mary magdalene, apostle to apostles

the relics of the woman with the alabaster jar,

at the  basilica of s. mary magdalene, vezeley

long before she had been the basis for an industry, i found mary magdalene important, even if my devotion to her was based on feelings i did not quite understand.  so over the past two decades i have read much of what has been written about her.  even when it has been historically nonsense, it has been fascinating, because it seems that many others of her devotees are as non-linear in their approach to the apostle to the apostles as i am.

but i was particularly annoyed by what i found on the back of cynthia bourgeault's new book   the meaning of mary magdalene:  'was jesus' most important disciple a woman?--a thorough and provocative analysis of the evidence by one of today's most respected contemplative teachers.'  now let me say, first of all, that i realize that author's are not responsible for what publishers put on the backsides of their books to boost sales, and that from what i can tell from perusing the book, it is not what ms. bourgeault was really analysing.  more than that i will not say until i read the book, except that she does not seem to be particularly interested in the sort of understanding of the apostolic office as a competitive sport that so fills the pages of writers like marvin meyers.  rather she seems to be interested in exploring the role of love in the relationship of mary magdalene to the messiah, and the nature of that love.

much more helpful to understanding why there is no one disciple 'most important' is this passage from s. bernard of clairvaux' sermons on the song of songs,  '23, in the rooms of the king."  bernard seems particularly helpful to our understanding mary magdalene's relation to jesus, because although he is primarily discussing the anointing which the king grants his beloved, mary magdalene of course is the one who anointed the king.  'in speaking of the ointments i mentioned that many varieties of them are to be found in the bridgegroom's presence, that all of them are not for everybody's use, but that each one's share differs according to his merits; so, too, i feel that the king has not one bedroom only, but several.  for he has more than one queen, his concubines are many, his maids beyond counting.  and each has his own secret rendezvous with the bridegroom and says, :my secret to myself, my secret to myself."  all do not experience the delight of the bridegroom's private visit in the same room, the father has different arrangements for each.  for we did not choose him but he chose us and appointed places for us; and in the place of each one's appointment there he is too.  thus one repentant woman was  allotted a place at the feet of the lord jesus, another--if she really is another--found fulfillment for her devotions at the head.  thomas attained to his mystery of grace in the savior's side, john on his breast, peter in the father's bosom, paul in the third heaven.' (23,9)

i would, however, like to point out one particularly beautiful part of the mystery of mary magdalene.  we speak of jesus as the christ, the anointed one.  and it was mary magdalene who anointed him.  it was she who chrismated our lord.  this role has continued to be central to the apostles in succession ever since, as each new christian is encorporated into the body of the royal priest and king by the application of oil on our heads and breasts and hands and feet.  mary truly is an apostle to the apostles.