Too many Mary's!

  • Thread starter Thread starter CatintheHat
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
C

CatintheHat

Guest
I am thinking about who to pick as my patron saint for my upcoming conversion, and I am trying to understand something about St. Mary Magdalene.

On the catholic.org website, they describe St. Mary Magdalene as both the Mary who washed Jesus’ feet with perfume and the Mary who was outside of Jesus’ tomb when he was resurrected. If this is the case, then St. Mary Magdalene is also St. Martha’s sister, because in describing St. Martha (whom I’m also considering as my patron saint) they say “We hear how Mary causes a commotion at dinner by annointing Jesus with expensive perfume.”

Is this the case, or am I just confusing myself? :confused:
 
CatintheHat said:
I am thinking about who to pick as my patron saint for my upcoming conversion, and I am trying to understand something about St. Mary Magdalene.

On the catholic.org website, they describe St. Mary Magdalene as both the Mary who washed Jesus’ feet with perfume and the Mary who was outside of Jesus’ tomb when he was resurrected. If this is the case, then St. Mary Magdalene is also St. Martha’s sister, because in describing St. Martha (whom I’m also considering as my patron saint) they say “We hear how Mary causes a commotion at dinner by annointing Jesus with expensive perfume.”

Is this the case, or am I just confusing myself? :confused:
Click to expand...
No, Mary of Magdala didn’t cause the commotion!
The judgemental people observing her did! 😃
And Jesus defended her. Her action gave Him opportunity to say that because she showed him much love, her many sins were forgiven her.That’s a great message for us and I thank Mary for the opportunity for His affirmation.

Mary Magdalan also stood faithfully at the foot of His cross even though ten of His constant companions deserted Him at that terrible time. She received the first scripturally recorded encounter with Jesus after His resurrection, and was commissioned by Him to carry the news to the apostles who were in hiding after His death! Quite a woman. She was a fallible human being who responded to the graces of Jesus’ love and goodness, and who was thus uniquely favoured by Jesus!

…What scriptural backup is there to show that Mary of Magdalen and Mary of Bethany, Martha’s sister, are the same person, by the way?..Each…or… has so much to contribute to our faith, through their interactions with Jesus:)

God bless you
 
So, did both of those Mary’s wash Jesus’ feet with expensive perfume?
 
No, it was Mary Magdalene. She was the sinner who was totally converted and was subsequently faithful to Jesus.

Mary of Bethany was a friend, the sister of Martha and sister of the man whom Jesus raised from the dead. Jesus used to visit their home.
 
A check leads me to this information…The Church celebrates Mary Magdalene on the 22 July
a) as the woman "to whom Christ appeared after his resurrection, not as the sister of Saint Martha
b) nor as the sinful woman whose sins the Lord forgave [that is, the perfume lady]
The 1910 Catholic Encyclopedia stated, “there is no suggestion of an identification of the three persons (the ‘sinner’, Mary Magdalene, and Mary of Bethany).”

In chapter 7:36-50, "St Luke writes that Jesus casts seven demons from Mary Magdalene after which she joined his disciples and helped to provide practical care for them. Presumably, she did things like cooking and clothes washing for them.
She stood by Jesus during His crucifixion and was the first witness to the resurrection and the person whom Jesus sent to tell his other disciples of his resurrection.

I think, of the women called Mary who you are currently considering
you need to figure if you wanted to take the reformed sinner, Mary Magdalene,
or
the close friend of Jesus, Mary of Bethany, who pleased Him by giving Him her company and her listening, as your guide. She seems to be the more contemplative one.

Just think maybe who you feel you’re more like or who you’d like to become.

You’ve thought of hospitable Martha, who took care of everyone’s practical needs when Jesus visited the family and who later recognised Jesus as the Saviour, after her brother’s death.

…You just have to choose who you want to lead you and in what direction.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top