cleveland.com:

Mary Magdalene in fact and fiction
by David Briggs (The Plain Dealer columnist)

The thrust of this article is that one sexual fiction about Mary Magdalene-that she was a prostitute-has been popularly replaced by a different sexual fiction; namely, that she was Jesus’ wife and the mother of his children. This isn’t the first I’ve come across this point. Voiced mostly by feminists concerned that no woman, Mary Magdalene included, should be remembered primarily for her sexuality (positive or negative), the issue is even more volitile given that both seem to be imagined reputations anyway. Why not focus on things that we’re told Mary Magdalene actually did, rather than what she may or may not have done with her female plumbing?

But to manufacture a new sexual myth around Mary Magdalene and reduce her role to supportive spouse is hardly what people celebrating strong, independent women leaders in early Christianity consider helpful.

“It ultimately undercuts women’s leadership because it focuses on the fiction of Mary of Magdala’s marital status rather than the fact of her leadership as the primary witness to Jesus’ Resurrection,” according to Sister Christine Schenk, executive director of Cleveland-based FutureChurch, an independent Catholic group.

I don’t disagree. Although there is definitely some “looking the other way” going on in regards to what mythology today’s women find valuable about Mary Magdalene, I think it is extremely important to look at Mary Magdalene’s most likely historical identity. Far and away, this is the role she filled as apostle of the apostles. Within Christianity, this is definitely the most important aspect of Mary Magdalene’s story.

“Rather than speculate falsely that Mary of Magdala was married to Jesus,” Schenk said, “it would be better to imitate her generosity and courage in accompanying a condemned political prisoner through a torturous death; and her faith in proclaiming God’s resurrection.”

Not surprisingly, the only expert quoted in the article is Sister Christine Schenk, who has been working with FutureChurch for many years to get as many Mary Magdalene feast day celebrations started as possible. This organization lobbies for female ordination as well as a married priesthood, and Mary Magdalene is their “poster girl.” Although I’m supportive of the FutureChurch cause, it’s good to keep their goals in mind when considering their position on Mary Magdalene’s identity.