350 Celebrations Planned for St Mary of Magdala's feast day/July 22nd

St. Mary of Magdala, Apostle
(Used with permission of BASIC)

Current tallies show that 350 celebrations are planned including at least 30 outside the US (12 in Canada, six in Ireland, five in New Zealand and one each in Australia, Columbia, Finland, France, Kenya, the Netherlands, Nicaragua, South Africa and Zambia). This is the largest number of international celebrations we have ever had. (Future Church Reports)

In Falls Church, we celebrated liturgy on Sat. July 17th and today, July 22nd, her feast day.

As Peter rejected Mary of Magdala's witness long ago, so too women priests face the condemnation by our male church hierarchy.

In all four Gospels Mary of Magdala is the first messenger of the good news of the Resurrection of Christ to the disciples. Mark's Gospel affirms that Mary of Magdala was the "first" to the encounter the Risen Christ. Christ chose Mary, not Peter to be the herald of Christianity' greatest proclamation: "Jesus is risen." The male disciples reacted with disbelief when she announced the good news. Yet, Mary of Magdala was the "apostle to the apostles", and the role that she played as prominent leader and close companion to Jesus cannot be denied. However, Peter expressed hostility toward Mary when he said: ""How is it possible that the Teacher talked in this manner with a woman about secrets of which we ourselves are ignorant? Must we change our customs, and listen to this woman? Did he really choose her, and prefer her to us?" Levi responds to Peter and said: "Peter, you have always been hot tempered, and now we see you repudiating a woman, just as our adversaries do. Yet if the Teacher held her worthy, who are you to reject her?... Let us grow as he demanded of us, and walk forth to spread the gospel without trying to lay down any rules and laws other than those he witnessed."

"Levi's advice to Peter, treat women the way Jesus did, preach the gospel, and don't make up any laws or man-made rules that Jesus didn't make, is great advice for the Pope and Vatican today!"

What do you think Mary of Magdala would say to the Vatican who has created a new law demonizing women priests, placing us in the same category of "serious crime" as pedophiles?
Bridget Mary Meehan, sofiabmm@aol.com 703-505-0004