Mary Magdalene – The Apostle to the Apostles
July 22 is the Feast Day for St. Mary Magdalene, who is named in the gospels more than most apostles. Mary Magdalene was a follower of Jesus. She was with our Blessed Mother at the foot of the cross, and was the first to see Jesus, soon after she collapsed, weeping at the empty tomb (John 20:11-18).
According to John’s Gospel, Jesus told Mary Magdalene to announce to the apostles He appeared to her, and to tell them, “I am going to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.”
She went straight away to them, declaring, “I have seen the Lord,” and shared His message. For that she is referred to as “The Apostle to the Apostle.”
There is scholarly debate over her background before she met Jesus, and if she was the same Mary, who wept and washed Jesus’ feet with her tears and hair in the Gospel of John.
Despite the difference of opinion, it is what she did after encountering Jesus Christ and His teachings that are significant in her story. Whatever her background, through her we can see how no one is denied the saving grace of God if you love and wholeheartedly believe and follow Christ.
