What do we know about Mary
Magdalene whose feast is celebrated on July 22? She is in all four gospels. In Luke (8:1-3) she is named as Mary surnamed the Magdalene
who had been cured of evil spirits and ailments. In Mark and Matthew (Mk. 15:40,
Mt 27:61) she heads the list of the women present at the passion and burial of
Our Lord. In John (19:25) she is mentioned after Jesus’ mother Mary and her
sister at the foot of the cross. John also describes her going to the tomb alone and, in tears, finding the body of Jesus missing. John awards her the distinction of the first
person to see the risen Christ and gives her the privilege of announcing the
resurrection to the apostles (Jn 20:1-8)
Throughout
the centuries Mary Magdalene’s story has been confused with that of Mary of
Bethany, Mary of Egypt, the sinner who anointed Jesus’ feet in Luke’s gospel
and a reformed prostitute. If you Google “Mary Magdalene” and look for images,
you will find that many artists in the Middle Ages and the Renaissance had a
fine time with the image of the reformed prostitute (usually half or fully
naked) while others picture her with an alabaster jar anointing Jesus’ feet or
languishing in meditation draped around a skull.
The
Orthodox Church titles her “Myrrh-Bearer and Equal of the Apostles.” Orthodox
art will show her with a jar of myrrh for anointing the body of Jesus. In the
Orthodox tradition when the apostles left Jerusalem to spread the good news, Mary Magdalene
went with them She went to Rome preaching the message, “I have seen the Risen Lord.”
The story is that she visited the Emperor Tiberius and gave him an egg and
said, “Christ has risen.” The emperor laughed and replied that Christ rising
from the dead was as likely as the egg turning red. The egg then turned a
bright red, and many icons of Mary show her with a red egg in her hand. The
Orthodox tradition has her going to Ephesus and dying there. In the Roman
Catholic tradition she goes to Gaul where she dies. For more than you might
want to know about Mary Magdalene and her different identities and traditions,
go to
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mary_Magdalene.
There
are two representations of Mary Magdalene in art that I want to share. The
first is a terra cotta statue by Niccolo dell’Arca (1462-63) that is part of a
Pieta (the group of people mentioned in the gospels as present at the
crucifixion). See left. This piece is in Santa Maria della Vita in Bologna, Italy. Mary
is rushing headlong in anguish toward the body of Jesus on the ground. The
image captures feelings of horror and pain at the death of Jesus and the sight
of his body. Mary is pictured as powerful, passionate and full of movement.
The second piece is by Bruce Wolfe
(b. 1941) and is located in the Mission Santa Barbara in California. See right. This Mary
is sad, calmer, attentive but no less full of power. She has Middle Eastern
features and a serene earthiness. Like the dell’Arca figure all her attention is focused on Jesus but
this time on the Risen Jesus. One can visualize this Mary preaching to the
Emperor Tiberius.
I hope
this brief blog will spark
your interest in the woman Mary Magdalene, her rich and varied tradition
and the art inspired by her.
Sr. Deborah Harmeling, OSB
She told them in her excitement that she "had seen the risen Lord!".
