The life and history of Saint Mary Magdalene, Equal to the Apostles. Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles

Brief Life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

The holy equal of the capital Ma-ria Mag-da-li-na, one of the wives of the mi-ro-no-sits, was honored as the first of all May you see the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ. She was born in the village of Mag-da-ly in Ga-li-ley. The Ga-li-leys lived by immediacy, ardor of character and self-confidence. These qualities were also present in Saint Mary Mag-da-lina. Since her youth, she suffered from a serious illness - demon (). Before the coming into the world of Christ the Savior there were especially many demons: the enemy of mankind -why, seeing his loved one's disgrace, he rose up against people with ferocious force. Through the illness of Mary Mag-da-li-na, the glory of God appeared, and she herself achieved great good-de-all. lo-go trust in the will of God and a certain kind of devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord drove seven demons out of her, she, leaving everything, followed Him.

Holy Mary Mag-da-li-on-following Christ, together with other same-on-mi, is-tse-len-ny-mi State- around the house, showing touching care for Him. She did not leave the Lord after the Jews took Him, when those closest to her began to believe in Him students. The fear that bu-wed to the re-re-relation of the apostle of Peter, in the soul of Mary Mag-da-li-na, was defeated by any view. She stood at the Cross together with the Most Holy God and the Apostle John, living through the suffering Teach the divine and communicate with the grief of God. Holy Mary Mag-da-li-na with-pro-leader-da-la Most-pure Body of the Lord after Jesus Christ at the re-ne-se- His burial in the garden of the righteous Joseph Ari-ma-fei-skogo was at His burial (;). Having served the Lord during His earthly life, she wished to serve Him after death, giving the last honoring His Body, minding it, according to the custom of the Jews, with peace and aro-ma-ta-mi (). The risen Christ sent Saint Mary with a message from Him to the disciples, and the blessed wife, rejoicing, brought la apo-sto-lam about vi-den-nom - “Christ is risen!” As the first good-west-ni-tsa of Christ's resurrection, Holy Mary Mag-da-li-na is recognized at the Church-view of the Rav -noap-oh-so-noy. In this good news is the main co-existence of her life, the beginning of her apostolic service.

According to legend, she is a blessing not only in Ieru-sa-li-me. Holy Mary Mag-da-li-na went to Rome and saw im-per-ra-to-ra Ti-ve-ria (14-37). Known to his-same-sto-ko-ser-di-em im-pe-ra-tor, you-listened to Saint Mary, who ras-s-sal-la him about the life, miracles and teachings of Christ, about His unjust condemnation of Judas, about the little spirit of Pi-la-ta . Then she brought him a red egg with the words “Christ is risen!” With this step of St. Mary, the Magus are connected with the pas-hal custom of giving each other red eggs (yay -tso, a symbol of that-in-life, you-ra-ha-has faith in the coming general Resurrection).

Then Saint Mary went to Ephesus (Asia Minor). Here she spoke to the holy apostle and evan-ge-li-stu John of God in his pro-ve-di. Here, according to the tradition of the Church, she died and was laid to rest. In the 9th century, under the reign of Leo VI Philo-so-the (886-912), the incorruptible relics of St. Mary the Magus were not -re-ne-se-ny from Ephesus to Kon-stan-ti-no-pol. They say that during the Crusades they were taken to Rome, where they congregated in the temple in the name of Saint John of La-te-ran-skogo. Pope of Rome Go-no-ri III (1216-1227) consecrated this temple in the name of the holy equal of the capital Mary Mag-da-li-na. Part of her relics resides in France, in Pro-va-zhe near Mar-se-la, where a temple was also erected, dedicated to the saint. that Maria Mag-da-lina. Parts of the holy relics of the Equal Mary of the Magus are kept in various monasteries of the Holy Go -ry Athos and in Ieru-sa-li-me. Numerous monuments of the Russian Church, these holy places still exist, blessedly -worshipping her holy relics.

The Complete Life of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

On the shore of Ge-ni-sa-ret-sko-go lake between the mountains of Ka-per-na-u-mom and Ti-ve-ri-a-doi races -po-la-gal-a small city of Mag-da-la, the remnants of which have survived to this day. Now in its place there is only a small village named Med-zhdel.

In Magda-la, a woman was once born and raised, whose name forever became part of the Evangelical tradition. to-ryu. The Gospel tells us nothing about the young years of Mary, but the Pre-da-nie informs us that Mary is from Mag-da -you were young, beautiful, and led a sinful life. In the Gospel it is said that the Lord drove out seven demons from Mary. From the moment of Ma-ria's research, she began a new life. She became a faithful student of Spa-si-te-la.

Evan-ge-lie says that Ma-ria Mag-da-li-is behind the Lord's house, when He is with the apo-sto-la-mi walked through the cities and villages of Judea and Galilei with the message of the Kingdom of God. Together with the good-che-sti-mi wives - Ioan-noy, wife of Khu-zy (do-mo-pra-vi-te-lya Iro-do-va ), Su-san-noy and others, she served Him from her estates () and, undoubtedly, shared with the apo-sto-la -my good-west-no-che-works, especially among women. Obviously, she, along with other women, is meant by Evangelist Lu-ka, saying that in -the moment of the procession of Christ to Gol-go-fu, when, after the bi-che-va-niya, He carried a heavy Cross on Himself, from-being unable to under it heavy, the women followed Him, crying and sobbing, and He consoled them. Evan-ge-lie says that Ma-ria Mag-da-li-na-ho-di-la and on Gol-go-fe at the moment of the crucifixion of the State -Yes. When all the Spa-si-te-la's students ran away, she fearlessly stayed at the Cross with Bo-go-ro-di -tsey and the apostle John.

Among the hundred who appeared at the Cross, the Evan-ge-li-sty also include the mother of the apostle Ia-ko-va of the Lesser, and Sa- lo-mia, and other women who followed the Lord's house from Gal-leya itself, but everyone calls Maria first Mag-da-li-well, and the Apostle John, besides Bo-go-ma-te-ri, only mentions her and Mary Cleo-po-vu. This speaks volumes about how different you are from all the women who surrounded Spa-si-the-la.

She was faithful to Him not only in the days of His glory, but also at the moment of His extreme unification and destruction. She, as the Gospel of Mat-fei says, was in the presence of the Lord and at the burial of the Lord. Before her eyes, Joseph and Ni-ko-di-mom carried His lifeless body into the tomb. Before her eyes, they blocked the entrance to the cave with a large stone, where the Sun of life had set...

Faithful for the co-well, in which she was born, Maria, together with other wives, was the whole next day was quiet, for the great day was that Saturday, which coincided that year with the Easter holiday. But still, before the end of the day, the women managed to get aro-ma-ty so that on the first day of the week they could come to the race -keep-to-the-mo-gi-le of the Lord and Teach-te-la and, according to the custom of the Jews, to anoint His body with aro-ma -ta-mi.

It is necessary to assume that, having gathered to go to the Gro-bu on the first day of the week early in the morning, the holy women dispersed on Friday evening at their houses, didn’t you have the opportunity to meet each other on Saturday, and how As soon as the light of the next day was just around the corner, we went to the tomb not together, but each from our own house.

Evan-ge-list Matthew writes that the women came to the tomb at dawn, or, as you say, Evan-ge-list Mark, very early, at sunrise; Evangelist John, as if completing them, says that Mary came to the tomb so early that it was still dark . See, she was impatiently waiting for the windows of the night, but without waiting for the light to break, when there was still a ri-la darkness, be-zha-la there, where the body of the State lies.

So, Maria came to the grave alone. Seeing a stone from the cave, she was in fear and rushed to where the closest apostles lived. lys of Christ - Peter and John. Having heard the strange news that the Lord had been taken away from the coffin, both apos-la went to the coffin and, seeing the pe-le- We and the rolled board were amazed. The apostles left and didn’t say anything to anyone, but Maria stood near the entrance to the gloomy cave and pla -ka-la. Here, in this dark coffin, not long ago, her Lord lay breathless. Wanting to make sure that the coffin was really empty, she went to it - and here a strong light suddenly surrounded her. She saw two Angels in white robes, sitting one at the head, and the other at the feet, wherever -lo-lo-same-but the body of Jesus-so-in. Hearing the question: “Woman, why are you crying?” - she said the same words that she had just said to the apo-sto-lams: “Did the Gos-po-da mo- and I don’t know where He lives.” Having said this, she turned back and at that moment saw Jesus risen again, standing near the tomb, but I didn’t recognize Him.

He asked Maria: “Woman, why are you crying, Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that she sees the garden, from-ve-cha-la: “Sir, if you carried Him out, tell me where you are.” -lo-lived Him, and I will take Him."

But at that moment she recognized the voice of the Lord, a voice that was familiar from the very day He healed her. She heard this voice in those days, in those years, when, together with other blessings, you women I went for the Lord's house in all the cities and villages where His prophecy was spread. A joyful cry burst from her chest: “Rav-vu-ni!”, which means “Teacher.”

Respect and love, tenderness and deep reverence, a sense of appreciation and acknowledgment of His superiority. how great the Teacher was - everything merged in this one voice. She couldn't say anything more and rushed to the feet of her Teacher to wash them with tears of joy . But the Lord said to her: “Do not come to Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brothers and say live to them: “I ascend to My Father and your Father and to My God and your God.”

She came to her senses and again ran to the apostles in order to fulfill the will of her Glorious One to preach. Again she ran into the house, where the Apostles were still in turmoil, and brought them good news: “ Vi-de-la Gos-po-da!” This was the first time in the world to talk about the Resurrection.

The apo-sto-lys should be the blessing of the world, and it is the blessing of the apo-sto-lam...

Sacred Scripture does not tell us about the life of Mary Mag-da-li-na after the Resurrection of Christ, but it is possible but I have no idea that if, during the terrible moments of Christ’s crucifixion, she was at the foot of His Cross with His Most Holy Mother - I stand with Ma-the-ryu and Ioan-nom, then it is undeniable that she remained with them and all the near-time after the resurrection- nii and voz-no-se-nii of the State. So, Saint Luke in the book of De-ya-niy of the Apostles writes that all the Apostles are one soul, but were in one lit-ve and prayers with some of the same and Mary, Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

The Holy Precept tells us that when the apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to propagate to all ends of the world -ra, then Maria Mag-da-li-na went with them to the pro-po-po. An important woman, whose heart was full of memories of the Risen One, left her native land and went with the message to the pagan language. And she carried the message to people about Christ and His teachings, and when many did not believe that Christ had risen, she repeated to them the same thing that she had said on the bright morning of the Resurrection apo -sto-lam: “I see the State.” With this proclamation she went all over Italy.

Pre-da-nie says that in Italy, Ma-ria Mag-da-li-na appeared to him-per-ra-to-ru Ti-ve-rius (14-37) and good news to him about the risen Christ. According to legend, she brought him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life, with the words: " Christ is risen!" Then she told him that in his province of Judea Jesus Ga-li-le-ya was convicted without guilt. Nin, a holy man, who did miracles, strong before God and all people, was executed according to the Jewish traditions -shchen-ni-kov, and the thief was approved by the famous Ti-ve-ri-em pro-ku-ra-tor Pontius Pi-lat.

Mary repeated the words of the apo-sto-lovs, that those who believed in Christ were saved from the vanity of life and are not perishable. silver or gold, but the precious blood of Christ as an immaculate and pure Lamb.

Bla-go-da-rya Marya Mag-da-lina custom of giving each other eggs on the day of the Holy Resurrection of Christ -niya races between the christ-a-na-mi of the whole world. In one ancient ru-co-written Greek charter, on-pi-san-nom on per-ga-men-those, stored in the library -te-ke mo-na-sta-rya of St. Ana-sta-sia near Fes-sa-lo-nik (So-lu-nya), at-the-place-at the mo-lit-va, chi- that-e-May on the day of Holy Easter for the consecration of eggs and cheese, in which it is indicated that the abbot, once when he gives the consecrated eggs, he says to the brethren: “So we received from the holy fathers, who preserved these customs.” but-ve-nie from the very times of the apostolic, for the holy equal of the capital Mary Mag- da-li-na first-for- La believe-ru-yu-sh-im-example of this ra-worthy sacrifice."

Ma-ria Mag-da-li-na pro-longed her good-news in Italy and in the city of Rome itself. Obviously, it is precisely this that the apostle Pavel refers to in his Epistle to Romans (), where, along with the pro-chi- mi-mov-ni-ka-mi pro-po-ve-di Evan-Gel-skoy trusts Mary (Ma-ri-am), who is paradise, as he she's happy, "she worked a lot for us." Obviously, they served the Church without hesitation and with their means, and with their labor, under avoiding the dangers, and un-de-la-la with the apo-sto-la-mi of the work of pro-know-no-thing.

According to church tradition, she stayed in Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul and two more years later after his departure from Rome after the first trial over him. From Rome, Saint Mary Mag-da-li-na, already at an advanced age, moved to Ephesus, where the saint worked tirelessly that Apostle John, who, from her words, wrote the 20th chapter of his Gospel. There the holy earthly life ended and it was done.

Her holy relics were transferred to the capital of the Byzantine Empire in the 9th century - Kon-stan-ti-no -pol and po-lo-zhen-us in the temple of the mo-na-sta-rya in the name of St. La-za-rya. In the era of the Crusades, they were transferred to Italy and settled in Rome under al-ta-rem La -te-ran-sko-go-bo-ra. Part of the relics of Mary Mag-da-li-na is in France near Mar-se-la, where there is a cart above them at the foot of a steep mountain -move in honor of her magnificent temple.

The Right-Glorious Church sacredly honors the memory of St. Mary Mag-da-li-na - a woman, called by the Sa-mim of the State House from darkness to light and from the power of sa-ta-na to God.

See also: "" in the text of St. Di-mit-ria of Ro-stov.

Prayers

Troparion to Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

You followed Christ, born of a Virgin for our sake, / the honorable Magdalino Mary, / who kept the justifications and laws. / Meanwhile, today we celebrate your all-holy memory, / for the resolution of sins / / pray We accept yours.

Translation: You followed Christ, born of the Virgin for our sake, venerable Mary Magdalene, keeping His commandments and laws. Therefore, on this day, celebrating your all-holy memory, we receive forgiveness of sins through your prayers.

Troparion of the Week of the Myrrh-Bearing Women

An angel appeared to the myrrh-bearing women at the tomb, crying:/ There is peace for the dead/ Christ has appeared a stranger to corruption./ But cry: the Lord is risen,/ Give me greatness lost.

Translation: Appearing at the tomb, the Angel exclaimed: “Befits the dead, but Christ appeared not subject to control; It’s better to shout: The Lord has risen, giving great mercy to the world!”

Kontakion of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

Standing, glorious one, at the Cross of Spasov with many others,/ and the Mother of the Lord is compassionate, and shedding tears,/ offering this in praise, saying:/ what is this strange miracle?/ Contain all creation Oh, suffer as you please.// Glory to Your power.

Translation: Standing, glorious, at the Cross of the Savior with many other wives, and compassionate the Mother of the Lord, and shedding tears, she brought it in praise, and exclaimed: “What is this extraordinary miracle? All creation was pleased by the One who suffered. Glory to Your power!”

Kontakion of the Week of Myrrh-Bearing Women

You commanded the myrrh-bearers to rejoice,/ You quenched the cry of your foremother Eve/ with Your resurrection, O Christ God,/ You commanded Your apostle to preach // The Savior is risen from the grave.

Translation: “Rejoice,” shouting to the myrrh-bearers, You stopped Eve’s crying with Your resurrection, O Christ God; He commanded Yours to proclaim: “The Savior has risen from the grave!”

The Greatness of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

We magnify you,/ the myrrh-bearing holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene,/ and we honor your illnesses and labors,/ in which you labored/ in the gospel of Christ.

Prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

Oh, holy myrrh-bearer and all-praiseworthy equal-to-the-apostles of Christ, Mary Magdalene, the disciple! To you, as the most faithful and powerful intercessor for us to God, sinners and unworthy ones, we now diligently resort to you and pray in contrition of our hearts. In your life you experienced the terrible snares of demons, but by the grace of Christ you clearly freed them, and with your prayers delivered us from the snare of demons, so that we may be freed throughout our life. In words, thoughts and secret thoughts of our hearts let us faithfully serve the one Holy Master God, as they promised Him. You loved the sweetest Lord Jesus more than all the earthly blessings, and through all your life you followed him well, His Divine teachings and grace not only feeding your own soul, but also many people Bringing from pagan darkness to Christ the wonderful light; then, leading, we ask you: ask us from Christ God for the grace that enlightens and sanctifies, so that we, overshadowed by it, may succeed in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, so that we may serve without laziness To your neighbors in their spiritual and physical needs, remembering the example of your love for mankind. You, holy Mary, you cheerfully flowed through your life on earth with the grace of God and you peacefully departed to the heavenly abode, pray to Christ the Savior, that through your prayers He will make us worthy without stumbling. This is our journey in this vale of weeping and in peace and repentance let us end our lives, and so having lived in holiness on earth, we will be granted eternal blissful life in Heaven and there with you and all the saints together we will praise the Indivisible Trinity, we will praise the One Divinity, the Father and The Son and the All-Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Another prayer to Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, Myrrh-Bearer

Oh, Holy Myrrh-Bearer, Equal-to-the-Apostles Magdalene Mary! With your warm love for Christ God, you trampled the evil machinations of the enemy and you found the priceless beads of Christ, and you reached the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason I fall to you with a tender soul and a contrite heart, crying out to you, I am unworthy: look down on me from the heights of Heaven, I am overcome by sinful temptations, see how many sins and Let the enemy trample me every day, seeking my destruction. Glorious and all-praiseworthy disciple of Christ Mary! Pray to Christ God, whom you love and love you, to grant me remission of many of my sins and strengthen me with His grace to walk soberly and cheerfully along the path of the holy commandments May the fragrant temple of the Holy Spirit make Him for me, so that in peace I will shamelessly end my laborious life on earth and I will dwell in the bright and blessed abodes of Heavenly Paradise, where you and all the saints will joyfully glorify the Consubstantial Trinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit. Amen.

Canons and Akathists

Canon of Equal to the Apostles Mary Magdalene

Song 1

Irmos: Having traversed the water like dry land, and having escaped the evil of Egypt, the Israelite cried out: Let us drink to our Deliverer and our God.

Decorated with Divine kindnesses and shining Divine luminaries, illuminate my darkened heart with your prayers, Mary.

Sanctify the Word of the Father, having delivered you from the spirits of malice; having been a disciple of Him, you have been filled with the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

Filled with life-giving waters from an unenvious source, for the mercy of the Lord who appeared on earth, you dried up the muddy currents of sin.

Theotokos: Mother by the nature of the Creator, we sing to Thee, the Young Lady, who reconciled to God the fallen human nature, the Mother of God, the All-Immaculate Lady.

Song 3

Irmos: The Supreme Creator of the heavenly circle, O Lord, and the Creator of the Church, Thou strengthen me in Thy love, the desires of the land, the true affirmation, the only Lover of Mankind.

Having loved first the culprit, our mercifully deified nature, you followed Him zealously, Mary, obeying the Divine command.

Weeping, you reached the tomb of the Deliverer, having first seen the Divine resurrection of the maiden. Moreover, you appeared as the evangelist, crying: Christ is risen, clasp your hands.

Theotokos: The Word incarnate, O Most Pure One, saves me from Thy most pure blood, resolving the condemnation of the first fall with the riches of goodness. Unceasingly pray to Him to save Thy flock.

Sedalen, voice 8

You truly served the impoverished Word with much mercy, Mary Magdalene, as if you were a disciple; beholding this, you were lifted up on the Cross and laid in the tomb, you wept, tearfully. In the same way, we honor you and celebrate your triumph by faith, glorious myrrh-bearer, pray to Christ the God of sins to leave taxes to those who honor your holy memory with love.

Song 4

Irmos: I heard, O Lord, Thy sacrament, I understood Thy works and glorified Thy Divinity.

Without the embarrassment of the possessors of worldly vanity, the thought, Thou hast served the One who came to save the whole world from flattery.

Washed with tears, having reached the life-giving tomb, you saw an angel, announcing Christ's resurrection to Mary.

Thy heart was immaculate in the justifications of Christ, and the only one thou didst desire, Red with kindness, worthy of glory.

Theotokos: Through the slumber of laziness I have fallen into a sinful sleep, O Otrokovitsa, comprehend, with Thy invigorating prayer raise me to repentance.

Song 5

Irmos: Who didst thou cast me away from Thy presence, O undefeated Light, and didst thou cover me with an alien darkness, the accursed one? But turn me and direct my path to the light of Your commandments, I pray.

The great-grandmother, who was deceived by these words and expelled from paradise, was seen in ancient times to be trampled underfoot by pure women, the masculine character of those who have acquired them, and eternally rejoices with them.

Dead and in the tomb of the Closed One, who breathes life into all, is wounded by love, offering myrrh to the sweetness of His love, Magdalene, honorable Mary, and shedding tearful aromas.

According to the Divine passion, according to the terrible ascension of the Savior, you pass, proclaiming the honest word everywhere and catching many who are deceived by ignorance, like a glorious disciple of the Word.

Theotokos: Delivers me, having fallen into sinful multi-braided cases, who deigned to be born from You for immeasurable mercy, the Most Holy Maiden, who begged Him to be delivered from all harm by faith in those who sing to You.

Song 6

Irmos: Cleanse me, O Savior, for my iniquities are many, and bring me up from the depths of evil, I pray, for I have cried out to You, and hear me, O God of my salvation.

Your words of water and sorrow have been taken away from your disciples, O honest one, just as you cried out: Christ has arisen, the belly has appeared, the sun is clear in its leaves.

Behold, your luminous memory has risen, enlightening the faithful, singing to you in it, and driving away the darkness of the evil demons of temptation, most wonderful.

Theotokos: The priesthood is a mental and inviolable purification, you have appeared as a candlestick of light, and you have led the bridge to God to those who confess Thee, the Mother of God, the Immaculate One.

Kontakion, tone 3

Standing, glorious one, at the Cross of Spasov with many others, and compassionate with the Mother of the Lord, and shedding tears, they offered this in praise, saying: what is this strange miracle? Let all creation suffer as you please. Glory to Your power.

Ikos

Lord Christ and King of creation, do not leave Heaven, who came down as you willed, and accept corruptible flesh by will. Having seen Him, the Immaculate Mother was nailed to the Cross, standing with the honest virgins and Magdalene Mary, crying. For the one who exists there and always shows the warmest faith, who follows Christ and sees the tomb, waiting and crying: Thou hast deigned to suffer, glory to Thy power.

Song 7

Irmos: The Jewish youths in the furnace boldly quenched the flame and turned the fire into dew, crying out: Blessed are you, O Lord God, forever.

You have driven away various ailments, having the words that help you, and stand before Him now, crying out to the Myrrh-Bearer: Blessed are you, Lord God, forever.

You were the only one who saw before and the life of our Christ rising, but you did not despise Him, crying out: Blessed are you, Lord God, forever.

Theotokos: Thou hast set forth the course of death, the Immortal God, having conceived and given birth, the Pure One, to whom we all will drink: blessed art thou, O Lord God, unto the ages.

Song 8

Irmos: By the sevenfold, the Chaldean tormentor furiously kindled the cave of the Godly, but by the best power they were saved, having seen this, they cried out to the Creator and Savior: fathers, bless, priests, sing, O people, exalt to all ages.

Your life has appeared brightly, with the dawn of leaves, O Magdalene! Virtuous deeds, Divine preaching, a hedgehog to God's beck, and rays to the Creator of love, Whom the Angels and priests sing, sing, O people, exalt Him forever.

You stood at the Cross, beholding the unrighteous, glorious, who poured out the slaughter of Yourself for unspeakable mercy, and, groaning and shedding tears, what a strange thing, you cried out to Mary, a miracle? How is death mortified and dies, an animal by nature?

Theotokos: As the Mother of God, we glorify You with the same wisdom and the highest creation, Pure, because of You, the condemnation that came from Adam was required and the apostate being appropriated by men, singing: priests, bless, people, exalt Him forever.

Song 9

Irmos: Heaven and the ends of the earth were terrified at this, for God had appeared as a man in the flesh, and Your womb was the most spacious of Heaven. Thus Thea, the Mother of God, the Angels and the people of the ranks are magnified.

You have now turned yourself to the Divine joy, to the most expansive breadth of heaven, to the mental and worldly abodes, where there are venerable ranks, where there is a pure voice of those who brightly celebrate, God-bearing Mary. In the same way, we will please everyone.

You preferred nothing to those who exist on earth more than the love of Christ God, but He alone was consumed by kindnesses and directly, all-honorable, sent by the rays sent to His feet, you cried out, following: I magnify You, Most Merciful.

Having received God-created deification, and having drunk from the stream of grace, and having accepted the rewards of illnesses from the beginning, and being counted by the apostolic rank, Magdalene, disciple of the Word, preserve the love of thee with your prayers.

Theotokos: As Mother, who suffered for us, deliver me from strangled passions; For you are merciful, forgive the sins of my captives; for the Good, please my soul now embittered by demonic temptations, O Virgin Mother of God, may I sing to Thee, the All-Singing One.

Svetilen

The unsetting sun, to the maiden, who had risen from the Father before the ages, was sealed in the tomb of the Jewish host, but you saw the resurrected one first, Mary, and you proclaimed it to your disciples.

Akathist to Saint Mary Magdalene Equal to the Apostles

Kontakion 1

Prepared by the Lord for equal-to-the-apostles service, Saint Mary Magdalene, you followed your beloved Christ: with the same songs we praise you with love; But you, who have great boldness towards the Lord, deliver us from all troubles with your prayers, so that with joy we cry to you:

Ikos 1

The Creator of angels and the Lord of hosts, foreknowing your good will, holy myrrh-bearer, chose you from the city of Magdala, freeing you from the devil’s snare; You, still a faithful servant of the Lord, have appeared, zealous for the glorification of His life and service. We, marveling at God’s vision of you like this, in the tenderness of our hearts, call to you:

Rejoice, you who were called from the Son of God from the darkness of the devil into His wonderful light; Rejoice, for by His grace you remained pure in body and spirit to the end.

Rejoice, having preserved spiritual poverty to the end with purity of heart; Rejoice, you who were privileged to behold the risen Christ above all others.

Rejoice, thou who has conquered the power of the enemy for good; Rejoice, you who shone forth with strong faith and warm love for Christ our God.

Rejoice, you who loved Christ the Savior with all your heart; Rejoice, you who served Him faithfully even to death.

Rejoice, thou who hast been renewed with grace in thy soul; Rejoice, you who have contained the preaching of the Gospel in the treasure of your heart.

Rejoice, you who proclaimed the preaching of the resurrection by the apostle; Rejoice, venerable angelic conversation.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 2

Seeing Holy Mary to be delivered from seven fierce demons, to cleave to the conqueror of hell to Christ God with all her heart, teaching all people not only with their lips, but also with all their lives to serve God, crying out to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 2

The human mind is perplexed, thinking, from what troubles, to the height of an angelic life, by the grace of Christ, you ascended, worthy of praise to Mary Magdalene. In the same way, we, who are your good intercessor, warmly pray to you: deliver us from the abyss of sin, so that we cry out to you in love:

Rejoice, you who escaped the cruel slavery of demons; Rejoice, you who have exposed the flattery of crafty demons.

Rejoice, having taught everyone to run to Christ God in the adversity of the enemy; Rejoice, thou who instigates no one to despair in the great sinful sorrow.

Rejoice, having shown the path to holiness to all sinners; Rejoice, thou who has known the omnipotent power of the grace of Christ.

Rejoice, good teacher worthy of thanksgiving to God; Rejoice, faithful teacher of true praise of God.

Rejoice, in your life you showed us the right path of the earthly course; Rejoice, good intercessor for all sinners before God.

Rejoice, protector of our souls from satanic flattery; Rejoice, our warm intercessor for Christ in all sorrow.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 3

By the power of Divine grace, coupled with your good will, you sadly left your father’s house, like Abraham of old, and joyfully followed Christ God; We also pray to you, disciple of Christ, glorious Mary, with your prayers, enlighten our hearts with love for God, and now and ever we cry out to Him: Alleluia.

Ikos 3

Having the power God-given to you, you courageously rejected Mary Magdalene, the red one of this world, and like a good disciple, you truly served the Word that was impoverished for us with much mercy. For this reason, we cry out to you with tenderness:

Rejoice, good disciple of Christ; Rejoice, teacher of true love for God.

Rejoice, you who have known the vanity of this world well; Rejoice, you who courageously rejected his joys.

Rejoice, red one who has imputed nothing to the world; Rejoice, you who have shown the monastic rite a good path of life.

Rejoice, you who guide everyone to Christ God; Rejoice, you who came forth from your earthly home for works of mercy.

Rejoice, having found Christ’s mercy here and in Heaven; Rejoice, for you have achieved eternal bliss.

Rejoice, wise lamb, who ran from the evil wolves to the good shepherd Christ; Rejoice, you who entered into the fold of His verbal sheep.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 4

A storm of demonic rage rushes with great force towards the temple of your soul, holy Mary, but it is not possible to shake it completely: for you have found salvation on the firmament of faith, the stones of Christ, on which you, wise woman, standing motionless, teach all the good God to sing the song: Alleluia .

Ikos 4

Hearing, God-wise Mary, because in following Christ you have found true joy of heart, truth, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, we strive to appear as partakers of this Kingdom of God. To you, as a partaker of that existence and who showed us the way to it, with your whole mouth the following:

Rejoice, thou who has loved the heavenly sweetness of Jesus; Rejoice, having found true life in Christ.

Rejoice, you who faithfully showed us the same image; Rejoice, you who now live forever in heavenly joy.

Rejoice, you who eat the heavenly food; Rejoice, having kindled the fire of love for God in your heart.

Rejoice, O Christ God, as His faithful and beloved servant; Rejoice, diligent prayer book for us to God.

Rejoice, helper in our troubles; Rejoice, our kind and gentle teacher.

Rejoice, most holy dwelling of the Holy Spirit.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 5

The God-bearing star, accompanying Christ, the glorious Mary, you appeared in the midst of the myrrh-bearers. With them now I will bring forth the coming Holy Trinity, and unite us with your prayers to the sacred face, illuminating the dark path of our life with your light, so that we joyfully cry out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 5

Seeing, holy Mary, Christ God hanging on the cross, you showed wondrous courage: for many disciples left their Teacher; But you, having kindled your soul and thought with His incessant divine teachings, you overcame the weakness of your female nature and thus you partook of Christ’s more salvific passion. For this reason, we, your valiant courage visible, cry out to you:

Rejoice, wise women are beauty and fertilizer; Rejoice, good joy to all Christians.

Rejoice, Christ God, hanging on the cross, compassionate; Rejoice, you who showed us the way more unshakably than love for Him.

Rejoice, having gained great boldness through your love for us in your intercession with God; Rejoice, kindness and praise to women.

Rejoice, strong refuge for Christians; Rejoice, stronger than strong men.

Rejoice, wisest of the wise men of this world; Rejoice, for God has revealed His secret wisdom to you.

Rejoice, for God the Word Himself taught you true theology; Rejoice, you who loved Christ God more than your own life.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 6

By Your grace you healed the weak and made weak vessels strong, O Christ the King. The myrrh-bearing women stand courageously at Your Cross and fearlessly proclaim the grace of the cross to everyone; The faces of the wise women, likened to the faces of angels, ardently, cheerfully cry out to the Trinity of Saints: Alleluia.

Ikos 6

Seeking to be illuminated by the light of true understanding of God, when you saw God hanging on the Cross, you said tearfully, marvelous Mary: how can Life now accept free death? We, who lead your glorious enlightenment through the grace of the Holy Spirit, cry out to you:

Rejoice, you who mourned Christ crucified from the depths of your soul; Rejoice, having found eternal joy in the heavenly villages.

Rejoice, you who showed us the image of good crying; Rejoice, for you are our constant joy.

Rejoice, true consolation for all who mourn; Rejoice, as for Christ, for His sake, you suffered on earth.

Rejoice, for you are glorified with Him in Heaven; Rejoice, strong conqueror of all our enemies.

Rejoice, you are an ambulance in all our sorrows; Rejoice, for your memory is sweet to all Christians.

Rejoice, for the whole Church of Christ your name most honorably; Rejoice, true vine of Christ's grapes.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 7

Wanting to understand the all-conquering power of the Cross, until the end of Christ’s passion you stood at the cross of Spasov with other wives, glorious Mary. The Mothers of the Lord are painfully compassionate, so you cried out in bewilderment: what is this strange miracle? Let all creation suffer as you please. We, by the will of the Ascended Love, cry out to the Life-Giving Cross: Alleluia.

Ikos 7

Thou didst appear as a wondrous wife, blessed Mary, through thy love for Christ God: for she expressed her sorrowful sobs, falling upon him taken down from the Cross, and with pure tears thou didst wash His wounds. You also followed the noble Joseph and the truth-loving Nicodemus, to the tomb of Spasov with other holy wives you flowed, weeping, His Immaculate Mother weeping inconsolably, you passed through her soul with a fierce weapon, comforting. We, who know such valor of yours, humbly cry out to you:

Rejoice, you who washed the pure wounds of Christ with your tears; Rejoice, O Mother of That Most Immaculate One who had compassion.

Rejoice, you who did not leave Christ even to the grave; Rejoice, thou who has been placed in the grave of a Life that has matured in bewilderment.

Rejoice, our good teacher, tears of repentance; Rejoice, teaching us to wash away those tears of sinful defilement.

Rejoice, you who encourage us to soften our hardened hearts; Rejoice, you who showed us the image of true wisdom.

Rejoice, you who teach us to remember the passion of Christ; Hail, glorious Mary, together with the Immaculate Virgin Mary, our faithful intercessor.

Rejoice, good servant of Christ; Rejoice, O Lord, and not pleasing to man.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 8

It’s strange, God-wise Mary, when the burial of the life-giver of the life-giver appeared to you: He was wounded by love, even in the present darkness, you brought myrrh to His tomb and shed aromas of tears. In the same way, you are now in the fragrant villages of paradise, with angelic faces crying out to God: Alleluia.

Ikos 8

All the sweetness, all the joy, all the life to you was Jesus, holy Mary, For this sake, having seen the stone taken from the tomb, But not having found this, you flowed weeping to the living stone of faith Simon and the other disciple whom Jesus loved, painfully saying: having taken the Lord from the tomb, and we do not know where he laid Him. Now you, having been freed from that sorrow, rejoice with Christ forever in Heaven. We on earth are filled with such joy through your prayers, we cry out to you with tenderness:

Rejoice, having conquered the darkness of the night with the radiance of your love for Christ; Rejoice, you who taught us night vigil in prayer.

Rejoice, shone with eternal light in Heaven; Rejoice, having purchased the Kingdom of Heaven through spiritual poverty.

Rejoice, for through your sorrow over the passion of Christ you have found abundant consolation; Rejoice, meek woman, heir to the land of Heavenly Paradise.

Rejoice, you who have hungered and thirsted for the righteousness of Christ, for you are now satisfied with the Heavenly table; Rejoice, merciful one, having received the mercy of the Lord and earnestly asking for His pardon.

Rejoice, for now you are pure at heart, See God face to face; Rejoice, for you have been vouchsafed above all others to see the resurrection of Christ, the Eternal World.

Rejoice, expelled righteousness for the sake of Christ, for yours is the Kingdom of God; Rejoice, having gained eternal joy and much reward in Heaven.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 9

Every order of angels marveled at the great mystery of Your glorious resurrection, O Christ the King; Hell was in awe, seeing that you had descended into the underworld of the earth and crushed the eternal faiths that contained the bound ones, Christ. We rejoice with the joy of the myrrh-bearing women and cry out with joy: Alleluia.

Ikos 9

The waving tongues of many things are not sufficient to adequately express your great sorrow, O glorious Mary, when you stood outside the tomb weeping. Who will be able to solve the illness of your soul, when you did not find your beloved Lord in the tomb more than the life of your beloved? Your sad heart is unable to heed the consolation of the bright angels. Remembering your great sorrow with tenderness, we sing to you like this:

Rejoice, to see Christ Jesus leaning into the cave; Rejoice, now seeing Him on the Throne of Glory.

Rejoice, thou who hast seen the bright celestial beings still existing on earth; Rejoice, from those who received the voice of joy of the resurrection of Christ.

Rejoice, for now you rejoice with them forever; Rejoice, you who brought myrrh to Christ through love.

Rejoice, thou who hast flowed sweetly into the fragrant peace of Christ; Rejoice, you who have rejected the joys of the sinful world and bitterness.

Rejoice, thou who has loved the heavenly sweetness of Jesus; Rejoice, good summer-bush of the garden of Jesus.

Rejoice, fruitful vine of the garden of God; Rejoice, the most adorned temple of the All-Holy Spirit appearing.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 10

Although thou didst descend immortally into the grave to save the world, thou didst destroy the power of hell and rose again as a conqueror, O Christ God, who said to the myrrh-bearing women: Rejoice. With them we now bring a song of joy to Ty: Alleluia.

Ikos 10

The walls of stone became solid, your love for Christ who loved you, the glorious myrrh-bearing Mary Magdalene. Moreover, you were the only one who saw before and our Life rose from the grave. You did not expect the heli-grader to exist and you cried out to Him, forgetting the weakness of nature: “If you took Him, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him.” But show Him the sweet voice of the Teacher, and teach us the herald:

Rejoice, thou who hast risen first and beheld the true Vertogradar; Rejoice, thou who art settled in the heavenly city.

Rejoice, you who are now feeding on the grapes of God’s grace; Rejoice, rejoicing in the wine of heavenly joys.

Rejoice, for your love for God has conquered your nature; Rejoice, for you have taught us the zeal of God to eat.

Rejoice, you who first received the message of the resurrection from the lips of Christ; Rejoice, you who first proclaimed the words of joy as an apostle.

Rejoice, having found eternal joy in Heaven; Rejoice, for you call us to that joy with you.

Rejoice, for you have interceded with God on our behalf; Rejoice, for you bring warm prayers for us to Him.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 11

Not a single word is sufficient to sing the divine joy of the resurrection of Christ, even with other wives, the glorious Mary, the apostle to proclaim on this appointed and holy day, a feast of feasts and a triumph of triumphs. Moreover, before the greatness of Your ineffable bounties, O Christ the King, who were upon us, bowing, with humility and love, we call You: Alleluia.

Ikos 11

You appeared as a luminous star to the sinful world, Mary Magdalene, when, after the glorious Ascension of the Savior, cities and weights were passing away and proclaiming the word of the Gospel everywhere, you bowed many under the good yoke of Christ. Having reached even ancient Rome, you courageously appeared before Tiberius Caesar and with that image of a red egg and with wise words you understood the life-giving power of Christ, but you denounced the wicked Pilate and the godless bishop, so that for their lawless deeds they will accept worthy, marveling at such a feat of your apostleship, joyfully we cry out to you:

Rejoice, glorious evangelist of Christ’s teachings; Rejoice, radiant chaser of pagan darkness.

Rejoice, you who have resolved the sinful bonds of many people; Rejoice, having taught everyone the wisdom of Christ.

Rejoice, you who have led many people from the darkness of ignorance into the wonderful light of Christ; Rejoice, you who showed us the image of standing firmly for the truth of Christ.

Rejoice, you who loved the salvation of the souls of sinners more than your own life; Rejoice, you who have understood the commandments of Christ well.

Rejoice, you who followed faithfully; Rejoice, you who boldly exposed the darkness of the pagans.

Rejoice, thou who was not afraid of Caesar’s wrath; Rejoice, you who showed the malice and deceit of Christ’s enemies.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus above all blessings.

Kontakion 12

Abundantly filled with grace from God, you brought many souls to Christ, O glorious Mary, for this reason you came to Ephesus, where you served apostolic love with the Apostle for the salvation of man, and reposed in a blessed dormition to the Lord, and now you will take him out with numerous heavenly singers to eat: Alleluia.

Ikos 12

Singing your praiseworthy life on earth and the glory that is in Heaven, we joyfully glorify, sing and magnify the wondrous Heavenly King in our saints, for not only you yourself, holy Mary, rejoice in His grace in the villages of the righteous, but also make us glad on earth, Having left us the valuable myrrh of your relics, even the wise King Leo commanded to bring the city from Ephesus to Constantine. You and we, who exude boundless grace with love flowing to all who flow, with faith and love mentally kissing, touchingly sing to you like this:

Rejoice, you who burned with love for Christ on earth; Rejoice, you who have taken up residence in Heaven in the heavenly abode of Him.

Rejoice, firm intercession of the faithful; Rejoice, fragrant myrrh, fragrant Church.

Rejoice, golden censer, bringing incense of prayer for us to God; Rejoice, endless source of healing.

Rejoice, inexhaustible treasure of God's grace; Rejoice, faithful partner of the angelic faces.

Rejoice, glorious inhabitant of the heavenly palaces; Rejoice, for your reward is abundant in Heaven.

Rejoice, for your joy is eternal in the abodes of the saints; Rejoice, for you have given us joy, and you have interceded for grace and glory.

Rejoice, holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, who loved the Sweetest Lord Jesus more than all the blessings.

Kontakion 13

O wonderful and wondrous adornment of women, praise and joy to all Christians, who appeared equal to the apostle, the glorious myrrh-bearer Mary Magdalene! Having accepted our present prayer, from all our troubles and sorrows, mental and physical, and from the visible and invisible enemies that come upon us, deliver us, and through your intercession direct everyone to the Kingdom of Heaven, with tenderness and love singing about you to God: Alleluia.

This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos: “Creator of Angels...” and the 1st kontakion “Prepared by the Lord...”

First prayer

O holy myrrh-bearer and all-praised equal-to-the-apostles disciple of Christ, Mary Magdalene! To you, as the most faithful and powerful intercessor for us, sinners and unworthy God, we now earnestly resort to you and pray in contrition of our hearts. In your life you have experienced the terrible machinations of demons, but by the grace of Christ you have clearly freed them, and through your prayers you have delivered us from the snare of demons, so that in all our life we ​​may faithfully serve the only Holy Master God in our deeds, words, thoughts and secret thoughts of our hearts, as they were promised to Him. You loved the sweetest Lord Jesus more than all earthly blessings, and you followed Him well through all your life, with His Divine teachings and grace not only nourishing your soul, but also bringing many people from pagan darkness to Christ’s wonderful light; then, knowingly, we ask you: ask us from Christ God for the grace that enlightens and sanctifies, so that we, overshadowed by it, may succeed in faith and piety, in the labors of love and self-sacrifice, so that those who earnestly strive to serve our neighbors in their spiritual and physical needs, remembering the example of your love for mankind. You, holy Mary, have lived your life on earth cheerfully by the grace of God and have peacefully departed to the heavenly abode, pray to Christ the Savior, that through your prayers He will grant us the power to complete our journey without stumbling in this vale of weeping and to end our life in peace and repentance, so that Having lived in holiness on earth, we will be granted eternal blissful life in Heaven, and there with you and all the saints together we will praise the Indivisible Trinity, we will glorify the One Divinity, the Father and the Son and the All-Holy Spirit, forever and ever. Amen.

Second prayer

O holy myrrh-bearer, Equal-to-the-Apostles Magdalene Mary! You, with your warm love for Christ God, trampled the evil machinations of the enemy and found the priceless beads, Christ, and reached the Kingdom of Heaven. For this reason, I fall to you and with a tender soul and a contrite heart I cry out to you, unworthy one: look down from the heights of Heaven on me, who have been overcome by sinful temptations, see that the enemy besieges me with many sins and troubles every day, seeking my destruction. Glorious and all-praised disciple of Christ Mary! Pray to Christ God, beloved by you and who loved you, to grant me forgiveness of many of my sins, strengthen me with His grace to soberly and cheerfully walk the path of His holy commandments, and may He make me a fragrant temple of the Holy Spirit, so that in the world I will shamelessly end my difficult life on earth and I will dwell in the bright and blessed abodes of Heavenly Paradise, where you and all the saints will joyfully glorify the Consubstantial Trinity, the Father, the Son and the All-Holy Spirit. Amen.

Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene, one of the myrrh-bearing women, was honored to be the first of people to see the Risen Lord Jesus Christ. She was born in the town of Magdala in Galilee. The inhabitants of Galilee were distinguished by their spontaneity, ardor of character and selflessness. These qualities were also inherent in Saint Mary Magdalene. From her youth she suffered from a serious illness - demonic possession (Luke 8:2). Before the Coming of Christ the Savior into the world, there were especially many demoniacs: the enemy of the human race, foreseeing his imminent shame, rebelled against people with ferocious force. Through the illness of Mary Magdalene, the glory of God appeared, and she herself acquired the great virtue of complete trust in the will of God and unshakable devotion to the Lord Jesus Christ. When the Lord cast out seven demons from her, she left everything and followed Him.

Saint Mary Magdalene followed Christ along with other wives healed by the Lord, showing touching concern for Him. She did not leave the Lord after His capture by the Jews, when the faith of His closest disciples began to waver. The fear that prompted the Apostle Peter to renounce was overcome by love in the soul of Mary Magdalene. She stood at the Cross with Holy Mother of God and the Apostle John, experiencing the suffering of the Divine Teacher and communing with the great grief of the Mother of God. Holy Mary Magdalene accompanied the Most Pure Body of the Lord Jesus Christ when He was transferred to the tomb in the garden of Righteous Joseph of Arimathea, and was at His burial (Matthew 27:61; Mark 15:47). Having served the Lord during His earthly life, she wanted to serve Him after death, giving the last honors to His Body, anointing it, according to the custom of the Jews, with peace and aromas (Luke 23:56).

Early in the morning on the third day after the Crucifixion, Saint Mary Magdalene, ahead of the other myrrh-bearing women, came to the tomb with aromas and saw that the stone that covered the entrance to the tomb cave had been rolled away (John 20:1; Mark 16:4). Then she returned to Jerusalem in confusion and called the apostles Peter and John: “They have taken the Lord away from the tomb, and we do not know where they laid Him” (John 20:2). The apostles Peter and John hurried to the tomb and became convinced that it was empty: the Body of Christ had disappeared, and the shrouds with which it was wrapped lay separately from the cloth that covered His head. Being in spiritual confusion, Peter and John returned to Jerusalem. Mary Magdalene remained at the tomb in inconsolable grief; she did not think about what had happened, but her thoughts and heart were with Christ. And when she looked into the coffin again, she saw two Angels there in a white robe who asked her: “Wife, why are you crying?” Saint Mary's suffering was so great that she, without hesitation, told the Angels about her misfortune the same thing that she would have told people. Suddenly the appearance of the Angels became especially reverent; Saint Mary Magdalene involuntarily turned back and saw Jesus, but did not recognize Him (John 20:14). The Lord did not immediately reveal Himself to her so that she could get used to His appearance. After the Savior’s compassionate appeal to her, “Wife, why are you crying? Who are you looking for? - Saint Mary, mistaking Him for a gardener, felt hope. She made a trusting request to the One who appeared: “Sir, if you carried Him out, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him” (John 20:15). And this was enough for Christ to let her recognize Himself. He called her by name, and she threw herself at His feet, exclaiming: “Teacher!” The Lord meekly pulled away from her in order to enlighten her thoughts and help her understand that He had risen in the transformed flesh: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father” (John 20:17). Christ sent Saint Mary with a message from Him to the disciples, and the blessed wife, rejoicing, announced to the Apostles about what she had seen - “Christ is risen!” As the first evangelist of Christ's resurrection, Saint Mary Magdalene is recognized by the Church as equal to the apostles. This gospel is the main event of her life, the beginning of her apostolic ministry.

The apostles at first did not believe the testimony of Mary Magdalene. After the humiliation of the Lord on the Cross, they could not maintain the height of faith in Jesus as the Messiah: they now perceived Him only as a prophet (Luke 24:19). Only after the testimony of the holy Apostle Peter, to whom the Risen Lord appeared, the apostles were confirmed in their faith in the Risen Christ the Savior. Saint Mary Magdalene tirelessly preached the Resurrection of the Lord.

According to legend, she preached the gospel not only in Jerusalem. Saint Mary Magdalene went to Rome and saw Emperor Tiberius (14-37). The emperor, known for his hardness of heart, listened to Saint Mary, who told him about the life, miracles and teachings of Christ, about His unrighteous condemnation by the Jews, and about the cowardice of Pilate. Then she brought him a red egg with the words “Christ is risen!” This act of the sleeping Mary Magdalene is associated with the Easter custom of giving each other red eggs (an egg, a symbol of mysterious life, expresses faith in the coming general Resurrection). Tradition claims that Tiberius was touched by the preaching of Saint Mary. He proposed to the Roman Senate to include Christ in the host of Roman gods, but the Senate rejected this proposal.

Then Saint Mary went to Ephesus (Asia Minor). Here she helped the holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian in his preaching. Here, according to Church tradition, she reposed and was buried. In the 9th century, under Emperor Leo VI the Philosopher (886-912), the imperishable moshis of Saint Mary Magdalene were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople. It is believed that during the Crusades they were taken to Rome, where they rested in the temple in the name of St. John Lateran. Pope Honorius III (1216-1227) consecrated this temple in the name of St. Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene. Some of her relics are located in France, in Provages near Marseille, where a temple dedicated to St. Mary Magdalene was also erected. Parts of the holy relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene are kept in various monasteries of Holy Mount Athos and in Jerusalem. Numerous pilgrims of the Russian Church who visit these holy places reverently venerate its holy relics.

Artist: A.A. Ivanov

Images of biblical saints are found on the pages of many literary works - ancient and modern.

Today we are talking about the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene and the novel by the Polish writer Gustav Danilovsky “Mary Magdalene”.

The Gospel of Luke and Mark says that Mary Magdalene, originally from the Galilean city of Magdala, was one of Christ’s faithful disciples. She was present at Calvary during the execution of Jesus, witnessed the burial of her Teacher and was the first to see the risen Christ. This is what is known about Mary Magdalene from the Bible. In Orthodoxy she is revered as one of the holy myrrh-bearing women.

In the Catholic tradition, Mary Magdalene is usually identified with the same nameless harlot from the Gospel, about whom Christ said: “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

The famous Polish writer of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Gustav Danilovsky, in his novel “Mary Magdalene” also adheres to this version.

DANILOVSKY:

In the empty, sunlit square, only Jesus and Mary, trembling like a reed, remained. Stunned, not understanding what had happened, through the tears that covered her eyes, she saw, in the fog, his eyes shining with triumph, still burning with the fire of inspiration, and heard a melodic voice as if coming from afar:

- Woman, where are your accusers? Has anyone judged you?

- Nobody, sir! - She answered through the sobs that were choking her throat.

- Nobody? - repeated Jesus. - And I don't blame you. Take it and cover up your torn clothes. - He threw his cloak over her shoulders and added in a soft voice that rang a gentle chord in her heart:

- Go and don’t sin again!

Over many centuries, the image of Mary Magdalene, the faithful disciple and companion of Jesus Christ, has been interpreted in different ways.

According to Catholic tradition (and the Polish novelist Gustav Danilovsky follows it), Mary was the sister of Lazarus and Martha, who received Jesus Christ in their home in Bethany.

Catholics identify Mary Magdalene with the nameless sinner of the Gospels who washed the feet of Christ with fragrant myrrh in the house of Simon the Pharisee.

This scene also appears in Gustav Danilovsky’s novel “Mary Magdalene”.

DANILOVSKY:

Raising his face, Jesus looked straight ahead, and it seemed to Mary that he saw her and with his smile called her to him.

Like a whirlwind, Maria burst into the room and shouted: “Savior!” fell at his feet. Luxurious hands in golden wrists clasped his knees, his beautiful head bowed to the clay floor.

Surprise gripped everyone, and suddenly a wonderful, intoxicating smell filled the room; Mary poured the pink balm onto Jesus’ feet, tore off the net from her head, and with the glow of her flowing hair, shuddering from the sobs that filled her chest, she began to wipe Jesus’ tired feet with them.

Gustav Danilovsky's novel "Mary Magdalene", first published in 1912 in Lviv, tells the story of the spiritual rebirth of Mary of Magdala after meeting Christ.

The central episode of the novel is the moment when Mary Magdalene petitions Pontius Pilate for the release of Christ and defends the Teacher from the Pharisees:

DANILOVSKY:

- Mister, - Maria began, - I didn’t hear what they said, but I’m sure they slandered him. They hate him because he exposes their falsehood and hypocrisy. They themselves are mired in vices, they cannot bear the fact that there is not a single shameful spot on him. Sir, he raised my brother from the dead, returned girlhood to my heart... He healed many possessed and unconscious, encouraged the fallen, restored joy to the sad, showed the righteous path to those lost in the difficult affairs of this world.

Olga Klyukina was with you. See you again in the author’s program “Prototypes: Saints in Literature.”

On the shores of Lake Gennesaret, between the cities of Capernaum and Tiberias, there was a small city of Magdala, the remains of which have survived to this day. Now in its place stands only the small village of Medjdel.

A woman was once born and raised in Magdala, whose name will forever go down in gospel history. The Gospel tells us nothing about youth Mary, but Tradition reports that Mary of Magdala was young, beautiful and led a sinful life. The Gospel says that the Lord cast out seven demons from Mary. From the moment of her healing, Mary began new life. She became a faithful disciple of the Savior.

The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene followed the Lord when He and the apostles passed through the cities and villages of Judea and Galilee preaching the Kingdom of God. Together with pious women - Joanna, the wife of Chuza (Herod's steward), Susanna and others, she served Him from their estates (Luke 8:1-3) and, undoubtedly, shared evangelistic works with the apostles, especially among women. Obviously, Evangelist Luke means her, along with other women, when he says that at the moment of Christ’s procession to Golgotha, when, after the scourging, He carried a heavy Cross on Himself, exhausted under its weight, the women followed Him, crying and sobbing, and He consoled their. The Gospel tells that Mary Magdalene was also on Calvary at the time of the Lord’s crucifixion. When all the Savior’s disciples fled, she fearlessly remained at the Cross along with the Mother of God and the Apostle John.

The evangelists also list among those who stood at the Cross the mother of the Apostle James the Less, and Salome, and other women who followed the Lord from Galilee itself, but everyone names Mary Magdalene first, and the Apostle John, besides the Mother of God, mentions only her and Mary of Cleopas. This indicates how much she stood out from among all the women surrounding the Savior.

She was faithful to Him not only in the days of His glory, but also at the time of His extreme humiliation and reproach. She, as the Evangelist Matthew narrates, was also present at the burial of the Lord. Before her eyes, Joseph and Nicodemus carried His lifeless body into the tomb. Before her eyes, they blocked the entrance to the cave with a large stone, where the Sun of Life had set...

Faithful to the law in which she was brought up, Mary, together with the other women, remained at rest the entire next day, for the day of that Saturday was great, coinciding with the Easter holiday that year. But still, before the onset of the day of rest, the women managed to stock up on aromas so that on the first day of the week they could come at dawn to the grave of the Lord and Teacher and, according to the custom of the Jews, anoint His body with funeral aromas.

It must be assumed that, having agreed to go to the Tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week, the holy women, having gone to their homes on Friday evening, did not have the opportunity to meet each other on the Sabbath day, and as soon as the light of the next day dawned, they went to the tomb without together, and each from her own home.

Evangelist Matthew writes that the women came to the tomb at dawn or, as Evangelist Mark puts it, very early, at sunrise; Evangelist John, as if complementing them, says that Mary came to the tomb so early that it was still dark. Apparently, she was looking forward to the end of the night, but without waiting for dawn, when darkness still reigned all around, she ran to where the body of the Lord lay.

So Mary came to the tomb alone. Seeing the stone rolled away from the cave, she hurried in fear to where the closest apostles of Christ lived - Peter and John. Hearing the strange news that the Lord was taken away from the tomb, both Apostles ran to the tomb and, seeing the shrouds and the folded cloth, were amazed. The apostles left and did not say anything to anyone, and Mary stood near the entrance to a dark cave and cried. Here, in this dark coffin, her Lord lay lifeless just recently. Wanting to make sure that the coffin was really empty, she approached it - and then a strong light suddenly shone around her. She saw two Angels in white robes, sitting one at the head and the other at the feet where the body of Jesus was laid. Hearing the question: “Woman, why are you crying?” - she answered with the same words that she had just spoken to the Apostles: “They have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they laid Him.” Having said this, she turned around, and at that moment she saw the Risen Jesus standing near the tomb, but did not recognize Him.

He asked Mary: “Woman, why are you crying, Who are you looking for?” She, thinking that she saw the gardener, answered: “Sir, if you brought Him out, tell me where you laid Him, and I will take Him.”

But at that moment she recognized the voice of the Lord, a voice that was familiar from the very day He healed her. She heard this voice in those days, in those years when, together with other pious women, she followed the Lord through all the cities and villages where His preaching was heard. A joyful cry burst from her chest: “Rabbi!”, which means Teacher.

Respect and love, tenderness and deep reverence, a sense of gratitude and recognition of His superiority as a great Teacher - everything merged in this one exclamation. She could say no more and threw herself at the feet of her Teacher to wash them with tears of joy. But the Lord said to her: “Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; but go to My brothers and tell them: “I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God.”

She came to her senses and again ran to the Apostles to fulfill the will of the One who sent her to preach. Again she ran into the house, where the Apostles were still in confusion, and announced to them the good news: “I saw the Lord!” This was the world's first sermon on the Resurrection.

The Apostles were supposed to preach the gospel to the world, but she preached the gospel to the Apostles themselves...

Holy Scripture does not tell us about the life of Mary Magdalene after the resurrection of Christ, but there is no doubt that if in the terrible moments of Christ’s crucifixion she was at the foot of His Cross with His Most Pure Mother and John, then there is no doubt that she was with them throughout the immediate time after the resurrection and ascension of the Lord. Thus, Saint Luke writes in the book of the Acts of the Apostles that all the Apostles unanimously remained in prayer and supplication with certain women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and with His brothers.

Sacred Tradition tells that when the Apostles dispersed from Jerusalem to preach to all corners of the world, Mary Magdalene also went with them to preach. A brave woman, whose heart was full of memories of the Risen One, left her native land and went to preach in pagan Rome. And everywhere she proclaimed to people about Christ and His teaching, and when many did not believe that Christ had risen, she repeated to them the same thing that she said to the Apostles on the bright morning of the Resurrection: “I saw the Lord.” With this sermon she traveled all over Italy.

Tradition says that in Italy, Mary Magdalene appeared to Emperor Tiberius (14-37) and preached to him about the Risen Christ. According to Tradition, she brought him a red egg as a symbol of the Resurrection, a symbol of new life with the words: “Christ is Risen!” Then she told the emperor that in his province of Judea, Jesus the Galilean, a holy man who performed miracles, strong before God and all people, was innocently convicted, executed at the slander of the Jewish high priests, and the sentence was confirmed by the procurator Pontius Pilate appointed by Tiberius.

Mary repeated the words of the Apostles that those who believed in Christ were redeemed from a vain life not with corruptible silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ as an immaculate and pure Lamb.

Thanks to Mary Magdalene, the custom of giving gifts to each other Easter eggs on Holy Day Christ's Resurrection spread among Christians all over the world. In one ancient handwritten Greek charter, written on parchment, stored in the library of the monastery of St. Anastasia near Thessaloniki (Thessaloniki), there is a prayer read on the day of Holy Easter for the consecration of eggs and cheese, which indicates that the abbot, distributing the consecrated eggs, says to the brethren : “So we accepted from the holy fathers, who preserved this custom from the very times of the apostles, for the holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene was the first to show the believers an example of this joyful sacrifice.”

Mary Magdalene continued her evangelism in Italy and in the city of Rome itself. Obviously, it is she who the Apostle Paul has in mind in his Epistle to the Romans (16:6), where, together with other ascetics of the preaching of the Gospel, he mentions Mary (Mariam), who, as he puts it, “has labored a lot for us.” Obviously, they selflessly served the Church both with their own means and their labors, exposing themselves to dangers, and shared the labors of preaching with the Apostles.

According to Church tradition, she stayed in Rome until the arrival of the Apostle Paul there and for another two years after his departure from Rome after his first trial. From Rome, Saint Mary Magdalene, already in old age, moved to Ephesus, where the holy Apostle John worked tirelessly, who, from her words, wrote the 20th chapter of his Gospel. There the saint ended her earthly life and was buried.

Her holy relics were transferred in the 9th century to the capital of the Byzantine Empire - Constantinople and placed in the church of the monastery in the name of St. Lazarus. During the era of the Crusades, they were transferred to Italy and placed in Rome under the altar of the Lateran Cathedral. Some of the relics of Mary Magdalene are located in France near Marseille, where a magnificent temple was erected in her honor at the foot of a steep mountain.

The Orthodox Church sacredly honors the memory of Saint Mary Magdalene - a woman called by the Lord Himself from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God.

Once mired in sin, she, having received healing, sincerely and irrevocably began a new clean life and never wavered on this path. Mary loved the Lord, who called her to a new life; She was faithful to Him not only when He, having cast out seven demons from her, surrounded by enthusiastic people, walked through the cities and villages of Palestine, gaining the glory of a miracle worker, but also when all the disciples left Him out of fear and He, humiliated and crucified , hung in agony on the Cross. That is why the Lord, knowing her faithfulness, was the first to appear to her, rising from the grave, and it was she who was vouchsafed to be the first preacher of His Resurrection.

Saint Mary Magdalene

Saint Mary Magdalene was from Syria, from the Magdala Mountains and the city of Magdala, which is why she had such a nickname. She was possessed by seven unclean spirits and suffered from demonic demons. When the rumors spreading everywhere about the wonderful Healer of all diseases, walking in the surrounding countries of Galilee, reached Mary, she hastened to go meet the One who works wonders and signs. The Savior also showed His mercy over her: He healed her not only from cruel bodily suffering (see: Luke 8:2), but also saved her soul, bringing her out of the disastrous darkness of ignorance, enlightening her mind with the knowledge of the truth and faith in Him, the Son God, sent from God the Father to save the world. And this Mary, the blessed disciple of Christ, became His follower, surrendering to Him with all her soul, and to the end she served Him with the other holy women, listening to His teaching about eternal life, having loved with all my heart the One who preaches about love. She did not leave Him even during his suffering. She stood at the Cross together with the Most Pure Virgin Mother of God, weeping bitterly, and with other holy women who looked at the suffering of Christ and wept, consoled and supported as much as possible the inconsolably weeping Mother of Christ Immaculate, exhausted from heartache (see: Matt. 27, 55–56; John 19, 25).

And among these wives, the first holy evangelist names Mary Magdalene, since she really sympathized with the suffering Christ more than others and sympathized with His grieving Mother, falling with a sob to the one taken down from the cross and washing His most pure wounds with tears.

And just as during His life she relentlessly followed Him, so she wanted to serve the one who died and was laid in the tomb, as His faithful disciple, and was the first to hasten to bring expensive fragrant myrrh, prepared for pouring on the body of the buried one, according to Jewish custom. And not once, but three times she came to the tomb of the Divine Dead - and twice she was rewarded with a vision of the risen Savior who appeared to her (see: John 20: 1-2; Matt. 28: 1).

The first time was early in the morning, when, having conquered her feminine fear, she came there (together with another Mary) and, seeing the stone rolled away from the tomb, hurried to return and announce to the disciples Peter and John that “the Savior was taken from the tomb.” And when, warning each other, they hurried to the Holy Sepulcher, Saint Mary Magdalene followed them and went there a second time. When those two disciples, seeing only burial shrouds in the tomb, left, then Mary, who could not tear herself away from the place where she had placed the shrine and treasure of her heart, remained there, as if still waiting for the One for whom all her soul yearned her, and, bending over His empty tomb, sobbing, she said: “They took my Lord and I don’t know where they laid Him.” But suddenly, looking back, she saw the Lord Himself standing and, not recognizing Him, asked Him, mistaking Him for a gardener: did he take the body of Jesus and where did he put it? And when Christ called her by name: “Mary!” - then she recognized Him and bowed at His feet, although He forbade her to touch Him, saying: Do not touch Me, for I have not yet ascended to My Father; go to My brothers and tell them: I ascend to My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God(see: John 20, 11–17). And having heard these words, Mary Magdalene went and announced them to the other disciples. All this happened early in the morning (see: Mark 16:2), before the sun rose. The third time Mary came with other myrrh-bearing women at dawn on the first day, and when, after a vision of an Angel who told them that Christ had risen and that they would see Him in Galilee, they hastily returned, frightened and joyful, then Jesus met them on the way, he said to them: Rejoice! Do not be afraid, go and tell My brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see Me(Matt. 28:10).

In these three visits to the Holy Sepulcher, the warmth of Mary Magdalene’s love was expressed, which inspired her, above all others, with an incessant desire for her Teacher, although deceased. And the Lord loved her and honored her first with His appearance after the Resurrection (see: Mark 16:9). And the first witness of the Resurrection of the Son of God also became His first evangelist. After His ascension, He traveled through many countries, preaching about Christ, just like the holy apostles. In Rome, appearing before Emperor Tiberius, Saint Mary Magdalene presented him with a red egg with the words: “Christ is risen!” Then she told the emperor about the Savior’s suffering on the cross. The offering of an egg was generally perceived at that time as an expression of joy. Since the time of Saint Mary, the exchange of eggs between Christians on the day of the Resurrection of the Lord has become a custom.

Having left Rome, Saint Mary Magdalene arrived in Ephesus, where she stayed with the holy Apostle John the Theologian and there, sharing with him the apostolic preaching and labors for the salvation of human souls, in the blessed Assumption she reposed before her Lord and was laid at the nativity scene entrance (in which they subsequently fell asleep seven holy youths).

During the reign of Leo the Wise (889–912), the holy relics of Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene were transferred to Constantinople and placed in the monastery of St. Lazarus.

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