Mary of Magdala
The First Witness
She was healed. She stayed at the Cross. She was the first to see the risen Lord.
She Was There
Mary Magdalene came from the town of Migdal, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. The Bible tells us Jesus cast seven demons out of her (Luke 8:2). After her healing, she became one of the women who travelled with Jesus and supported His ministry from their own means (Luke 8:1-3).
She was there at the cross when Jesus died. Most of the disciples had fled. Mary stayed.
She was there at the tomb on the third morning. She found it empty. She wept outside, thinking someone had taken the Lord's body.
“Jesus said to her, ‘Mary.’ She turned and said to him in Aramaic, ‘Rabboni!’ (which means Teacher).”— John 20:16
Then Jesus appeared to her. He spoke her name. She recognised Him. He sent her to tell the others: ‘I have seen the Lord.’
Apostle to the Apostles
Mary of Magdala was the first person to see the risen Christ. She was the first to carry the news of the resurrection. The Church calls her Apostle to the Apostles — the one who brought the message that changed the world.
She was a woman from a small fishing town. God chose her to receive the greatest revelation in history.
In the culture of that time, a woman's testimony carried no legal weight. If the Gospel writers were inventing a resurrection story, they would never have made women the primary witnesses. The fact that all four Gospels insist Mary Magdalene was first is powerful evidence that this is what actually happened. They recorded it because they had to.
Your Connection to Sacred History
When you become a Guardian of Migdal, you are connected to the ground where Mary of Magdala lived, was healed, and from which she carried the news of the resurrection to the world.
Become a Guardian