Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Catholic
Mary Magdalene, Seven Daily Demons, and Seven Antidotes

Mary Magdalene, Seven Daily Demons, and Seven Antidotes

Last updated on: July 27, 2016 at 10:12 am by Michael Pezzulo

Mary Magdalene, Seven Daily Demons, and Seven Antidotes 2016-07-27T10:12:15-04:00 Michael Pezzulo

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

ΑγίαΜαρία_η_Μαγδαληνή

(Image: Icon of Mary Magdalene courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Last Friday (July 22) is the day set aside to remember Mary Magdalene. One thing I know about her is that the medieval rumor to the effect of her being a repentant prostitute is not grounded in any ancient tradition. (For a very quick summary of other traditions about her and a truly beautiful hymn in her honor you can check the Prologue from Ochrid.)

Scripture tells us that the Lord healed her from being afflicted by seven devils and places her as the first witness of the Resurrection. Eastern tradition hails her as “equal to the apostles,” a title reserved for those who have special prominence in spreading the gospel. We don’t know what role sin and its forgiveness played in her encounter with Christ, but we know that it played some role, as it does for each of us. We don’t anything about her seven devils, but we know that Christ’s presence in her life replaced them. We know that before her encounter with Christ she was afflicted, that Christ healed her, and that afterwards she gave witness to Christ.

Mark Shea has already given us a wonderful piece on the scripture passages read for this feast in the Latin Rite, so for this post I want to start from a different direction- with the aforementioned facts of her life (that she was afflicted, healed and then gave witness) and from the troparion sung for her feast:

You followed Christ who was born of a virgin for us, keeping his laws and observing his degrees, Mary. In return we observe your holy memory, that our sins might be forgiven through your prayers.

This liturgical hymn should make us mindful not of Mary’s sin, but of our own. So looking to Mary Magdalene’s witness to Christ’s triumph over sin and death and hoping in her prayer on our behalf – let us reflect for a few moments each on seven sins which afflict us (either in temptation or because we have already fallen) and what we should put in their place. May we – with the help of Christ and the prayer of Mary Magdalene and all the saints to aid us – drive these seven devilish impulses out of our hearts and replace them with virtue. First into our hearts and so often last in our repentance is. . .

Previous Post

July 26, 2016

The One Who Lays Down His Life: A Word on Today's Martyrdom of Father Jacques Hamel

Next Post

July 27, 2016 End the Year of Mercy?

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category abortion Abuse Advent America American Christianity angel angels Annunciation Appalachia apparition apparition chaser apparition chasers apparition culture art art review babies baby baby Jesus Bad Lip Reading bad statue contest bath beauty Bible story blog blogkeeping blood book review Brandon Sanderson breastfeeding bus Catholic catholic conspiracy alarmism Catholic Oppositional Disorder Charismatic Renewal Charlie the Cat chastity Christ Christian idenitity Christianity and Judaism Chronic Illness clean clothing COD piece comedy compassion conscience conspiracy theory conversion cop-on-black violence Crucifixion cry of the poor culture Daesh Daily Saints death death penalty devotional diaconate diaper diapers dirty disability Donald Trump Dorothy Day dream drugs Eastern Catholicism Eastern Christianity education election election update Elsewhere on Patheos empathy environment Fear feminism film review fish flashback fluffy buns food Franciscan University of Steubenville Friendship Room fun Gabriel gardening gospel hair-splitting Heaven hell heresy Hillary Clinton history Holly the Witch Holy Spirit holy war Homeschooling homosexuality horror human dignity humor Icon idol immigrants infection inter-religious dialogue Interpretation of Scripture Islam Jesus Jihad Joseph joy laity and lay vocations lamb dinner laundry lent lgbtq literature love manners Mary Medicine and Science Meditation mercy mess milk misogyny Missouri monasticism monster motherhood mourn with those mourn movies movis music mystery nature neurodiversity New Pro-Life Movement news nonsense nostalgia O antiphons obituary objectification Ohio Valley Ordinary Time ordination Ordo Amoris parable paradox Passover peanut butter personal beliefs pets philosophy Planet Charismatic poetry politics polls poop Pope Francis Pope Leo power in the Church prayer prayer request prayers preferential option for non-violence president presidential election priest primary private revelation pro-life prophecy Public face of Catholicism Pure Flix Q and A race racism random rape rape. sexuality reader's request Reckoners refugee religious trauma ressurrection Right to life Saints saints and celebrations same-sex same-sex marriage satire scandal secular feasts seder Seven Joys Seven Last Words sex sexual ethics sexuality silencing six months skid row slavery social justice Speculative fiction spiritual abuse spoon stain story suffering suffrage suffragette Sunday Gospel temple Tenebrae Responsories Terror the exorcist The Friendship Room The New Pro-Life Movement Things I Learned on the Internet tin cup traffic true story tv review Uncategorized USCCB vice and temptation violence Virtue virtue and vice war Way of the Cross whimsy whole life women's ordination work of mercy Year A

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 September 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 August 2023 July 2023 June 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 June 2019 May 2019 April 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 November 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

I am a goat released into the wilderness, carrying away the sins of the people. What am I?

Select your answer to see how you score.

The scapegoat A sacrifice A sin offering An atonement goat