Many female names can be found in the face of the saints of the Christian Orthodox Church. The wives of the myrrh-bearer occupy a special place among the great ascetics of piety. One of these was the Holy Equal-to-the-Apostles Mary Magdalene.
Saint Mary was from the city of Magdala, Syria. That is why this saint is traditionally called Magdalene. Also, this saint is called Equal to the Apostles to the extent that Mary preached the Gospel with special zeal, like the great apostles.
Mary Magdalene was possessed by demons before meeting Christ. The rumor about the great miracles of the Savior (including the casting out of demons) brought the suffering woman to Galilee. It was there that Christ healed Mary, seeing her great faith and hope in God. The Gospel tells that seven demons were expelled from Mary. From that time on, the future equal to the apostles saint believed in the Lord and became one of the most zealous disciples of the Savior. She followed Christ along with other women and served Him.
Saint Mary was present at Calvary at the crucifixion of the Savior, saw His torment, was a witness to the removal of the body of Jesus from the cross.
Even before dawn on the day of the Resurrection of Christ, the saint came before everyone else to the Savior's tomb in order to anoint the body of the latter with special fragrances (peace). It was in the cave where Christ was buried that Mary Magdalene saw the resurrected God-man, but did not immediately recognize him, initially mistaking him for a gardener. Only after the assurance of Jesus Christ did she understand the importance and greatness of what had happened. After this appearance, Mary Magdalene went to the apostles to tell about the resurrection of Christ.
After Christ's ascension into heaven, the saint stayed with the other apostles and the Mother of God in Jerusalem, and after the Descent of the Holy Spirit she set out to preach to Rome. There, Saint Mary presented the emperor Tiberius with a reddened egg with the words that Christ had risen. She told the emperor about Pilate's unrighteous condemnation, the Savior's miracles and His sufferings. Since that time, the tradition has gone to paint eggs for Easter.
The saint finished the days of her earthly life in the 1st century. In the 9th century, the relics of the saint were transferred from Ephesus to Constantinople. Particles of the relics of the great ascetic are also found on Athos and in Jerusalem.
Saint Mary Magdalene is called the Myrrh-bearer Church. This name is due to the fact that she was one of those women who, according to Jewish custom, anointed the body of the buried Christ with peace. Also, after her death, Mary came to the Savior's tomb with perfumes to anoint the body of Jesus.
