Mary Magdalene - Apostle to the Apostles

This morning's homily by Father Ian was wonderful! The Gospel passage was taken from John 20:11-18. I learned something about Mary Magdalene I never knew before. As a protestant previously I rarely heard sermon about the godly women in scripture. Today I learned that Mary Magdalene is known as the Apostle to the Apostles (apostolorum apostola).  The reason? She was the first person who saw Jesus after His resurrection. In the scripture passage:

"But Mary stood weeping outside the tomb. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb; and she saw two angels in white, sitting where the body of Jesus had been lying, one at the head and the other at the feet. They said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid him.” When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not know that it was Jesus. Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you looking for?” Supposing him to be the gardener, she said to him, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have laid him, and I will take him away.” Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to him in Hebrew, “Rabbouni!” (which means Teacher). " (John 20:11-16)

Jesus appeared to her but she initially did not recognize Him. But when she called her by her name "Mary" she immediately recognized Him! Oh it was such a love filled moment! You see, Mary Magdalene was the sinful woman with the "alabaster jar of ointment" described in Luke 7:36-50. Jesus used  the story of "A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty." to explain to Simon the Pharisee (who invited Him to dinner) this important lesson: "Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little." How little do I show love to Jesus! How little do I think my sins need to be forgiven!

What happened after Jesus appeared to Mary Magdalene was remarkable! "Mary Magdalene went and announced to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord”; and she told them that he had said these things to her."

That's why she is the apostle to the apostles!!! She was sent by the Lord to announce the Good News to the eleven apostles, who were hiding! That's why she is Saint Mary Magdalene!

"When Jesus had risen from the dead early on the Sunday morning, he appeared first to Mary Magdalen, from whom he had cast out seven devils, alleluia."