Mary Magdalene - Icon Reproduction

St. Mary Magdalene accompanied the Lord Jesus on His public missionary work, and it is from her that He drove out seven demons (Luke 8:2-3). Along with the Blessed Mother and St. John, she is often recounted as present at the Crucifixion. She is also known as the Apostle to the Apostles, as she first announced the Resurrection to the Eleven in John’s gospel, and one of the myrrh-bearing women who approach the Empty Tomb on Easter morning according to the Synoptic gospels. St. Mary Magdalene is shown in red, the color of passion, symbolizing her deep love and witness to Christ’s death and Resurrection. Her presence at the Cross and in the garden reveals intense and faithful devotion. Iconographic tradition portrays her either with flowing hair or covered hair. Unbound hair signifies freedom and restored innocence, recall-ing the redeemed relationship between man and woman after the Resurrection. This icon honors that balance by showing her hair visible yet veiled, expressing purity regained. She is one of the few saints in the East depicted with distinct attributes such as a red egg or a myrrh jar. The egg represents the Resurrection, its red color symbolizing new life through Christ’s blood. The myrrh jar, as in Mark 16:1–8, signifies her role as a myrrh-bearing woman who encounters the Risen Lord. The scroll in her hand proclaims her Easter message, “I have seen the Lord” (John 20:18), affirming her as the Apostle to the Apostles and herald of Resurrection joy.

Iconographer: © 2025 Rev. Pachomius Meade, O.S.B.