Female Saints of the Week and Other Godly Women

I posted the image of a penitent, weepy Saint Mary Magdalene as sort of a humorous counterpoint to the image of my undeserving self.

Then, I got to thinking, it would be nice to feature images of various saints who happened to be women, and I thought, "Well, we have to have a little bio of the saint of the week, so everyone will know who she is/was."

Women have always made the church go 'round.

It's a good reminder of the role of women in the church these days, when some want to push us back into a box we were never in -- like that pope of the Middle Ages, who connected Mary Magdalene with the penitent (former prostitute?) who anointed Jesus' feet. There's no reason to think that woman was Mary Magdalene.

Who was Mary Magdalene, then?

It's possible Mary Magdalene was the Mary who was sister of Martha and Lazarus. I can see her sitting at the feet of Jesus. Also, Jesus' resurrection of Lazarus was not long before Jesus' final trip into Jerusalem -- Mary could have accompanied him.

Still, there's nothing in the Scriptures that definitely connects the two Marys. And Mary (or "Miriam," like John and James, was a very common name.

We know for certain that Mary Magdalene was Jesus' most dedicated apostle. He had healed her. She stayed with him at the cross, when others turned and ran in fear. She was the first to see the risen Lord. And by many accounts, she was a favorite of Jesus.

So, there you have it. I'll change the image every week or so. It will uplift me; you can look if you want.