MARY MAGDALENE

Saint Mary Magdalene was the first to see the Resurrection of Jesus. Having conveyed the message of the Resurrection to the disciples, she became “the Apostle of the Apostles.” The patron saint of France since time immemorial, she literally adopted Polish Orthodox Christians in the twentieth century. “Touch me not,” these words of Jesus to Mary Magdalene, spoken after the Resurrection, became some of the most inexplicable in the entire Gospel.

1 On the fourth of August the Orthodox Church celebrates the memory of Mary Magdalene. Modern Orthodoxy is a confederation of Local Orthodox Churches. Today, there are only fifteen generally recognized ones. One of these Churches is the Polish Orthodox Church.

2 The Cathedral of the Polish Autocephalous Orthodox Church is dedicated to Mary Magdalene, which testifies to the great veneration of the saint in Orthodoxy. But not only. The fact is that the historic Warsaw Cathedral was destroyed in 1924 by the Polish nationalist government after Poland gained independence. This Orthodox church-martyr was named after Alexander Nevsky. Thus, Mary Magdalene took over this “baton of confession”, took upon herself the heavenly protection of the Polish Orthodox. Such is the fate of history and the communion of saints in it.

3 There was a time when a quote attributed to an intellectual was quite popular, which said: “The Poles are the eastern French.” Whatever the origin of these words, and whether they were uttered, the saying had a purely secular content and was most likely connected with the common historical destinies of Poland and France in the interwar period. But it came true in the sacred realm. Saint Mary Magdalene is the patroness of France. There is a very ancient tradition, dating back to the deep Middle Ages. In the 1920s, Mary Magdalene became the patroness of Polish Orthodoxy and remains so to this day. In this sense, yes, indeed, the Polish Orthodox, who venerate Mary Magdalene, have become like the French, who venerated her a very long time ago. The amazing deeds of God and His saints are unexpectedly and paradoxically great. Thus, “secular prophecies” sometimes come true.

4 There was an ancient legend that Mary Magdalene preached Christ in the south of France. There is even a cave in Saint-Maximin where she allegedly lived as a hermit and repented of her sins in the last years of her life. This is a very pious legend. From the perspective of moral teaching - yes, why not. But from the point of view of theological assertion, this is simply impossible. Mary Magdalene could well have hidden in a cave, saving herself from possible conspiracies of Jews hostile to Christianity, but she simply did not need to repent of her previous sins. After all, the Lord forgave her, accepted her and illuminated her with the Easter light. Moreover, as it is said in the Gospel, it was to her that He first appeared after His Resurrection. The Orthodox Church calls Mary Magdalene “equal to the apostles.” But, having first announced to the apostles the good news of the Resurrection of Jesus, she became the “Apostle of the Apostles.” This is worthy and beautiful.

5 Finally, as the postmodern secular prophet Steve Jobs used to say at the end of his famous speeches, “one more thing.” According to the Gospel of John, when Mary saw the risen Jesus, He said to her, “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brothers and tell them I am ascending to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God” (John 20:17). Why did Jesus say this? Some commentators, especially those trying to reconcile science and religion, claim that He said this because the body of the risen Lord was going through some kind of “transition period,” practically emitting some kind of “radiation.” Let’s be careful, this is heresy; we will not repeat this opinion under any circumstances.

6 Christ says “touch not” because the Resurrection is not a return or a repetition. God the Father raised Jesus from the dead. He is the King of kings, the God-man, the Messiah, the “terrible God,” as the prayer in the liturgy addressed to God the Father says. “Touch not, for I have not yet ascended to the Father.” Christ will be given to the Church, the world, the apostles, and Mary Magdalene in the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost. That is why He commanded Mary Magdalene to wait and convey the same to the Apostles.

7 Therefore, neither Mary Magdalene, nor the apostles, nor we ourselves can simply touch Christ. As Paul says, “Even if we knew Christ according to the flesh, we now no longer know Him” (2 Corinthians 5:16). We cannot and should not touch Jesus, either physically or biologically. Christ is already completely “at our disposal” in the sacrament. We can and must participate in His Body and Blood, because we are already His Body and Blood. “If you want to understand what the Body of Christ is, listen to the Apostle who says to the believers: You are the Body of Christ, and each of you His members” (1 Cor. 12:17). So, if you are the Body of Christ and His members, then your mystery is at the Lord’s table, and you receive this mystery. To what you are, you answer: “Amen,” and with this answer you sign. They say to you: “The Body of Christ,” and you answer: “Amen.” Be members of the Body of Christ, so that this Amen may be true” – these are the words of the Father of the Church, Saint Augustine, in his great Eucharistic Sermon (Sermon 272, 4). “Trust in Me, believe in Me, walk with Me into the Kingdom, preach the Gospel to all creation” – these are the words of Christ addressed to Mary Magdalene.