The Real Mary Magdalene

Caroline Godin brings to light some false accusations about Mary Magdalene and highlights this saint’s true story.

July 22 is the feast day of St. Mary Magdalene, an important woman in the Gospel story whose name has been misrepresented for centuries. Recently, Catholic authors and scholars have been cleaning up the mess and showing respect to this second-most-mentioned woman of the Gospels. 

Let’s unpack the misconceptions and uncover who she really is — and why we should recognize both her piety and fidelity to the Lord. 

False Accusations 

Here are a few common misconceptions about Mary Magdalene: 

The Prostitute 

Mary Magdalene has for a long time been assumed to be a prostitute. It’s usually attributed to Luke 7:36-50 where a known sinful woman washes Jesus’s feet. But in Luke 8:2, she is introduced as “Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out.” The author makes no connection to the sinful woman, so we should presume there’s any relation between the two. 

Another Mary? 

Some also believe she may be another Mary mentioned, but let’s consider the naming conventions at the time and place of the gospel. Jimmy Akin of Catholic Answers goes into detail about the way to which women were referred. 

In short, only if women had no familial relations (no living husband, relatives, or children), would she be identified with her town of origin. Magdala was a fishing village in Galilee; therefore, we know Mary was a Galilean from there. We can also assume she has no family. If she is from Magdala and has no family, she would be called Mary of Magdala or Mary Magdalene. To compare how women are mentioned, here are some examples: 

• Mary, the mother of James and Joseph (Matthew 27:56) 
• Mary, the sister of Martha and Lazarus, also from Bethany, not Magdala (John 11) 
• Anna, the daughter of Phanuel (Luke 2:36) 

The Real Mary Magdalene 

The real story of Mary Magdalene is one of Jesus’ saving power — she had seven demons cast out from her — and of fidelity. She is one of the women who followed Jesus and his apostles as mentioned in Luke 8, and so we know she left home to remain with the Lord. She had no ties to children, husband, or any other family and she was so faithful that she was one of the few at the foot of the Cross (John 19:25). In fact, she is the one who saw the empty tomb first and ran to tell the others (John 20:1-2). 

Many Catholic scholars and authors began disputing the false accusations of Mary Magdalene. There are articles like those mentioned above and even a movie about the topic. It seems people are finally realizing that Mary Magdalene doesn’t deserve these accusations and her real story is clearing up. 

The Legend of the Easter Egg 

There’s a legend that Mary Magdalene evangelized the emperor with an egg, declaring that Jesus has risen. He denied it saying it was no more true than the egg was red. When the egg suddenly turned red in her hand, he conceded. There’s no official document or doctrine backing this story, but there are ancient traditions of early Easter celebrations with red eggs. We don’t know for certain if this story is true, but it would align with a faithful Mary Magdalene and the power of evangelization. 

Celebrating the Feast of Mary Magdalene 

In 2016, Pope Francis declared July 22nd the Feast of St. Mary Magdalene to remember and honor this faithful disciple. We can remember her for her closeness to the Lord. She stayed at the Cross when few others would. She came to the tomb first. And she evangelized fervently after the Resurrection. Mary Magdalene is the patron saint of contemplative life, converts (she was a Galilean), and women — among other things. 

Can we model these qualities in our own faith journey? Can we use her example, her actual, Biblical example to remain with the Lord in times of trial and steadfast to the Gospel even when all seems lost? 

Let’s pray for her intersession and ask the Lord for a steady heart in the face of adversity and, with an evangelical heart like hers, help to convert more to the love of Christ. 

Share your thoughts with the Catholic Mom community! You'll find the comment box below the author's bio and list of recommended articles.

Copyright 2024 Caroline Godin
Images: AndyScott, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons; Metropolitan Museum of Art, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons