Mary Magdalene: Apostle, Saint, Beloved of Jesus Christ, Model of Feminine Devotion
July 22nd: Mary Magdalene's Feast Day. In 2016 Pope Francis elevated this celebration from a Memorial to a Feast Day, which is a very high honor, putting Mary Magdalene on equal ground with the Apostles. It's shocking to me that this didn't happen until so recently. It seems indicative of the times we are in, where the teachings, wisdom, power and reverence for the Divine Feminine is surging.
Mary Magdalene was the first person recorded to witness Jesus after his resurrection....and I believe there is so much more to her story that I'm only beginning to uncover. There are many theories about her relationship with Jesus--I love the mystery, it's incredibly seductive to me. It's as though Mary is dangling her gorgeous femininity on a string for me, leading me towards Jesus, and through her personal evangelism, I'm feeling the call.
Over the years my relationship with evangelism has ranged from complete dismissiveness and borderline scoffing at the notion of anyone trying to impose their beliefs on anyone else, to understanding and feeling moved and inspired by the Evangelist communities I'm getting to know.
The truth is, I feel like I'm coming out of the closet as a Jesus lover.
For most of my life I would use phrases like "God", "The Divine", "Oneness" or "Universal Love" to describe my spiritual beleifs. I didn't want to claim myself as a follower of Jesus, or any one Guru/God for that matter, because I've been touched by many spiritual masters like the Indian Avatar Meher Baba, Buddha, Hindu Gods and Goddesses, etc. I've had first hand profound mystical experiences through breathwork, meditation, plant medicine ceremonies, and on spiritual quests. And while I've always appreciated and revered Jesus, I didn't have a strong personal connection with him. Until recently.
Over the last couple of months, I feel like I've fallen in love with Jesus through reading more about Mary Magdalene, listening to the woman Pastor at the church I've been attending, and through my own prayers. I've welcomed more and more of Him into my heart, and every time I do, I feel my body soften, my belly relax, and a holding of my nervous system in a new way. Perhaps it's the part of me that wants to be held so desperately by a secure, masculine, protector. I'm welcoming it.
This is partly uncomfortable for me to share because I have a belief that if I claim Him as God, or even my love for him, it will make my love for other God's, communities, or traditions smaller.
Even as I write this, I question my own story. Why am I afraid of this? Who decides?
And the simple truth is: I surrender to what God is asking of me. I listen. I observe. I reflect. And when I'm moved, I follow.
As I learn more and more about Mary Magdalene, and of her relationship with Jesus, I am moved to tears. She did not doubt Him or his message. She did everything in her power to support him and was a model of feminine devotion to her Beloved. God is opening a door for me here, and I'm going through it excited to see what's on the other side.
In my prayers these words came through...
Dearest Mary,
For just a moment,
I wish I could live vicariously through you,
To know the taste of His his breath on my lips,
The smell of His hair,
The smoothness of His skin,
Oh to be that close to Him—
Yes, I’m envious of the ways
He imprinted himself on you,
And perhapas even moreso
The ways you gave yourself to Him.
Oh and what you endured—
Only a true Saint could survive,
The long list of those who have tried to ruin your name, and
To have witnessed your beloved stripped and crucified,
Oh the tears you must have wept.
And still you knew.
You knew He would come back to you.
Your unwavering devotion not only to Him but to
Your truth--
Your unconditional love for Him
What an embodiment of His message.
You model for us
What is possible when you put aside
That which does not serve Him, and
Live life as an act of
Commitment to His mission,
For the good of us all.
May I remember your devotion,
In every room I enter,
Around every corner I turn,
And with every step I take.
May my commitments mirror
Those of yours to Him,
May I adore and cherish
My loved ones with as much patience
As you had for the world,
May I love with as much grace
As you carry in your heart.
When a woman knows a love like that,
The whole world changes.
For Mary Magdalene on her feast day I curated a madeleine recipe, which is a French cookie that many have traditionally enjoyed in her honor. I've created a sourdough recipe of rose water madeleines dipped in chocolate and decorated with rose petals. See instructions below.
Rose Water Recipe:
Take 1 cup of organic, dried rose petals and 5 cups of water and bring to a boil.
Reduce the heat to a simmer for 20 minutes.
Let cool and infuse for 1 hour, and then strain with a mesh seive or cheesecloth.
Set aside for recipes below.
Sourdough Madeleines:
The nights before you want to bake your madeleines, mix together the following:
With a hand or stand mixer whisk together the following until light and fluffy/foamy:
2 large eggs
2 egg yolks
3/4 cups of sugar
Once it becomes light and fluffy add in:
1/2 cup sourdough discard
2 Tbs of Rose water
2 tsp. of Vanilla
In a separate bowl stir together
1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder
Add dry ingredients to your wet ingredients and stir only until combinied. Mix in
1 stick of melted, unsalted butter.
Do not over mix.
Place in the fridge overnight.
Once ready to bake, preheat the oven to 400F.
Brush melted buttter or coconut oil over madeleine pan and dust lightly with flour.
Fill each mold abauot 3/4 of the way full.
Bake 13-15 min until the edges turn golden.
Cool on wire rack completely.
Melt chocolate of your liking in double boiler. I used a bag of semi-sweet chocolate chips and mixed with a couple tablespoons of cream. Once warm and melted, dip half of each madeleine in the chocolate and set on parchment paper lined plate. Sprinkle crushed rose petals on top. I put my rose petals in the food processor to make them extra fine. That's optional, but I like the subtleness of the smaller petals.
Ceremonial offerings I'll be enjoying in honor of Mary Magdalene:
- Adding leftover rose water and petals to a relaxing bath
- Engaaging in a sacred, pleasure ritual of breathwork, meditation, annointing my body with rose oil, and massage
- Singing
- Listening to a Mary Magdalene playlist
- Drawing Oracle Cards from my Divine Feminine deck
- Intuitively following my desires throughout the day
- Sharing a meal with my family and a few frieinds in celebration
Stay tuned for more holy day recipes, blessings, poems, and inspiration.