Jesus and Magdalene
Kilmore Church, Dervaig, Mull
© Barry Dunford
The Re-emergence of The Magdalene"Mary is rising…she is rising to her heights…
Our Mary will not be cast down and bound up…
and neither will her daughters.
We will rise, Daughters. We…will…rise."
‘The Secret Life of Bees’ by Sue Monk Kidd:
One of many recent dramatic appearances from Mary Magdalene is ‘Jesus, Mary and Da Vinci’ , the ABC Primetime news show that has people buzzing nationwide. The show that first aired on November 3rd, looks at the questions of the true relationship between Magdalene and Jesus as companions and possible intimates. The film acknowledges her status as ‘the Apostle of the Apostles’, not the penitent prostitute that has been her ‘scarlet letter’ for two thousand years. Also presented is the symbolism in ‘The Last Supper ‘ painting by Leonardo Da Vinci, and his portrayal of Magdalene sitting at the right side of Christ, their two body positions forming a ‘V’, a feminine symbol and a chalice. Here are two excerpts from the ABC network show:
"There's no factual basis for that longstanding tradition
that Mary Magdalene was a prostitute, a woman of ill repute….
Mary Magdalene is one of the greatest saints in the history of the church."
Rev. Richard McBrien PhD, of Notre Dame University.
(Magdalene’s designation as prostitute was
officially reversed by the Catholic Church in 1969).
"I think it's entirely plausible to think that Jesus may have been married.
It was a normal practice for Jewish men.
It would also be normal not to mention that he had a wife."
Karen King, Harvard University Professor
I was struck by my granddaughter’s epiphany as she watched the program, realizing that if Jesus and Magdalene really did have children, she herself might actually be carrying that same bloodline. That is quite a different legacy than thinking we are ‘less than’ or even worse, ‘sinners’!
"From the beginning, her view has been ignored, unappreciated.
Yet she remains. She cannot be silenced."
Time Magazine Aug. 11, 2003.
Other recent appearances include a feature article on Mary Magdalene in the August 11, 2003 issue of Time Magazine, and the popular novel, ‘The Da Vinci Code’, by Dan Brown, still scoring high on the New York Times bestseller list, along with numerous other Magdalene books released this year–all indicating her potent matrix is weaving its way back into our psyches. Through film, literature, revealed documents, and a growing interest in her story, Magdalene is finally rising from the hidden caves of our unconscious. She is re-emerging out of two thousand years of denial, banishment and a mistaken identity, to realize the fulfillment of a sacred trust, the blueprint for love and sacred union.
Adam and Eve/Jesus and Magdalene in the Garden
Rosslyn Chapel