Orthodox Christians celebrate St Mary Magdalene

On August 4, the Orthodox Christians that follow the old calendar observe Saint Mary Magdalene, one of the devoted disciples of Jesus, Info-Prim Neo reports. Her name, Mary Magdalene, suggests that she came from a town called Magdala. There is a place today called Magdala, 120 miles north of Jerusalem on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee. Mary Magdalene is honored as one of the first witnesses of the Resurrection of Jesus, and received a special commission from him to tell the Apostles of his resurrection. Mary's role as a witness is interesting due to the fact women at that time could not be witnesses in legal proceedings. Because of this, and because of her subsequent missionary activity in spreading the Gospel, she is known by the title "Equal of the Apostles". She is often depicted on icons bearing a vessel of ointment, not because of the anointing by the "sinful woman", but because she was among those women who brought ointments to the tomb of Jesus. For this reason, she is called a Myrrhbearer. In the Orthodox Church, little is known of her life beyond the Gospel accounts. After Christ's ascension, she is believed to have gone to Ephesus and evangelized with St John the Theologian. There she died and was buried near the entrance to the tomb of the Seven Sleeping Youths. During the reign of the Emperor Leo, her relics were transferred to the monastery of St Lazarus, where an annual synaxis was celebrated for her.