Many issues back, for no reason other than innocent fascination, I focused on Mary Magdalene, the “apostle to the apostles” according to St. Augustine, 4th century Bishop of Hippo, Doctor of the Church and one of the most eminent and influential theologians of early Christianity.
Mary Magdalene, apostola apostolorum….that’s how the good Bishop framed her. I mentioned in that column several reasons but what to my mind is the most compelling is the fact that all four Gospels unequivocally state that Mary Magdalene was the very first person before whom the resurrected Christ appeared. She was the very first to break the Good News to the other apostles: “The Lord is risen!” And why did the Lord choose her, among many others, as the first eyewitness to his Resurrection?
There was the leader of the twelve, the impulsive Peter, the one who according to the Jesuit writer Fr. John Powell had a say on everything—who answered rhetorical questions. How about the beloved apostle John? And James and the rest of the twelve who were as close to Jesus as anyone? Why did He choose the woman from whom He cast seven demons?
That was just the introduction. Now to my main point….
For the first time ever in Church history, the memorial of Mary Magdalene has been elevated to a liturgical Feast day: 22 July 2016 by no less than Pope Francis himself who mandated last year that 2016 be the Jubilee Year of Mercy.
To be more precise, [I have] a humble suggestion….The Holy Father might as well declare 2016 — as Woman’s Year or the Year of the Ascendancy of Women.
Consider these facts: The Head of State of two of the most powerful nations on earth are women. Angela Merkel of Germany, Theresa May of the U.K. And then this illustrious duo will soon be joined come November 8 by no other than Hillary Clinton who [I predict] will become the most powerful woman on the planet!
Chelsea Clinton declared last July 29th: “Women’s rights are human rights” — when she introduced her mother at the Democratic national convention in Philadelphia.
The CEO of General Motors, one of the largest corporate entities in the world, was paid US$28.6 million in 2015 because GM achieved record sales and profits. Her name? Mary Barra….yes indeed another Mary!
If there is anybody responsible for making me what I am — it is my late mother, a school teacher for forty two years who nurtured me and our family and thousands of other school children in our little town of Oas, Albay. She must be applauding and saying, “Good boy my son for writing so glowingly about my gender…. About time….”
Sometime ago, this column also focused on Mother Mary. I wrote then: “Jaroslav Pelikan, a contemporary church historian, once said that he could fit in an A-4 bond paper what the Bible says about the Blessed Virgin Mary and yet, how come over a billion Rosaries are prayed every year?”
And if I may add, how come she touches the lives of so many Christians (not only Catholics) all over the world, 24/7? A mystery as profound as any. A mystery? To paraphrase Karl Rahner, arguably one of the top two Catholic theologians of the 20th century), the doctrines of the Trinity, Incarnation and Resurrection are but one big, huge Mystery, all pointing to one single ineffable direction: God. Amen!