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The Feast of Holy Mary of Magdala
(July 22)
THE COLLECT
O helper of God and mystic silence before the Aeon, the father of the universe sees thy Angel throughout before his face. We invoke thee, O holy female power, by the angels who rest on the four pillars, whose feet are firmly fixed on the foundations of the divine abyss! We adore thee, great and glorious woman in whose bosom the father of the Aeons was concealed from the beginning! Hail to thee, who art declared in the disk of the night-shining moon; who art present in the abysses of the mighty waters and whose celestial radiance is concealed in the womb of the earth! Despised art thou by the fools of the world, but ever revered by the knowers of the truth! Maiden of the mysteries, consort of the Christos, beloved of the Logos; praise, glory, and reverence shall be thine now and for evermore.
Amen.
THE LESSON
The lesson is taken from the Book of the Perfect Mind:
I was sent by the Power and came to those who thought of me. I was found by those who sought me. Behold me, ye who thought of me. And ye who wanted to hear me, listen to me. And ye who expected me, accept me. And do not drive me away from before your eyes. And let not your voice or your ear hate me. Do not ignore me anywhere or at any time. Be careful, do not ignore me, for I am the first and the last. I am the honored one and the despised one. I am the harlot and I am the saint. I am the woman and I am the virgin. I am the mother and I am the daughter. I am barren and I have many children. I have many husbands and I am unmarried. I am the physician who heals and I am the one who wounds. I am the bride and I am the bridegroom. I am the mother of my husband and my husband is my father. I am the daughter of my husband, and my husband is my son. I am the sister of my husband and my husband is my brother. I am the slave of my father and I am the mistress of my son.
THE GOSPEL
The gospel is taken from the the Gospel of St. Luke and the Gospel according to St. Philip:
And behold a woman in the city, which was a harlot, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisees house brought an alabaster box of ointment. And she stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment. When the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself: This man if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him; for she is a harlot. And Jesus turned to the woman, and said unto Simon the Pharisee: Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet; but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hair of her head. Thou gavest me no kiss; but this woman hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint; but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee: Her sins, which are many, are forgiven, for she loved much.The Sophia whom they call barren is the mother of the angels. And the consort of Christ is Mary Magdalen. The Lord loved Mary more than all the disciples and kissed her on her mouth often. The others said to him: ‘Why do you love her more than all of us?’ The Saviour answered and said to them: ‘Why do I not love you like her?’ There were three who walked with the Lord at all times, Mary his mother, and her sister and Magdalene, whom they called his consort. For Mary was his sister and his mother and his consort.
A Homily for the Feast of Holy Mary of Magdala
presented by the Most Reverend Stephan A. Hoeller, bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostic
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