Feast of Saint Mary Magdalene, apostolorum apostola (John 20)

‘The Gospels then tell us that the women, unlike the Twelve, did not abandon Jesus in the hour of his Passion (see Matthew 27: 56, 61; Mark 15:40).
Among them, Mary Magdalene stands out in particular.
Not only was she present at the Passion, but she was also the first witness and herald of the Risen One (see John 20:1, 11-18).

It was precisely to Mary Magdalene that Saint Thomas Aquinas reserved the special title, “Apostle of the Apostles” (apostolorum apostola), dedicating to her this beautiful comment: “Just as a woman had announced the words of death to the first man, so also a woman was the first to announce to the Apostles the words of life”‘ (Benedict XVI, General Audience 14 February 2007).

*Mary Magdalene, Apostola Apostolorum* (John 20:10-18), by Br. Emmaus O’Herlihy, OSB

Encountering the risen Jesus Christ (recognized by Magdalene only when hearing him speak her name, as referenced in her exposed ear) heightens Magdalene’s sense of crisis by her realization that she can no longer relate physically to Jesus. Magdalene’s figure in the painting is blown forward; the energy of the Spirit drives her onwards to announce Jesus’ resurrection to the Apostles.