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St Mary Magdalene Mary, called 'Magdalene', almost certainly came from the small village of Magdala, by the lake of Galilee between Tiberias and Capernaum. Today 'Migdal' is small, but still there, at the junction where the road from Nazareth comes down to the lake. We read in Luke 8 that she was one of the women who followed Jesus and had been healed of various infirmities; in her case, Jesus had cast "seven demons" out of her. For this reason, she has by tradition come to be associated with the penitent sinner of the previous chapter - a woman who anoints Jesus' feet and washes them with her loose hair. Such behaviour suggests that the woman's virtue had been compromised and Mary Magdalene has, therefore, traditionally been regarded as rescued from a promiscuous lifestyle. In the gospel narrative, Mary Magdalene is present with the other women, including Jesus' mother Mary, at the crucifixion. Above all, to her is given the joy of being the first to witness the risen Jesus by the garden tomb. She does not recognise him until he addresses her by name. Her feast day is celebrated on 22nd July. |
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