Words of Wisdom from St. Mary Magdalene

Yesterday, while scrolling through Substack, I came across an article by Jennifer Butler. Its message was not to let the chaos in our country make us angry, but to focus instead on what we can do. Butler described an experience she had a few years ago in Oxford, England. She was meeting with a group of religious leaders strategizing about how to counter Christian Nationalism. One afternoon, when she was feeling overwhelmed by the state of the world, she went for a walk and found a church named for Saint Mary Magdalen. In the church was a statue of Mary holding a jar for anointing. It was a reminder that Mary was the first witness to the resurrection—she showed up even amid her fear to do what she could: anoint the body of Jesus. What she found was the risen Christ.

While in the chapel, Jennifer said that the image that came to her was "water." She writes: "Water does not stop to despair over a boulder in a stream. It moves over it, around it, and—given enough time—through it. Water does not need to pretend the boulder is not there. It simply refuses to let the boulder determine where the journey ends. … It is easy in a moment like ours to freeze—to stare endlessly at the boulder or retreat into an upper room. But if we become like water, we can keep moving. We can do the next faithful thing."

The common myth about Mary is that she was a prostitute, but there is no evidence of this, and the Catholic Church officially affirmed this in 1969. In fact, Mary is known as the Apostle to the Apostles. Scholars believe that she held a leadership position in the early church. There is also a non-canonical gospel attributed to her—the Gospel of Mary Magdalene. The full gospel was never found, only fragments of it. I realized I had a copy sitting on my bookshelf and was inspired to find it. Here is a reading from it:

"Attachment to matter gives rise to passion against nature. Thus trouble arises in the whole body; this is why I tell you: 'Be in harmony…' If you are out of balance, take inspiration from manifestations of your true nature. Those who have ears, let them hear."

The opening verse invites us not to get attached to things, or to outcomes. The concept of detachment is difficult to grasp because it seems to mean not caring about anything. In fact, detachment is more about realizing what we are not in control of, rather than manipulating a situation or trying to influence an outcome. One definition of detachment is "loving deeply without needing to possess, control, or cling." Instead, we can focus on what we can do, be like water, and do the next faithful thing.

Another invitation in the text is to "take inspiration from manifestations of your true nature." That is also a little difficult to grasp, but I think it is about reconnecting with ourselves, with what we value, and with the Holy within. I am reminded of the meditation that Steve Holly led this past Sunday, connecting with the "kingdom of God within." I think Mary is inviting us to focus on the gifts we have received from God: the talents, abilities, and perspectives that help us feel joyful—the things that make our hearts sing—and to take inspiration from those things.

We have a choice: freely loving and acting faithfully, or being controlled by fear, attachment, and resentment. If we let ourselves be like water, we can keep moving, keep flowing, and keep sharing. In her article, Jennifer Butler suggests that "the stone is not always rolled away at once. Sometimes it moves one determined inch at a time. But it is moving." She says, "Mary Magdalene did not arrive at the tomb carrying a strategic plan for transforming the Roman Empire. She carried a jar of ointment. She went to perform the next faithful act available to her."

May we all be like water. May we remember what gives our lives meaning. May we celebrate the gift that we are, and find our next faithful act.