Dear Friends,

Today is the Feast of the Equal to the Apostles, St Mary Magdalene according to the Tru . . . JU-lian Calendar!

It is the Namesday of my two paternal great grandmothers, the wives of my great grandfather Leo, who both had the same first name, Magdalena (he married his second wife, Magdalena, after his first one died, of course!).

Between them both, they bore my great grandfather Leo exactly 25 children!

One of them was John, my grandfather, who was born unable to walk - until the age of seven.

At that point, he was dipped in water from St Paul's Church in Rome and could then walk - this following a public vow by great grand-dad Leo that if God should restore his walking, he would be a priest - which he was for seventy years.

I pray for my two great grandmothers, Magdalena and Magdalena, that God will receive them into His Kingdom and that I would one day be able to meet them both to forever glorify the Holy Trinity with them!

In addition, on this day, my beloved dog, Azor, a Samoyed, died when I was in university.

He was named for a dog, Aza, in Ukraine who defended my grandfather against a rabid dog that tried to bite him as he was coming home from Divine Liturgy one morning.

Aza fought with the dog until my grandfather, Fr. John, was safely away.

Aza got rabies and had to be put down.

Azor was our childhood pet and when he died, I lost the power to speak through grief for two days.

Alex

Thank you for this post, Alex. I cannot tell you how much I needed it today. But I will anyway.

St. Mary Magdalene is my patroness, since I took her name when I was confirmed in the RC church many years ago. She has always been a friend to me, walking the road with me. Indeed, it is her image that I use for my avatar. I always faithfully observe July 22, her feast day in the West... Now that I know today is her feast day in the East, I have cause to give thanks for her love and protection today.

For it was one year ago today that my beloved husband went in for surgery, never to wake up again. It was one year ago today that he read a story to his dear children for the last time. One year ago today that he held me in his arms for the last time and whispered that he loved me. One year ago today that his beautiful blue eyes last looked on those he loved. One year ago today that I began the days-long vigil of watching and waiting and hoping and praying for a miracle.

I have been weeping and wailing today, more than I had expected to. But now I can find some peace in knowing that my dear Saint walks with me today in a special way. So thank you, Alex. I don't come to the ByzCath forum very often these days. Clearly, Saint Mary Magdalene led me here today to find your post.

I offer her hymns of thanksgiving and praise and beg her tender compassion, that she continue to intercede on my behalf.

-- Penthaetria, She Who Mourns

Dear Sorrowful and Holy Sister in Christ!

I ask that my two great grandmothers, who share with you the patronage of the Holy Equal to the Apostles St Mary Magdalene, to pray to her for you!

And also that your dear husband, who is with you always in ways you may not always be aware, to ask Christ the Bridegroom to console you and hold you in His all-powerful Hands of consolation until you are reunited again in His love and in His Kingdom forever.

I know that is easy for me to say. Then again, it is not.

In the East, there is the tradition linking St Mary Magdalene to the Easter Egg.

Mary Magdalene was invited by Tiberius Caesar to Rome.

During the imperial banquet, Mary tried to convert the emperor to Christ.

The emperor then turned to her and said, "Madame, be sensible. A man can no more rise from the dead having suffered such a death by crucifixion than this egg can change its colour to red!"

At that, St Mary Magdalene, the Miracle-Worker, picked up an egg and it turned red in her hands!

Eastern icons of St Mary Magdalene often depict her holding an egg in her hands this way.

St John Damascene later explained the symbolism of the red Easter/Paschal egg.

The red symbolizes the Blood of Christ that was shed in His Passion that fell to the earth, symbolized by the egg itself, and that destroyed or "dried out" the life of sin in us (the hard-boiled core).

He then framed the Easter greeting in full:

Christians at Easter are to greet one another with:

Christ is Risen!

To which the full reply is:

Truly the Creator of Heaven and Earth and all things visible and invisible has risen from the dead!

Please know, revered Sister, that much love and prayer surrounds you from the people of this Forum and elsewhere at this your personal moment of Calvary.

In a revelation to a Catholic nun, our Lord told her that: No matter what suffering you endure, quickly gaze upon My Wounds on the Cross - and the suffering will leave you.

Again, it is easy for me to say that.

If you like, and only if you do, feel free to PM me a mailing address, and I will be pleased to mail you a rosary from the Shrine of St Mary Magdalene in the south of France.

Alex